Getting creative with embeddings by Amelia Wattenberger

An article by Amelia Wattenberger explores creative uses of embeddings.

wattenberger.com/thoughts/yay-embeddings-math
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About Getting creative with embeddings by Amelia Wattenberger

This is an essay by Amelia Wattenberger about using text embeddings for creative analysis of writing. It describes an experiment behind a writing app idea called PenPal, which the author frames as a tool for making writers better rather than replacing their writing. The essay explains a method for scoring sentences on a scale defined by a few example words or phrases at each extreme, with the score showing where a sentence falls between the two ends. The author tested an abstract-to-concrete scale and a sad-to-happy sentiment scale and found both worked well.

The author states that the method is imperfect, works better for some kinds of scales than others, and may be biased by sentence length. The article reads as an account of an ongoing experiment, and it does not describe PenPal as available to use.

Key features

  • Maps words or phrases to locations in embedding space using OpenAI's embeddings model
  • Builds a custom scale from a few example words at each extreme
  • Scores sentences so that 0.5 falls halfway between the two ends
  • Applies an abstractness lens that highlights sentences on a concrete-to-abstract scale
  • Supports custom scales, such as a sad-to-happy sentiment scale
  • Includes a configuration page for creating and testing a scale
Best for: Writers, editors, and developers interested in how embeddings can be used to analyze and compare writing style.
Good for
  • Explains the method's steps and reasoning in plain, concrete terms
  • Reports that the embeddings model was cheaper per token than GPT-4 as of August 8, 2023
Watch out for
  • The author says the method is not perfect and works much better for some scale types than others
  • The author notes the method may be biased by sentence length
  • The writing app PenPal is described as an idea in progress, not a released product

Getting creative with embeddings by Amelia Wattenberger at a glance

Type
Online tool
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Platforms
Web
Open source
Not stated
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026

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Getting creative with embeddings by Amelia Wattenberger FAQ

Does the method work equally well for every kind of scale?
No. The author says it works much better for some types of scales than others. After initial experimentation, she found that both a concrete-to-abstract scale and a sad-to-happy scale worked quite well.
Can users define their own scales?
The author describes the ability to create custom scales as one of the benefits she is most excited about. A sentiment scale, for example, uses a few sad words for the negative end and a few happy words for the positive end.
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