Just because it's easy to write doesn't mean you should write carelessly

I think I'll stop writing.

There have been many moments when I've thought that. When I read writing by someone talented, when an article wasn't published, or when a pitch I wanted to write didn't get approved. Sometimes I just get too busy, my streak breaks, and before I know it, I've stopped writing altogether.

This time is the same. It's because I was shown the seriousness of Japan's number one editor, Hana Fujiwara, and
the incredible power of writing.

Before reading this, I had a part of me that thought I was pretty amazing for doing so much writing. I was writing as a writer, and I had somehow misunderstood that calling myself a writer made me special. I even went as far as telling people, "I work as a writer on the side!"

I want to delete that right now.
It's embarrassing.

Until now, I loved writing. That's why I've kept at it, even while repeating the cycle of giving up after three days over and over again.

It started with mixi and Ameblo in the past, and now I've built my own blog on WordPress,
I write on note, and I even send out a newsletter.

I was able to keep going because there were times when I felt happy while writing. Precisely because I loved it, I chose to be a writer as a side job in addition to my main career, going to interviews, listening to stories, and turning them into articles.

When an article was published, I loved checking the number of likes, whether there were comments, and how many impressions it had gained; that became my driving force, the gasoline that kept me writing.

I was no longer satisfied with regular gasoline; I was constantly running on a full tank of high-octane!

I check as soon as I wake up, and I'm on my phone while brushing my teeth, commuting, at a cafe, or during the few minutes before work starts. I even touch my phone while I'm working. I'm constantly checking because I'm worried about the reactions of the people reading. I can't let go of it, even when I'm in the bathroom or eating.

Just like refilling a tank when the gas runs out, I kept craving everyone's reactions one after another.

It's become an addiction to the need for approval.

Even when I think about stopping, I can't help but wonder how people are reacting after I've written something. I think I should stop at some point, but I can't stop repeating the same thing.

Perhaps this is a side effect of an era where it has become easy to write.

But every time I spit out words, I fail to notice that I am exposing my own shallowness. Is there any weight to the words there? When my writing reaches someone through the act of writing, can I take responsibility for the words I've put out?

The moment I realized that wasn't the case,
I realized that
my writing was shallow.

I have to choose my words carefully and write. Once I started doing that, I suddenly stopped writing. Even though I loved writing so much, I couldn't do it anymore. I became afraid. I'm not moving forward.

I even thought,

let's leave the writing to AI.

I thought that too.

Right now, AI is evolving at an incredible pace in the world of writing as well.

Certainly, if you leave it to AI, any word count can be completed in an instant. If you teach it readability, it's becoming able to clear that too. There will be few typos or omissions. If you teach AI various things, it can write just like you,

a modern-day ghostwriter is born.

Besides, while the AI is doing it, you can do other things, so the cost-performance aspect goes without saying.

But is that fun?

It is certainly fun to master cutting-edge technology and bring it to completion, and it might be good if you can master it for work.

Haven't you forgotten the feeling of handwriting?

Typing on a computer is fine, but the tactile sensation of handwriting is enjoyable. I started the draft for this text by handwriting it as well.

Before writing (typing) easily on a computer,
this draft is important.

Prepare writing utensils, paper, and a notebook. What should the first character be? Where should I start writing from? Maybe I can't write the beautiful characters I'm thinking of, or what about the size and the balance and placement of the kanji?

It's by no means beautiful handwriting, but
checking those things
in an instant is fun.

The sound of writing utensils rubbing against paper. Stops, hooks, and sweeps. Each one makes a sound. When writing characters, they layer sounds like the instruments of an orchestra—string instruments, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

With just a slight difference in pressure, even with the same writing utensil, the sound that comes out at that moment is different.

Just as no two orchestral performances are the same, the sound when writing characters is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I write because I want to hear this sound.

When I'm writing with a pen,
I can't use an eraser, so

if I make a mistake, I cross it out with a quick stroke.

That moment feels good, too.
Writing while savoring the characters by hand.
It's like a gourmet meal.

We live in an era where writing tools have shifted from brushes and pencils to computers, and now to technology like voice input and AI.

However, the privilege of handwriting is being able to feel the sensation of "the pen flowing," which you cannot experience otherwise.

It is precisely because of handwriting that
I enjoy it and keep on writing.

That is the reason why I write. 《The End》