Article ideas are born during work. Using voice input to record the reasons too [Sharing for small businesses]
In this article, starting from the moment you stop in front of your desk while trying to write a note, I will explore from the perspective of Tsuyoshi Watataru how to record thoughts that come to mind during work. It is about using voice input to get the background and specific examples out before they disappear, which would happen if you only took a few words of notes. This is a discussion on securing material that you can turn back into your own words later, rather than a finished manuscript.
The moment I open my computer, the 'me who wants to write' who was supposed to be there just a moment ago sometimes leaves the seat.
That is quite a free way of working, haha.
Today, I will think about how to record article ideas born during work before they disappear.
Hello. I am Tsuyoshi Watataru.
Under the business name Netarie, I provide support for note publishing for small businesses.
I pick up ideas from notes, audio, past articles, and daily realizations found within work, and organize them into note articles that are searchable and convey personality.
Why does nothing come out the moment I try to write?
I decide to write a note article and sit down in front of the computer.
However, the moment I open the screen, nothing comes out.
I should have had a theme I wanted to write about. The memory of thinking 'I will write about that' remains. Even so, the first sentence does not come out.
At times like this, what is important is not the article theme itself, but the situation when you thought of that theme.
When you are answering questions from a customer.
While you are in the middle of writing a slightly long email.
When you think 'How would this apply to my work?' while reading other articles or news.
In daily work, words come out in reaction to someone or something.
There is the other person's expression and questions, and there is the process of my own hesitation. Because I am talking while recalling similar situations, specific examples also come to mind naturally.
However, by the time I sit in front of the desk, that context has fallen away.
All that remains are conclusions like 'turn questions into an article' or 'write about voice input'.
I know what to write about. But I don't know why I wanted to write it.
I, too, sometimes tilt my head while looking at notes that only contain a few words. Even though I am the one who wrote them, I have to start by deciphering the code.
Using voice input to record the context that gets lost in short notes
It is not that short notes are useless.
If it is just to avoid forgetting shopping or tasks, a single word is enough. However, when using them as material for an article, a theme name alone is sometimes not enough.
For example, suppose a customer asks, 'Why does this task take so much time?'
On the spot, you might explain it while recalling not only the work process but also the problems that occur when rushing and past experiences where you made the wrong judgment.
If you only make a note saying 'Write an article about work time,' what remains later is just words close to a title.
What you really want to keep is what you recalled at that time, who you were explaining it to, and where you emphasized your words, isn't it?
I usually use the voice input on my smartphone in such situations, talking for about two or three minutes to record what comes to mind.
I do not try to speak a finished sentence.
I let out the flow of the moment, saying things like, 'I just received this question,' 'I thought I would answer like this at first,' or 'But I noticed something else along the way.'
Because what I said remains in text, it becomes easier to trace the order of my thoughts when I look back at it later.
When I start typing, I inevitably want to correct the words.
Choosing kanji, adjusting the endings, going back to the previous sentence. Before I know it, the time for saving material has turned into time for polishing.
With voice input, it does not matter if the story goes back and forth a little. It is fine if you tell the same story twice or if other topics get mixed in along the way.
What is needed at this stage is not readability, but that the traces of your thoughts remain.
Placing voice input before drafting
Article ideas for note grow better if you record the reasons and specific examples that came to mind during work, along with the temperature of the moment, using voice input rather than thinking from scratch in front of your desk.
What you create with voice input is not a finished manuscript. It is material to return to your own words later.
The content you speak will have repetitions, and the order of explanation will not be organized. Even if it makes sense to you, there will be parts where the background does not reach the reader.
So, after converting the audio to text, I use AI to separate the main points.
I consolidate overlapping topics, look for parts that could become headings, and check for missing explanations. Finally, I reread it to see if it sounds like something I would actually say.
Instead of having the AI write from scratch, I provide it with my own thoughts first.
I have summarized here how much I use AI and where humans make the decisions at Netarie.
→ What humans decide in article creation using AI | Netarie's production policy
With this sequence, the work you do at your desk changes as well.
Instead of searching for what to write, you become able to choose what to give to the reader from the material that is already recorded.
In a small business, you may not always be able to set aside a long time just for writing articles.
That is why you shouldn't treat work and article creation as completely separate tasks. It is important to pick up words from your everyday explanations and hesitations, and then organize them into a readable format later.
Was there a moment in your work today where you put a little extra passion into an explanation?
If you try recording just one thing for about two minutes, you might find the entrance to the next sentence you want to write.
Recording questions also increases your article material
Voice input is well-suited for recording the reasons and specific examples you thought of on the spot.
On the other hand, another important type of material is born during work.
It is the questions actually asked by customers.
Can I request this even if it's my first time?
Why does this task take time?
How much can I ask you to do?
By recording these questions, you can see not only what you said, but also where the readers are actually struggling.
Here is how to keep questions as article material instead of letting them end on the spot.
Summary
Article ideas are not born only while sitting at a desk.
When explaining things to customers.
When writing emails.
When you think, "I want to write about this later," while working.
In those moments, the reasons and specific examples come out naturally.
Therefore, instead of trying to write a finished draft, record it by voice first.
Organize it later and choose what to turn into an article.
By following this order, you don't have to think from a blank screen every time.
If there was a moment in today's work where you got a little passionate about an explanation, try recording it by voice for just two minutes.
That might become the material for your next article.
I have summarized the philosophy behind how Go Watadaru supports communication and article creation here. It is fine to start by just learning about the approach.
[About production] This article is based on the structure, notes, and research content of Go Watadaru, using AI to assist with drafting and organization, and finally confirmed and edited by the author himself. The angle of the article, what content to keep, what to cut, and the decision to publish are all handled by Go Watadaru.