How I Met AI and Graduated from Being Someone Who 'Couldn't Write' | For the First Time in My Life, I Have a Writing Habit
Hello. I'm toy.
People sometimes say to me, "You've always liked writing and were good at it, right?"—but
Actually, that is not the case at all.
In fact, I have always hated writing.
I was bad at reading too, and my grades in Japanese class were always a '2'.
In university entrance exams, my Japanese score held me back and I didn't get into my target school.
(In the standardized tests back then, getting half the questions right in Japanese was considered good...)
That is precisely why, now that I am writing articles like this on note and having people read them...
honestly, I sometimes find it hard to believe myself.
"I want to start a side hustle."
"A blog? note? I'm interested, but I don't feel like I could keep it up."
"To begin with, I'm just not good at writing..."
To you, who is thinking things like that.
I started from the same place as you.
But now, by getting my hands on AI as a "partner for writing",
for the first time in my life, I have developed a "writing habit"!
I, who couldn't write, now
open note almost every day,
and have come to convey my thoughts to others in my own words.
In this note, I will talk about
how I "became able to write"
and "became able to keep it up",
all based on my actual experience.
It's okay to rely on AI.
Even if you leave it to the draft (the text generated by AI) at first, or if you have a complex about writing, it's okay.
The story of how I, who couldn't write, became able to write.
I'm sure it can gently push you forward.
Please, take your time and read until the end.
※This article is 3,248 characters (can be read in 6-7 minutes)
That I, who was bad at writing and got a '2' in Japanese, would become a writer
Ever since I was a child, I was just terrible at reading books.
I was slow at turning pages, and even when the teacher said, "Okay, next page," there were times when I hadn't even reached the previous paragraph.
Essays, book reports, reading—
When I used a book report my older sister had written, I was praised,
and my grade for that one time was a 3 (lol).
My grades in Japanese after that were always a '2'.
I think I was just lucky to have managed to move up a grade.
I tried hard on my university entrance exams, but my Japanese held me back until the end...
In the end, I couldn't reach the first-choice university I wanted to go to.
I had always had the feeling of "I want to do a side hustle."
After I started working, I tried things like Instagram management, blogs, and other "side-hustle-like things" many times.
But all of them were half-hearted.
I didn't know how to do them, or I didn't get any reaction, so I couldn't keep them up.
"I guess it's impossible for me after all."
"I'm a person who ends up doing everything half-heartedly."
There was definitely a time when I thought that way.
But—
that I would receive work under the title of 'Web Writer',
write many articles a month,
and have people actually read them.
Even now, I find it a little hard to believe.
Meeting AI made me think 'writing is fun' for the first time
The trigger was an ad that appeared on my Instagram.
'Change your life with AI'
Drawn by those words, I signed up for an AI utilization school.
Honestly, it wasn't cheap.
I worried a lot—was it really okay to spend this much money on myself, someone who couldn't even keep up a side job?
But I want to thank myself from the bottom of my heart for being able to say 'let's do it' back then.
What I learned at the school were the basics of SEO writing
(this article is a rough draft) and how to use AI tools like ChatGPT.
Everything from refining prompts and creating article structures,
to how to actually apply for jobs on platforms like CrowdWorks.
At first I was nervous, but
I gathered the courage to send proposals and was able to secure several ongoing projects.
Meeting an AI that writes so smoothly,
I naturally thought, 'This is amazing!'
But at the same time,
I also learned the reality that 'you can't just submit what the AI writes as is.'
Corporate projects often involve specialized themes,
requiring research,
and the essential task of 'polishing' the text output by the AI into my own words.
Even so—
I, who used to hate writing,
find myself writing 8,000 to 12,000 characters per article.
And what's more, 20 articles a month.
'Writing is surprisingly interesting'
That was a feeling I had for the first time in my life.
As I kept writing, I discovered the 'joy of expressing myself'
As I continued to write articles, changes started to happen little by little.
From 'just writing' to 'how can I make this better?'
Before I knew it, I was
developing my own
prompts to make better use of ChatGPT,and learning to
use different AI tools for different purposes.
Click here for ready-to-use prompts👇
Thinking of templates to streamline article structure creation,
and making thumbnails for my notes on Canva—
Looking back at my former self,
“I could never imagine myself enjoying something so tedious.”
I really couldn't have imagined it.
But now,
I find it incredibly fun to go through trial and error, make improvements, and see results from my efforts.
It's so much fun.
“How can I write articles that are uniquely mine?”
“How can I make them reach my readers, even just a little?”
Thinking about these things has become a habit.
And by starting to post on a platform called note,
I’ve also started receiving “reactions.”
Whether it’s gaining followers (though I don’t even have 30 yet),
or getting even a single “like,” it really makes me happy.
I find myself getting happy or sad over view counts. Haha.
But including all of that,
I’ve come to think that “sharing content is fun.”
Things about AI I wish I had known sooner
Honestly, nothing I tried ever worked.
I admired the sound of a side hustle, so I tried running an Instagram account,
or tried my hand at blogging.
Even when I started thinking, “Alright, I’m going to do my best today,” I would stop updating after a few days,
and before I knew it, I’d fall into self-loathing, thinking, “Here we go again...”
I always hated that I couldn’t keep anything up.
But AI writing was different.
I still clearly remember the first time I earned money from a project.
It was for an article that paid about 1,500 yen, and I thought, “Yes!”
I was happy from the bottom of my heart.
Things moved quickly for me after that.
Once I achieved that 0 to 1, I didn’t hesitate to invest in myself,
and I took the plunge and bought a MacBook Pro.
To help me focus, I also set up a home office.
If it were the old me,
I don’t think I could have ever imagined spending money and time on myself like that.
But the current me
has come to think, “I want to invest more in myself.”
I, who used to hate reading and writing,
am now obsessed with “writing.”
[Summary] How “I who couldn’t keep anything up” was reborn through AI writing
I was bad at writing.
SNS didn’t work, blogging didn’t work, I couldn’t keep anything up, and
there was a time when I thought, “Side hustles are impossible for me.”
But after meeting my “partner,” AI,
for the first time, I felt that “writing is fun.”
I thought maybe I could keep up with AI writing.
Writing articles using AI, having them read by someone,
getting followed, or having someone press the “like” button.
While I still get happy or sad over the numbers, I have certainly changed little by little.
note is not just a place for monetization.
It is also a "place to grow yourself."
So, if there is anyone out there right now thinking, "I want to write but I can't keep it up," "My side hustle isn't going well," or "Maybe this isn't for me..." I want to tell you this.
With AI, you can definitely write. You can keep it up.
And the writing that only you can create will surely reach someone's heart.
Why don't we start
a fun writing life together?🌿
If this article has given you even a little push, I would be very happy if you could leave a like❤️ or follow me🤝.
Thank you for reading until the end.
This was Toy!
Here is my recommended article for drafting outlines,
complete with the prompts I use👇