Totally Human Writer

GM. Waiting for $58k...

It is tax season again here in Spain. Every month I'm able to cut one more tie to the fiat world and it makes me breathe easier, but trying to play both sides of the financial system is stressful. Every three months, I'm searching down the back of the sofa for tax money I usually find just about enough. View Article →

To celebrate 500 notes posted on Nostr, I have deleted the X app. GN

My personal Facebook page just got banned. No fucking idea why. I opened the account in 2006. 20 years of Meta sucking the value out of my content and data. If my 'appeal' is unsuccessful, they will just 'delete' everything. (Of course, they will keep all the data, but will deny access to me). The 'appeal' involved uploading a photo of myself. Surely anyone could do that with a quick google search. Anyway, if I lose access, I don't really care. Could be a good time to cut ties with that shit. 2026 is pointing me towards spending more time in the parallel spaces that can't revoke your access. Carry on, Nostr. Nothing to see here.

Chapter 16 — Becoming Totally Human I was kicking around some ideas about directions for my writing. My business had already touched on articles, courses, fiction, editing, coaching, newsletters, and guides. I settled on Bitcoin as a niche because it’s the only area I want to invest my energy in. It might sound harsh, but if you are a freelancer, and you aren’t writing in a niche that resonates deeply with you, why do it at all? The plus side of being a writer in Bitcoin is that there are very few creative professionals in the space with deep skillsets. I’m not saying that to put anyone down. It’s a small ecosystem compared to insurance, pet care, fashion, and other writing niches. Clients are forthright. They do what they say, and they don’t mess you around. It’s easy to meet them too — founders, industry leaders, investors, and top minds can all turn you onto projects that need words. All you need is a clear profile and the guts to meet them. Over the last two years, I’ve had dozens of calls and have been to quite a few conferences. Really, it’s the same as any other industry: success comes from clarity, consistency, reputation, and who you know. (For more on ‘how I built a bitcoin writing business’, read my Bitvocation article:

"I Left the Fiat World to Work as a Freelance Bitcoin Writer"

Philip Charter shares his journey from a traditional career to becoming a freelance Bitcoin writer, and provides ten tips for professionals looking...

). But in an industry that embraces AI with open arms, why call myself ‘Totally Human Writer’? Four reasons: 1. It shows my values. I believe in communication that is human centric. I’m a fiction writer. How could I not want to write for people? 2. It’s clear positioning. If you want someone to pump out social truisms, 3-step guides, and ‘top 10’ articles, that’s not me. Repelling the wrong clients is just as important as attracting the right ones. 3. It’s a mark of quality. I aim to work on high value projects, not $50 per keyword-stuffed blog content. 4. Purple monkey dishwasher (would an LLM write that???) Overall, I’m not against AI. That is not a position that’s tenable anymore. I use Lumo for quick research, lists of items, quotes, and to summarize books and podcasts. But using it to actually write just takes all the joy and meaning away. Contrary to what AI shillers say, meaningful writing is worth more than ever before. LLMs produce millions of words virtually for free. That’s why the internet is filled with shit content and no-one’s marketing is working any more. There is no magic formula for cutting through the sea of slop. As with anything, it’s about time, effort, and value. We’re in the period where entrepreneurs and founders are figuring out what they can and can’t automate. Certain types of writing tasks can be automated. But if you automate your vision, message, and reduce the time spent in your community, your authenticity trends to zero too. I recently read a podcaster’s book. I’m the perfect age to be in his target audience, so I was keen to see how he’d relate Bitcoin to my struggles. The book was written with AI (maybe 20-30% was the author’s work). It was awful. I felt no connection to his experience, his opinions. If he couldn’t put the work into writing it, why should I bother to read it? Machine content is always derivative, and derivative work is less valuable than original work. When ChatGPT started eating freelancers’ lunches (mostly due to short-sighted budgetary decisions), I thought long and hard about what AI can never do: * Invent novel analogies & frameworks * Understand biology & the mind * Generate niche humour * Vary voice effectively * Share experiences * Offer real opinions * Write with rhythm * Craft stories We read to learn things. However, we also read to connect with others. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel a connection with billion-page internet libraries. Although technology advances at an exponential pace, human connection is one thing I think won’t change. Next time, I become a children’s author. *** Catch up on previous chapters via the articles on my profile.

Catch up on chapters 13-16 of my writing-life story. (just two more chapters to go!)

GM. Another hike to start my weekend. Arucas, Gran Canaria.