The Toilet Scroll that Changed My Life— and Why AI Can’t Replace Real Writers

In 2021, I was sitting on the toilet (I was! I’m pulling you into my exact memory, here. I’M A STORYTELLER, OKAY?).

So, I was sitting on the toilet, scrolling on my phone like we all do, but this wasn’t just any mindless scroll sesh. At the time, I was deeply unhappy in my career. I’d come home most days with tears in my eyes and depleted of energy. I was in a vulnerable place… and also, on the toilet. So, yeah—super vulnerable.

And that’s when I saw it. A Facebook ad.

 I can’t tell you exactly what it said, but it might as well have had my name on it.

 Are you a burned-out teacher who loves writing?

I sat up straighter (still on the toilet, unfortunately). “Yes,” I murmured.

 Are you wanting out of the classroom?

 “Yes,” I said a little louder.

 Do you want to replace your teaching salary with writing from home?

“YES!” I screamed. (But in my head, because this would have been jarring for my family to hear me bellowing from the toilet.)

 Become a copywriter, the ad said.

I responded with my bank account information pretty close to immediately after learning what a copywriter even was, and got to work on a course that I was sure would change my life from the very toilet I sat on.

 I told you… I was vulnerable. (Plus, it WAS great copy and great copy converts! Color me converted!)

I started the course that same week.

 I tore through the first few modules, lit up with energy that I hadn’t felt in years. This could be it I thought. A way out. A way forward.

And just as I started to believe in this new path, I was blindsided—ChatGPT launched.

Suddenly, everyone had access to a robot that could spit out product descriptions, blog posts, Instagram captions, and even entire articles in seconds. And if they didn’t like the tone? They could just tweak the prompt. No writer needed.

I stared at my laptop, feeling my dreams float away like a balloon… a sleek, eerily efficient balloon, powered not by earthly helium but by otherworldly technology…. there it went—my future as a writer, my escape plan from teaching.

Shaking my fist at the sky, I lamented that the robots had taken my job!

I let fear creep back in. Fear that I’d spend another 15 years in a career that chipped away at me until the day I could retire-- fear that I’d missed my shot.

What I didn’t know then, was that it wasn’t too late—not even close.

Fast forward to 2024—I got out of teaching and landed a job with an entertainment company. With my love for writing and brushed-up knowledge about copywriting and SEO, I volunteered to update their website’s blog. No surprise—I absolutely loved it. But here’s what did surprise me: even with the assistance of AI, crafting a genuinely good blog post still took real time, thought, and strategy.

You can feed ChatGPT the perfect prompt and get a decent draft—but turning that into something worth reading? That still takes a human. Someone who can tweak, layer in stories, and breathe life into the words so they actually land.

AI is a powerful tool—and getting smarter by the second—but it’s still not a plug-and-play replacement for human copywriters, especially for brands that care about connection. AI has certainly made content creation more accessible than ever, but the process still demands a time investment that most small business owners and solo entrepreneurs simply don’t have.

Human copywriters don’t just save you time—we bring nuance, voice, and connection that AI can’t fake.

Here’s why the human touch still matters: Because your story deserves to sound like you. Because strategy, voice, and clarity don’t happen by accident. Because even the smartest AI still needs a human hand—and a human heart—to make it matter.

A good writer doesn’t just write. We ask questions. We listen. We dig deep and find the words that reflect your energy, not just a well-trained algorithm.

So, from a toilet-scroll breakdown to building a career I love—this journey has taught me a lot. But most of all, it’s shown me that when it comes to creating content that connects, converts, and actually sounds like you?

You need life to give life, so you still need a human (preferably one with a strong Wi-Fi signal, a good playlist, and maybe… a story or two to tell).

Staring at a blank screen—or worse, a robotic first draft? Let’s bring your story to life.
Let’s chat.
📩 abbykatewrites@gmail.com