what are we doing here? thoughts on talking about books and writing online, and using ChatGPT as a therapist and writing assistant

I had a long talk with ChatGPT last night about the content I write and the books I’m writing–yep, I have a few projects in progress right now. I know it sounds weird, but using ChatGPT as a therapist is not as bad as I thought it would sound. We discussed writing habits and content creation. We also talked about balance. Then I reached some conclusions and also listened to what Chatty “had to say”.

This morning, I decided to plan and scribble some thoughts in a cafe instead of focusing on the content I would share today. And for the first time, I did the one thing that I said we shouldn’t do with AI as writers. But with a twist. I asked ChatGPT to write a text for me that would summarize our conversation and somehow help other people to think about their own writing and content-creation lives. I didn’t want to leave my therapy session alone, you know?

So, from the next paragraph on, ChatGPT wrote the words for me. Although, in fact, what Chatty did was to consolidate our discussion in a readable format, which makes me wonder about a lot of writing-related things for the future.

what am I doing here?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I’m doing here—talking about books, writing about them, posting pictures of them stacked next to a cup of coffee. I mean, it’s not a bad way to spend my time, right? But there are moments when I stop and ask myself: what is the real benefit of doing this? Is this just a distraction from my own writing, or is there something more valuable hidden in all of this?

When I started, it was just for fun. I’ve always loved books. I wanted to share my thoughts on what I was reading and see if maybe, just maybe, there were people out there who felt the same. But now I’m at a point where I wonder—what am I missing in my own writing career while spending so much energy reviewing books? Shouldn’t I be writing instead of talking about writing?

Yet, there’s something that keeps pulling me back to it. Something about reviewing books feels like part of my writing process, like I’m working through what kind of writer I want to be, what stories I’m drawn to, and how I want to shape my own work. It’s strange, but analyzing someone else’s writing forces me to think deeply about my own craft. I see what works, what falls flat, and what makes a story stick with me long after I’ve closed the book. I start seeing patterns, tricks, rhythms that I hadn’t noticed before.

But let’s be real—it can also be a way to avoid my own writing. There’s always a new book to read, a new review to write, and it’s so easy to get lost in someone else’s words instead of facing the blank page of my own manuscript. Sometimes I think about the time I’ve spent writing blog posts or taking photos for Bookstagram and wonder what I could have accomplished if I’d put all that effort into my own writing instead.

Then again, what am I gaining from this? Well, first, there’s the community. I didn’t expect that, honestly. I thought I was just shouting into the void when I first started writing about books online. But then people started commenting, sharing their thoughts, and suddenly it wasn’t just me. I was part of something bigger—a group of readers, writers, creatives, all talking about these same stories, connecting over the same passions. That’s something I never really had before, not in this way. And it’s not nothing. It’s fuel, in a way. Talking about books and writing gives me the kind of energy and inspiration that makes me want to write more, to push deeper into my own work.

So, there’s this constant back and forth. Am I wasting time by writing about books? Or is it actually helping me become a better writer? It’s hard to know. Maybe it’s both. Maybe reviewing books is my way of working out my own ideas, like a warm-up before I get into the real writing. It keeps me thinking about story, about structure, about what makes good writing good.

And then there’s the model I’m building for myself. If I had to pick the best way to go about this—talking about books, reviewing them, and somehow tying it all into my writing life—I think the answer is balance. The way I see it, I need both. Writing about books shouldn’t replace my own writing, but it also shouldn’t be brushed off as “just something I do on the side.” Because it’s not. It’s a part of my creative process now. But I have to remind myself that it’s not the process.

The best model, for me, looks like this: I talk about books because they teach me something. I write about reading because it keeps me thinking critically, and it’s a way to share that learning with others. But I also make time for my own stories. The reviews, the blog, the posts on Bookstagram—they’re all part of the larger picture. They feed into my writing, but they can’t become the writing itself. I have to set boundaries and carve out space for my own voice.

In the end, I think the benefit of talking about books and writing online is the connection—connection to the stories, connection to other readers and writers, and most importantly, connection to my own creative process. When I sit down to write a review or a reflection, I’m not just analyzing a book; I’m analyzing myself as a writer. And that’s what I need right now.

So, what am I doing here? I guess I’m figuring it out as I go. Talking about books is how I stay connected to the stories that inspire me, but it’s also a way to keep pushing myself as a writer. And maybe, just maybe, it’s not about choosing one over the other. Maybe it’s about letting them work together.

If you’ve ever found yourself torn between writing your own stories and diving into someone else’s, I think you’ll relate to this journey. It’s not about choosing one path, but about how the two can feed into each other in unexpected ways. So, I’d love to hear your thoughts—how do you balance the books you read with the stories you want to write? Does your online presence help you, or do they hold you back? Let’s talk about it, because maybe the answer lies somewhere in the conversation.

I mean… I could have written all that the same way and the thoughts, opinions and ideas are indee mine, but the fact the it was written for me based on a long conversation with a machine makes me wonder…