The beautiful Jenna Moreci, a budding writer who has a YouTube vlog in which she offers writing advice for other aspiring writers, says she is often asked by her followers "How do I know I'm a writer?" Questions like this (and many others) tell you how much her followers admire her. But she seems to … Continue reading How do I know I’m a writer?
Tag: writing
Give me a name!
There are still not enough followers of this little blog of mine for me to gather many answers, so I may return to this topic again. I need a name. I do not want to use my real name as the pen name because I write technical documents and books relating to my profession under … Continue reading Give me a name!
My First Novel
I grew up writing and telling stories. When I was twelve, they were mostly Harry Potter style adventures. Not about wizards, but about average boys with normal fears and abnormal skills who face enemies and dangers best left for Superman to confront. In my early teens they were mostly poetry. Depressing stuff. It was the … Continue reading My First Novel
Reading in a Second Language
I am a born story teller. I love to tell stories. That alone, sadly, does not make me a publishable writer. Before I write, I must read. Before I read, I must learn to read. I moved to Scotland when I was eight years old, soon moved to the US, then returned to Japan in … Continue reading Reading in a Second Language
Laugh at Your Own Jokes
Neil Gaiman advises writers "Laugh at your own jokes". If you understand the gravity of this advice, you have had some experience struggling with writing. I just got back into writing recently at the age of 52 and was shocked at the abundance of writing tips for novelists on the internet. With the arrival of … Continue reading Laugh at Your Own Jokes
Writing Exercise 2
An experiment reveals that 92.6% of the words in a first draft were redundant.
Writing Exercise 1
I have not read Fifty Shades of Grey because it has been reported that the lousy prose is contagious. Zoe Williams of the Guardian wrote in her review of E. L. James’ trilogy “Goddammit. I've been infected by James's ominous, staccato delivery. After 1,600 pages of the stuff, you will too. I'm doing it again. … Continue reading Writing Exercise 1
Where are the samurai stories?
It is very difficult to find good, new samurai fiction in the English language, or any Japanese fiction for that matter. If you look for a list of best samurai fiction, or historical novels, on Goodreads, you will find Shogun by James Clavell (published 1975), Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa (1939), Taiko by the same author … Continue reading Where are the samurai stories?
The Samurai Novelist
I write under the nom de plume Akira Fuyuno. I am a professional with a full time job, but I have dreamed of becoming a novelist since childhood. I hope to meet other aspiring novelists and discuss writing and its difficulties. I am Japanese (living in rural Japan) and English is my second language, but … Continue reading The Samurai Novelist
Samurai Novelist 