A few weeks ago I was invited to Hiroshima International School to give an author talk as part of their Reading Week program. That was the initial plan anyway, but rather than stand and waffle in front of a hall full of small kids, we instead came up with the idea of doing writing workshops […]
A quick update about an event I’ll be taking part in this April, a panel discussion run by the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators related to travel writing and producing tourism material. It’s free and open to non-SWET members, you just need to send an RSVP in advance so they can keep track of numbers. […]
A very brief post to share some good news that appeared in my inbox earlier this week. One of my books, Tokyo: Capital of Cool, was given the Silver Prize in the “Travel book or guide” category at the 24th North American Travel Journalists Association Awards. This is my second NATJA Award, after Travel Pack Japan […]
A few weeks ago I had the rare (for me) experience of being on the receiving end of an interview, when I chatted with Karen Riley of Eye-Ai magazine about being a writer in Japan. I’m used to new writers and students getting in touch to ask about how I got into writing and looking […]
A month or so ago, I posted something about micro fiction and why I’ve found myself drawn to writing it. Call this an update of sorts to share the following handful of micro fiction stories, each of which is either 50 or 100 words in length. […]
It’s a funny thing sending off haiku to haiku journals. Even with the most recognized publications, the variety in the styles of poetry – and the execution of them – is extremely wide. It’s hard to know what a publication wants to receive, and both acceptance and the quality of publications feels very hit and […]
Recently, I ditched an occasional client in relation to copyright infringement of my work. The details aren’t important here, but it did make me realize how fortunate I’ve been to have had so few deadbeat clients over the years. I’ve had some editors who have been inexperienced. Some have obviously not been the best of writers. […]
“Been here long?”, or words to that effect, I must have been asked hundreds of times since I moved to Japan. My answer varies. I usually say I’ve been here for about ten years, then have to correct myself when I remember it’s now been 15 years since I arrived in Tokyo. If I’m in […]
Over the last couple of years I’ve been trying to work out how to write good short fiction – mostly in the 1,000-word (or thereabouts) “flash fiction” category – with the eventual aim of putting together a collection to publish in book form. In the past few months or so, however, I’ve also developed an interest […]
