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. […]
Tokyo: Capital of Cool wins a NATJA Award
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 […]
Interview with Eye-Ai magazine
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 […]
More micro fiction – five new stories
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. […]
On “concrete” (or visual) haiku
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 […]
Assignment red flags and sniffing out potential deadbeats
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. […]
When is “too long” in Japan?
“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 […]
On Micro Fiction
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 […]
Why the new blog?
So, I’ve added a blog component to my website (www.tokyofreelance.com), which I just had redesigned by Website Design Japan. Tokyofreelance.com will still mainly function as my online portfolio and bio – something I can send to editors/publishers along with pitches and something editors/publishers can find when looking for a writer based in Japan. Apart from work with with […]
