MARCH 11 The Ginza Line was pulling out of Ueno Station when the quake hit, jolting the train to a hard stop, then vibrating it like a car revving to free its tyres from thick mud. For a moment, I thought somebody must have thrown themselves under the train, until the vibrations turned to violent […]
On Sake, Dogs and Community
With a sudden tug, Henry sends a slug of sake over my hand. Blame it on the toy poodle in the distance. Or me for trying to hold a one-cup sake with his lead wrapped around my drinking hand. In fairness, it wouldn’t be a one-cup if I didn’t spill a bit. The pull-tab lids […]
A desk-bound day in the life of a Tokyo-based writer
A desk-bound day in the life of a Tokyo-based writer I’ve been thinking about work styles the last few months, wondering what changes I could make to the way I’ve been scheduling my time, finding out what works (and doesn’t) for others. For some background, I work at home and when my son was a […]
The business of being a freelance writer in Japan, part 2
And here is the second installment of notes from my presentation for the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators on the business side of being a freelance writer in Japan (the first is here: http://www.tokyofreelance.com/the-business-of-being-a-freelance-writer-in-japan-part-1). This time, it’s about vetting clients and assignments and some general thoughts on doing the job. PART 4: VETTING CLIENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS & […]
April 22nd event on travel writing in Tokyo with SWET
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. […]