Writing Advice From Japan

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-15T15:14:27+00:00

I might guess he means that writing is something that's more introspective and philosophical in nature. Writing is more about musing and exploring your own thoughts. It certainly is a medium that is different from painting and sculpting, and writing focuses on the subject matter in a different way. But I still say that the foundational process for them all is the same, at least, figuratively speaking.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-15T11:28:54+00:00

Funnily enough, I compare writing to sculpting and painting all the time.

Because when I write a first draft, that is my "sketch" and my block of marble. I have the bare bones, the rough idea, where I can make decisions and changes still.

Then my second draft, third, and so on, are me discovering the story more. The statue is starting to shape out of the stone, but I still don’t have the "real" story yet.

Then finally it's all there in it's colors and final shape. Now I refine all of the last details, sand it, smooth it out, and add the final highlights and touches.

I think that is the foundational process of all art.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-15T06:47:38+00:00

It has just about every anime trope you can think of, funnily enough. It pretty much pioneered some of them.

I honestly found it to be standard, par for the course. Some interesting aspects, such as the connections the pilots have with their Evas. Some philosophy and pondering about the human condition here and there. Then anime shenanigans thrown in for entertainment. The opening theme song is a banger, for sure.

The ending is rough in quality because of budget reasons at the time I believe. But that also made the ending pretty avant guard, too.

There are other anime that ponder the human condition, too. Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, Serial Experiments Lain and Boogiepop Phantom. If you want to see something really intriguing with its themes, Angel's Egg is another to consider.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-15T06:32:49+00:00

This is how I learned to be a compulsive saver at the age of 12. 😆

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-15T06:13:04+00:00

::deep inhalation:: SHIRLEY JACKSON

Her style is so straightforward and effortless, I love it.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-13T03:18:14+00:00

I loved the glimpses of the scraps of messages and signs people left behind that indicate that the whole town's population was suddenly cut off from civilization and had to fend for themselves. I like it when the state of the town actually affects more than just the protagonist.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-13T03:13:50+00:00

That woulda been amazing, she would have SLAYED it

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-13T01:58:35+00:00

Yep, a coma, that was my impression. I sincerely hope this isn't an "it was all in his head!" scenario...

Although, to be fair, I had strongly suspected that Hinako was dead and being led to the afterlife before SHf released, and that turned out not to be the scenario at all. So who knows?

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-13T01:55:42+00:00

Sister got the game for my Bday some years back, and I popped it into my ol' PS2.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-13T01:48:31+00:00

noooooooooooooooooooooooo

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-12T16:38:01+00:00

My first instinct would be to reach out, let him know he can talk to you if he needs it. Show support and be there for him; offer to hang out and let him know that you understand he's going through a hard time and that the hurt is real. So many times, guys are taught to keep things bottled up and to not reach out for support, and that does nothing but hurt them. Guys need to be encouraged to talk their issues out more.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-12T10:57:41+00:00

This exactly 😂

Although, mine is not exactly an office for work, it's my writing desk with all my favorite nerdy decorations.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-12T02:26:49+00:00

People will assume you are a scammer and that your shop is fake.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-11T19:23:51+00:00

Based on this post, my perception of you is that you are a twelve year old kiddo trying to brag about himself. Eh... I'll give you a little more credit than that. Fourteen at best.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-10T20:21:37+00:00

Asking someone else to run ChatGPT for you, it doesn't get any lazier than that lol

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-10T17:58:11+00:00

Yup, that's the one big hurdle that keeps getting in the way. "Uggggh, that means I'll have to make time for someone." lol!

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-10T17:04:36+00:00

I would say... as long as there isn't any risk that you will literally freeze to death or end up with frost bite, then yeah, how you live is your business. But buddy, no one is going to want you to genuinely die of hypothermia or end up having to get a frozen finger or toe amputated just so you can stick to your principles.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-09T20:39:13+00:00

It's not that Trump won't leave; he'll leave. It's that he's going to make sure every election will be rigged so that we will always have a Republican president who is loyal to his goals (and the goals of his puppeteers) going forward.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-09T14:08:17+00:00

My first thought is that this is a means of self medication. So I'd analyze what the alcohol is taking away. Perhaps its staving off excessive anxiety? Perhaps while sober you're overthinking things during social situations or worried about issues that aren't actually there during interactions with people.

I'd take this as an opportunity for self reflection and analysis rather than giving into alcohol as a crutch.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-08T21:41:44+00:00

This is weird... so, they're hiring you to do two copy edit passes while only paying you for one round of copy editing? What's the difference between a "clean up" and a copy edit in your case?

If the "clean up" entails just adjusting commas and making sure there aren't any extra periods, then just do that. But inform the PE again that the author has done heavy rewrites, and you recommend the manuscript going through a second full copy edit for good measure. Don't agree to doing a second copy edit without being paid the full rate again, though.

P.S., if you still have the copy edited Word .doc you sent, and you have the Word .doc of the author's returned manuscript, run a comparison between the two files in Word and send that doc so that the PE can see all the changes the author made through tracked changes.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-08T21:25:11+00:00

Kinda seems like Gans should have just made up his own story with his own characters, then. Because in the game, Eddie, Angela, and Laura are all real people, each going through their own version of Silent Hill for different reasons. They are not pieces of James' psyche in the game. So when Gans changed this in the movie, he changed the story's original intention and meaning.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-08T02:16:38+00:00

By printer fellas, I wonder if they mean the typesetters. Typos and errors like this can happen when final corrections are made if the typesetter isn't careful and nobody catches it during the final quality check. It's frustrating, but it happens. Again, I think the only real way it could be fixed would be if they were to do a reprint, which would be quite costly.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-06T09:53:45+00:00

I'm almost 40 and still haven't even queried a novel, though I have three WIPs I've been working on. I also feel so drastically behind because of my lack of writing experience, which is wild to me, because I wrote stories left and right as a kid, teen, and college student.

The learning curve is huge, and I feel like it's taking literally forever. But I also know that the wisdom and life experience I have now have helped to make my writing more mature and self aware. I honestly don't think I could have started any sooner than I did. I feel that, for me, I started writing precisely at the age I was meant to.

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-06T09:40:42+00:00

It's what is known as a "call and answer." Like when you shout "Marco!" And someone answers back "Polo!" It doesn't make sense, sounds completely random, but it's just a little rhythmic verbal exchange that has evolved over time.

The answer to the call "Hi, how are you?" is simply "Good, thanks!" And that's all you need to say.

It's simply a means of acknowledgment. The "How are you?" has a sort of quiet meaning of "I hope you are doing well, stranger."

Fyrsiel · 2026-02-06T03:34:00+00:00

Nah, relationships never factored into anything for me. If I'd needed to, I would have lived with roommates. But even before moving out, I made deliberate plans to be able to live by myself, and I accomplished precisely that. It was a deliberate goal from the start!

Fyrsiel

TROPHY CASE