avatarMai Yamamoto

Summary

The author is honing their English writing skills by treating their Medium articles as études, aiming to become a writer whose work is engaging and smooth to read.

Abstract

The author of the Medium articles views their writing as études, which are traditionally short musical compositions intended for practice, or sketches for artwork. They began writing in English as a freelancer to pass the time after moving from Hong Kong to Canada and discovered a passion for writing. Despite being a native Japanese speaker, the author is committed to improving their English writing, acknowledging the challenges of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. They have set a goal to write more frequently in English, using these writings as practice to refine their skills. The author aspires to produce work that captivates readers, ensuring that every word serves a purpose and leaving room for the reader's imagination. They strive for brevity and clarity in their writing, aiming to create a smooth reading experience. The author also promotes their books on Amazon, which include insights into Japanese poetry and personal essays on creativity.

Opinions

  • The author equates their writing process to practicing études, emphasizing the importance of consistent practice in mastering the craft of writing.
  • They have a deep appreciation for the creative and expressive power of English writing, despite finding it more challenging than writing in their native Japanese.
  • The author values conciseness and efficiency in writing, believing that unnecessary words should be edited out to maintain the reader's interest.
  • They respect the reader's intelligence by avoiding over-explanation and allowing space for personal interpretation and imagination.
  • The author is self-aware of their limitations in English and is proactive in overcoming these challenges through persistent writing and self-editing.
  • They are motivated by the love of writing and the desire to engage readers, aspiring to be a writer whose work is hard to put down regardless of the subject matter.

Writings pieces as Etudes

An étude is a short tune which is composed for practicing with instruments or singing, also a rough sketch for painting or any kinds of artwork. I am writing here on Medium as études to improve my English writing skills.

I realised I love writing

I started my online writing as a freelancer, more precisely, it was a “gig-writer.” I wrote small articles for web media and for people who were trying to do business online.

It happened because I had plenty of free time after I quit my job in Hong Kong to move to Canada. I just wanted to kill time and as time went by, I realised that I love writing, and I ended up getting deeply involved in this industry.

Before I began my English blog, all of my work was written in Japanese which is my native language. I can write Japanese pieces as easy as I breathe, but it is not the same when it comes to writing in English. I probably make lots of grammar mistakes, misspellings, or weird choices of vocabulary to native speakers of English.

Anyway, as I wrote before, I will force myself to write more and more in English. These are my études of writing, practicing my English, drafts of ideas, and sketches of my thoughts.

What kind of writer do I want to be?

I want to be a writer who allows my readers to read smoothly to the end. A writer whose works you don’t want to stop once you start reading, no matter what kind of subject or style. That is my ideal writer.

So, I always try to write as short as I can, because if I put too many words or sentences which are not really necessary, the readers will leave me. I believe that we have to have reasons why we need those words and phrases there.

Usually, my editing is cutting off the rubbish from my writing draft and I try to get rid of over-speaking, make it slim, polish it to what I really need. I try to think about potential readers who I believe are not stupid, and so leave a bit of space for them to use their imagination.

English writing is so creative, powerful and profound. It is not as easy as Japanese writing though. It is like swimming for me, I feel a little lazy to change clothes at the beginning, but once I jump into the water I never want to stop.

My books are available on Amazon!

Writing
Japanese
English
Writer
Blog
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