Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog

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ENTRY

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008

In one respect, the more I write and publish the more confident I feel in what I'm doing, justified or not. In another respect, however, the more I write, the more questions about writing crowd my mind. Writing with either too much confidence or too many questions, I figure can be detrimental to good writing.

I hope this blog will provide a good way of answering some of the nagging questions. I hope it will dissolve any misplaced confidence. If successful, the two should help me become a better writer.

Why a public forum like a blog? For one thing, it forces me to be clear and complete in what I'm thinking and saying. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking about writing in this way, so I'm providing a place for feedback, comments, and your extensions on the topics. This discourse should further clarify the topics.

The blog will be focused entirely on writing, mostly on craft, but also writing broadly defined. That is, I anticipate including topics such as the philosophy and psychology of writing, marketing and publicity, and working with agents and editors. In other words, I won't bother you with trivia from my personal life (boring), my views on politics or religion, and celebrity gossip (not that I know any). Unless of course any of that has to do with writing.

I have to admit I don't read a lot of blogs. Not that they are bad or uninformative. I just don't have the time to read many of them. I wish I did have the time, they are usually informative and interesting. Anyway, I hope by focusing this blog as I described, it might pick up a few regular readers. And, of course, writers.

I'm not sure yet how often I'll post new entries. I suppose a few times a month. I may eventually get into a regular routine. Oh, if you have a topic you are interested hearing about, please post it as a comment or send me an email.

#

© 2013

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 5
click here to add a comment

jeri
i'm interested in hearing your thoughts about writing. i'd be interested in hearing your thoughts about the connections between physical writing or painting, on the one hand, and the expression of ideas and thoughts through words, on the other. it's something that haunts me. good idea for a blog, though. hope you keep going.

Todd
Thanks, jeri. I like your suggestion, it's also something I think about. I'll post some ideas on the subject soon.

Jo Reed
Okay, but a ton of writers are writing blogs. What will be your focus, more specifically than "craft"? IOW, what will keep me coming back?

Todd
Hi Jo, thanks for asking and that's a good point. I think my perspective is from a "self-taught" writer. I only took one fiction writing class, didn't like it much and it didn't help me at least not that I could tell. I offer an alternative to the creative writing education path (which I'm not saying is bad, just not my experience.)

Jo Reed
OKay, I'll give you a chance, but *warning* I'm not shy about giving you my opinion back.

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Paprika
April 21, 2013 (3)

Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves
March 30, 2013 (1)

Gripping writing
Feb. 28, 2013 (2)

Review: Salvation of a Saint
January 19, 2013 (2)

2012 in review
December 30, 2012 (2)

Review: Ninja
September 30, 2012 (2)

Review: My Postwar Life
August 21, 2012 (1)

New interview with Colin Marshall
July 15, 2012 (3)

Book events
April 25, 2012 (2)

Subduction
March 14, 2012 (8)

Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard
January 14, 2012 (1)

Review: Plainsong
December 20, 2011 (3)

Review: The Devil's Disciple
November 29, 2011 (2)

Haruki Murakami
October 5, 2011 (2)

Busyness and demons
September 25, 2011 (2)

Characters: The Bully
July 30, 2011 (3)

Review: Manazuru
June 28, 2011 (2)

Deadlines!
June 24, 2011 (2)

Review: Butterfly's Sisters
May 18, 2011 (1)

Review: Isle of Dreams
April 20, 2011 (2)

Cades Award for Literature press release
April 12, 2011 (2)

Japan and other news
March 29, 2011 (1)

Borders bankruptcy
February 17, 2011 (2)

2010 review
December 17, 2010 (6)

Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa
October 7, 2010 (2)

OH! wins best book award
September 23, 2010 (2)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 In one respect, the more I write and publish the more confident I feel in what I'm doing, justified or not. In another respect, however, the more I write, the more questions about writing crowd my mind. Writing with either too much confidence or too many questions, I figure can be detrimental to good writing. I hope this blog will provide a good way of answering some of the nagging questions. I hope it will dissolve any misplaced confidence. If successful, the two should help me become a better writer. Why a public forum like a blog? For one thing, it forces me to be clear and complete in what I'm thinking and saying. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking about writing in this way, so I'm providing a place for feedback, comments, and your extensions on the topics. This discourse should further clarify the topics. The blog will be focused entirely on writing, mostly on craft, but also writing broadly defined. That is, I anticipate including topics such as the philosophy and psychology of writing, marketing and publicity, and working with agents and editors. In other words, I won't bother you with trivia from my personal life (boring), my views on politics or religion, and celebrity gossip (not that I know any). Unless of course any of that has to do with writing. I have to admit I don't read a lot of blogs. Not that they are bad or uninformative. I just don't have the time to read many of them. I wish I did have the time, they are usually informative and interesting. Anyway, I hope by focusing this blog as I described, it might pick up a few regular readers. And, of course, writers. I'm not sure yet how often I'll post new entries. I suppose a few times a month. I may eventually get into a regular routine. Oh, if you have a topic you are interested hearing about, please post it as a comment or send me an email. # © 2013	COMMENTS Number of comments: 5 click here to add a comment jeri i'm interested in hearing your thoughts about writing. i'd be interested in hearing your thoughts about the connections between physical writing or painting, on the one hand, and the expression of ideas and thoughts through words, on the other. it's something that haunts me. good idea for a blog, though. hope you keep going. Todd Thanks, jeri. I like your suggestion, it's also something I think about. I'll post some ideas on the subject soon. Jo Reed Okay, but a ton of writers are writing blogs. What will be your focus, more specifically than "craft"? IOW, what will keep me coming back? Todd Hi Jo, thanks for asking and that's a good point. I think my perspective is from a "self-taught" writer. I only took one fiction writing class, didn't like it much and it didn't help me at least not that I could tell. I offer an alternative to the creative writing education path (which I'm not saying is bad, just not my experience.) Jo Reed OKay, I'll give you a chance, but warning I'm not shy about giving you my opinion back.	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Paprika April 21, 2013 (3) Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves March 30, 2013 (1) Gripping writing Feb. 28, 2013 (2) Review: Salvation of a Saint January 19, 2013 (2) 2012 in review December 30, 2012 (2) Review: Ninja September 30, 2012 (2) Review: My Postwar Life August 21, 2012 (1) New interview with Colin Marshall July 15, 2012 (3) Book events April 25, 2012 (2) Subduction March 14, 2012 (8) Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard January 14, 2012 (1) Review: Plainsong December 20, 2011 (3) Review: The Devil's Disciple November 29, 2011 (2) Haruki Murakami October 5, 2011 (2) Busyness and demons September 25, 2011 (2) Characters: The Bully July 30, 2011 (3) Review: Manazuru June 28, 2011 (2) Deadlines! June 24, 2011 (2) Review: Butterfly's Sisters May 18, 2011 (1) Review: Isle of Dreams April 20, 2011 (2) Cades Award for Literature press release April 12, 2011 (2) Japan and other news March 29, 2011 (1) Borders bankruptcy February 17, 2011 (2) 2010 review December 17, 2010 (6) Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa October 7, 2010 (2) OH! wins best book award September 23, 2010 (2) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)