by Amarden | May 9, 2017 | Adventures of an Expat Writer in Japan
There are no Cadillac Escalades in Japan. No Expeditions, Yukons, or Range Rovers either. Imagine all the super-sized and mid-sized SUVs and 95% of the CUVs (including CR-Vs and RAV4s) and take them off the road. Japan doesn’t have them. There are a lot of kei...
by Amarden | May 7, 2017 | Adventures of an Expat Writer in Japan
On a walk yesterday my 4-year-old reached down and plucked a flower from a grassy spot. “Look, Mom,” he beamed as he thrust the bloom at me, “dandelion!” I took it and rubbed the petals on his forearm to “make butter” just as my...
by Amarden | May 6, 2017 | Adventures of an Expat Writer in Japan
Meet the Black Kite, or as I named it yesterday, “Son of a b**** almost bit me!” That’s right, today I’m getting real. Another American woman chuckled and told me that’s the sea hawk, but after a little googling I learned it’s...
by Amarden | May 5, 2017 | Adventures of an Expat Writer in Japan
I was sitting on a bench today when a small bee buzzed up a foot from my face and hovered there. He looked like a smaller, smarter version of a yellow jacket. I suppose we stared at each other for a minute, I trying to decide if he was of the stinging variety and he...
by Amarden | May 4, 2017 | Adventures of an Expat Writer in Japan
I’ve just missed the cherry blossom festivals throughout the country, but Spring is in full bloom here. And it’s so tender. It reminds me of growing up in Wisconsin, really. The blooms are so delicate, so vulnerable, and yet they come out...
by Amarden | May 3, 2017 | Adventures of an Expat Writer in Japan
Yesterday I met Japan, and it was love at first sight. More to come.
by Amarden | Feb 21, 2017 | Writing Craft
I was so excited to attend the Association of Writers & Writing Programs 2017 conference in Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago (#AWP17 to see tweets from the conference). I darted out of my hotel room Thursday morning, fueled by coffee and a thirst for knowledge....
by Amarden | Jan 21, 2017 | Writing Craft
Like the center of the Earth, the query letter is something of a mystery to me. I have probably spent more time writing and rewriting and editing that letter–and the elusive, all-important second paragraph–than I spent on chapters of my book. Well,...
by Amarden | Nov 12, 2016 | Writing Craft
I devour middle grade books. I don’t remember the last time I read a book for adults. I write middle grade fiction, so like any serious writer, I read my market. In case you’re not familiar with middle grade, all the rules that apply to writing for adults...
by Amarden | Oct 28, 2016 | Writing Craft
Perhaps there is a parallel universe where storytellers need only imagine characters and plots and premises and themes, and those threads of imagination take it from there. The threads sit themselves down in front of the laptop and hammer out the first, second, fifth,...
Recent Comments