Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 64

Why Twitter Fiction?

I decided that I need to be different. Okay. I never decided that. I just am. My usual mode of operation is to find out enough to be dangerous (usually to myself) and then just do it. This time, I am just going to write a piece of fiction serially. One-hundred and forty characters at a time. Actually, a little less than 140. (I need to include the hashtag MTM_TF01.)

Yes. I am going to write #TwitterFiction.

I decided to jump into this venture because of what I see on Twitter. I see established...

Blogging on the Wrong Day [1]

I did not think that there was a correct day to blog, but apparently there is. Monday is that day.

I follow a few writers on Twitter and noticed something the other day. There is a #MondayBlogs hashtag. Pretty cool, I thought. I figured, if there is a #MondayBlogs hashtag, there are probably other hashtags for bloggers who post on other days. I was amazed to find out that there are not. There are users with days of the week and “blog” as part of their names, but as far as widely used (or even...

Blogging on the Wrong Day

I did not think that there was a correct day to blog, but apparently there is. Monday is that day.

I follow a few writers on Twitter and noticed something the other day. There is a #MondayBlogs hashtag. Pretty cool, I thought. I figured, if there is a #MondayBlogs hashtag, there are probably other hashtags for bloggers who post on other days. I was amazed to find out that there are not. There are users with days of the week and “blog” as part of their names, but as far as widely used (or even...

Running Is a Contact Sport

I never would have believed it before, but running is a contact sport.

I am sure that those who run competitively would say that running is full of contact. Runners jostle each other for position in the beginning of races. And wherever there are crowds in a race, there is sure to be contact. But I usually run alone and never need to worry about jostling or contact with other runners. Inadvertent or otherwise. So I was surprised to discover that running really is a contact sport.

The most obviou...

How Many Books Have You Sold?

A while ago, our youngest son, Thing 3, asked the question: How many books have you sold?

It was innocent enough. (Although I think he was wondering if I was going to make enough money in royalties to buy him a new computer.) But I was curious too, so I said, “I don’t know. Let’s look.”

So we did.

For the month previous to the date Thing 3 asked, I had sold exactly four books. Four. F-O-U-R. I was excited. Really. After all, when we looked back three months previous, I had still only sold those...

Just Gotta P

I ought to seek professional help. Or at least I ought to learn a little more about marketing.

Like any naïve author without weekly or daily income statements, I figured I could just write and the readers would come. After all, that is the first thing you need to do to be a writer. Write.

Still, you would think that after writing a weekly blog since 2007 and still having less Facebook fans than friends, I would know better. You would think that I would realize that having a few articles show up...

Free Ice Cream Caper Book

I decided to give away my first middle grade novel for free. At least for a few days.

I wrote and published Show and Tell & The Great Ice Cream Caper several years ago and it has been sitting on the digital shelves at Amazon.com just waiting to be downloaded. That is the trouble. Even if I was a good writer, I have not yet been discovered. The book has not just jumped off the shelf into people’s Kindles.

So I figured I ought to do something about that. Which is why I am going to give it away fo...

Performance Versus Potential

As people prepare for a new football season, I pause to wonder what armchair managers think about what the Seattle Seahawks did in the offseason.

After the NBA draft, I had to wonder about the status of professional sports. Top picks were made from kids not even in their twenties yet. There were kids who became millionaire athletes without even stepping onto a court. Apparently, it is all about potential. Do not get me wrong. I do not begrudge those people their money or fame. I just wonder ab...

Tribute to a Great Man

Photo courtesy of Drew Matsushima

A great person died this week. Not Lauren Bacall or Robin Williams. They were great actors. They contributed much to their craft. But to judge greatness you need to know a person. You need to spend time with him or her. You need to have a relationship and know the kinds of relationships the person had with others. I did not know Ms. Bacall or Mr. Williams so I must let those who did judge their greatness. But I knew my uncle, and Uncle Hank was indeed a great...

#6Words

Six little words. Count them. Six.

Six words (#6words) is a writing challenge that author and entrepreneur, Kelsye Nelson, puts out to the world on a regular basis. “In six words or fewer, write a story about…” is her prompt and challenge to writers. It is a tough challenge, but one that should be taken seriously.

But can a story really be told in six words or less?

That depends on the writer.

And the reader.

An author friend of mine, Bernadette Pajer, talks about triggers. Good authors try to evo...