Miyo’s Tsubuyaki

I've been paying attention to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for some time now. At first, it was a harmless and entertaining existence. Now as it becomes smarter, it could pose a serious threat, especially to us, writers. A couple of years ago, it was already fooling us...

Do you remember your first time when you spoke in public, took a big task, or started a job?  Were you so nervous that you felt sick? Did you review what you were supposed to do over and over, hoping you wouldn’t mess things up? After the first time, did you reflect...

“It takes someone of taste to realize how much words of support and encouragement mean to those on the receiving end.” ~ Jacqueline Kennedy The other day, I ordered audio books online. (Why audio books? That’s another story.) I felt ripped off when I found that they...

Are you telling a story or lecturing us? That question hit me hard. It was the question that my teacher asked me when I practiced my story. The other day, I wrote about “how you say it.” When actors read my script out loud, the audience reacted differently because how...

How many times do you practice before telling a story in public? I think that I practice storytelling more than most people because English is not my first language. Knowing words doesn’t mean that I can pronounce them properly. American pronunciation and intonation...

While I was listening to Barbara H. Clark’s talking about connection at her sold-out storytelling concert, the Japanese proverb came to my mind. The term originated with traditional Japanese tea ceremony, back to the 16th century. Great attention should be given to a...

Is “how you say it” more important than “what you say”? That’s what I’ve been wondering lately. The other day, I had the privilege of having actors work on my story. I was amused to see how the audience reacted differently when actors read it out loud. Some lines even...

Last month, I tried a new method to craft a story. The feedback for my first draft was “The order is not quite right. The audience doesn’t know you yet. You need to tell us who you are in the beginning.” Oh, that totally makes sense, I thought and simply re-ordered...

Last month I had to go on a serious diet. No, I’m not talking about a food diet. I’m talking about a Word Diet. That’s the first and most important lesson that I learned from Janine Burke. She made me aware of the importance of word counting. I cannot thank her enough...