What I have learned about writing that I haven’t learned from other writers

Things I have learned by myself as a writer.

In Japan there is a concept called “shuhari”. It is a combination of three stages of learning something or acquiring a skill.

The first stage, “shu”, is when you’re learning the fundamentals of a skill.

You imitate others. You stick within the peripheries of what you’re learning from others. This is like learning the alphabet of a language. You learn grammar and other syntactical peculiarities of the language.

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The second stage is “ha”: you have mastered the traditional skills and now you’re ready to add your own touch. You use the language and the rules of the language to express yourself.

The third stage is “ri”: you’re in your own flow. You have not just mastered the established techniques; you can also follow your own way of doing things and produce exceptional results.

This is how a typical writer grows.

There are lots of good books on writing. People write on style. People write on grammar. People write on structure. People write on writing habits that have worked wonders for them.

On-and-off I have been writing for 30 years now. When I say writing, I mean, on-and-off I have been…