Hikari no Shiido - Questions and Answers

Hikari no Shiido

T H E S E E D O F L I G H T

Questions and Answers

In this section, I will post any e-mails I get about the book. If you don't wish to have yours on here, tell me in the e-mail. I will use whatever name comes in the "From" line here.

Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2006

From: Myles Drayton

To: Yuki Shiido

Hello Yuki!

This is mylesdray from UO. I was just wondering why you have the romanji title as Hikari no Shiido, and the Katakana one as Shiido no Hikari. I haven’t read the book yet, but I’m planning to when I have time. From the beginning it looks interesting! ^^ Anyway, please answer my question if you can!^^

Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2006

From: Yuki Shiido

To: Myles Drayton

Oops! I completely didn't notice! The story behind it, is that the original title was "Shiido no Hikari", but then I learned that I had it backwards. I'll correct it as soon as I get home this afternoon!

Note: I did not correct it on March 15; it was corrected on May 13.

Date: Monday, March 27, 2006

From: Koda Lollastname

To: Yuki Shiido

I am reviewing your work as an English Literature student...

- If you know Japanese, and you're going to write a story about Japanese people, write it in Japanese.
- If you're going to write it about Japanese people despite not knowing Japanese, translate the stuff that can be translated, drop honorifics: you are not Japanese and you do not speak it.
- So, all of the magical elemental people are all conveniently Japanese? Including the seed?
- Aisu just so happens to be named after element?
- Switching between saying Ice/Aisu, Wind/Kaze, Hi/Fire, Mizu/Water, Love/Ai... pick one or the other.
- Clothing description in the first paragraph of the prologue...?
- "The black-hooded man smiled a terrible smile." What does this terrible smile look like? You're just saying, not telling. Writing is the art of story[b]telling[/b].
- "Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" In real conversations do actual Japanese people not in j-dorama or anime constantly say that? Get real. o.0;
- Calling each other stupid boy and old hag for [xx] lines straight... cute... What a uh great way to bring out personality...?
- You're barely writing anything; just combining "cute" anime clichés of Magic Knight Rayearth with some text in between.

It doesn't take talent to write what you've written, only time and a couple viewings of Magic Knight Rayearth, and time doesn't make a writer great.

Try again next time.

Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2006

From: Yuki Shiido

To: Koda Lollastname

Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it. However, I find it rude, the way you commented.

I can take criticism. I KNOW I'm not the best author, and I KNOW that there's a possibility that I won't be able to get it published. But, this is just plain rude!

First off, the "a story about Japanese people should be in Japanese." Well, I'm reading Memoirs of a Geisha right now, a CRITICALLY acclaimed novel, about Japanese people, in Japan... IN ENGLISH.

Second, about the honorifics. Same thing as above, Memoirs uses honorifics. Also, I never claim to know Japanese. I've seen in books, whether it be a made-up language or existing language (like Japanese, in Memoirs), they throw it in. With mine, it keeps it more mysterious, rather than corny, at least in my opinion. I see your point with the first two comments, but, like I've said, look at Memoirs of a Geisha, or even The Thief Lord, which is about Italian people... but it's been translated in English and enjoyed by many.

Third, with fiction, you can take some liberties. It doesn't matter that everyone in it is Japanese, it's the way it was written! Even my English teacher has said that you can take liberties with fiction, as long as it's not a huuuuuge plot hole! That's like saying, "I'm not gonna play Final Fantasy because it's unbelieveable that someone is that strong!"

Fourth, with the Aisu comment.... it's a gimmick. I did it with Kogasu (to burn) and Aisu as a little joke.

Fifth, with the switching.... see my comment for the third section.

Sixth, so what if I described clothing? One of my friends said that it's weird that I described it, and I truly don't get why it's a bad thing.

Seventh, with the terrible smile. A smile that is terrible. I've seen the adjective used before, in that sort of context.

Eighth and ninth points: IT'S FICTION. YOU CAN TAKE LIBERTIES. And, the character, who says, "sumimasen! sumimasen!" was written to be shy and overly polite. That's the way it was written. I didn't write it to be completely realistic; neither did I write it as a completely fantasy story.

Tenth: It's a personality thing, in fiction. I myself was thinking about toning it down a bit, but still!

Last point: Oh, thanks. It's one thing to say that the writing is meh, it's another to call it horrible and a copycat of MKR. Yes, I like MKR, but you have no right to say, "It's all clichés, you can't write, you don't have talent!"

Like I said, I can take criticism, but that was just being rude. I've worked my ASS off writing this for the past 3 years, and I didn't do it all so some person could just say that I have no talent. You want no talent? Read the rough draft.

I acknowledge that I asked for critiques. I acknowledge that I may not get it published; or, if I DO, that critics may like it. I don't want it published for money, I want it published for my own satisfaction.

Thank you for your time.

NOTE: I realized that, after I had replied, “Koda” was talking about Mizu, not Yuki, saying “Sumimasen”. I apologize for that, but I still stick with replacing “sorry!” to “Sumimasen!” I have a question to the person, which I did not ask earlier: if it is all “clichés”, then why did you read it?