'Just Write What You Want to Read' was a book that sparked courage.

I'm troubled. I'm utterly troubled.

Reading this book truly moved me. That's precisely why, after finishing it, I impulsively contacted the author, Hiroyuki Tanaka, directly and pleaded, "I'm sorry this is just a silly book report, but please let me write about it!"

But right now, sitting at my PC to write this draft, I can't for the life of me remember why I was so moved. Every time I finish reading and look at the book's title again, I can't quite put into words what this book was even about. What the hell was that impulse...

This is troublesome. I suppose I'll just have to read it again.

First, the title is a mystery

This time, I'm introducing 'Just Write What You Want to Read' (by Yasunobu Tanaka / Diamond Inc.).

The author, Yasunobu Tanaka, is a former copywriter at Dentsu Inc., a writer, a youth unemployment activist, a photographer, the leader of the Hiro-nobu Party, a Twitter powerhouse... If you're unfamiliar with him, you might be wondering what on earth I'm talking about, but these are all titles he claims for himself...

First, I want to honestly write about the confusion I felt inside.

The root of the confusion is the book's title itself: 'Write What You Want to Read'. It's confusing on its own. But looking at the subtitle, "A Simple Writing Technique That Changes Your Life," you finally realize, "Oh, it's a book about writing techniques."

But having read it three times now, I can say definitively: this book is not about writing techniques.

So, the title and subtitle, which were probably carefully crafted by a former copywriter and top-tier editor, are completely failing to do their job. I'm gonna speak my mind to my senior here: "After 24 years at Dentsu Inc., what the hell have you been learning?!"

The text is abnormally huge

The first shock upon opening this book is the abnormally large font size. It's on a completely different level compared to ordinary business books. This is clearly intentional on the author's part.

In fact, the preface states:

The most important thing is to use few words. This book is structured to minimize text and thoroughly eliminate unnecessary descriptions. (P15)

However, what do you know?

But then, what do you know? Immediately after declaring the elimination of unnecessary descriptions, several lines follow detailing the author's wallet—something utterly uninteresting to the reader. It's like, "Which is it?!" "What are you trying to do?!"

But anyway, the large font size and the minimal text per chapter, plus the sheer absurdity of the "unnecessary descriptions" that keep popping up despite supposedly being "thoroughly eliminated," are just too entertaining. You find yourself getting hooked, turning page after page, chapter after chapter.

That said, as you read on, you'll occasionally find sections written with surprising seriousness (my apologies), like the quote below offering what seems like an insightful (my apologies) definition of the act of "writing," or descriptions that appear to be a pursuit of essence by breaking things down into their elements (my apologies).

If I were to define essays, it would be this:
"Words born where phenomena and mental images intersect."

(omission)

And most of the writing read online falls under this category of "essay." (P54,55)
 

The first and indispensable act of thinking about language is "to doubt language."

(omission)

It is crucial to understand the essence of words oneself; otherwise, conveying meaning to others is impossible. (P65-67)

Unfortunately, however, these "serious writings" are often obscured by excessive "superfluous descriptions," leaving readers unsure whether they are sincere or merely mocking as they continue reading.

You must not live someone else's life.

Having lulled the reader into complacency, it arrives around the book's midpoint.

You don't need to write with readers in mind. The first person to read that text will undoubtedly be yourself. If you don't find it interesting when you read it yourself, writing it becomes pointless. (P99)

The first reader of your writing is yourself.

Well, duh!... But somehow, it feels like getting hit with a sharp jab through a gap in your guard when you're off guard. What is this feeling...
 

The main point of this book is that the first person to read and enjoy what you write is yourself. You decide whether it satisfies you or brings you joy. But evaluation is decided by others. What others think is not something you can control.

(Omitted)

But if you write thinking, "I want to be praised again next time," you gradually lose your own sense of fun.

(Omitted)

You must not live someone else's life. You are the one who writes. No one else will write for you. You live your own life. One way to do that is through writing. (P114,115)

You must not live someone else's life.

This time, it felt like taking a heavy body blow to the unguarded solar plexus. Simultaneously, I realized my eyes were welling up for some reason, over and over. I threw in the towel on my own in the ring and bowed deeply to the author in my heart.

I always pompously tell junior colleagues at work, "If you had to describe our job in one phrase, it's 'putting yourself in the other person's shoes'—that's all." Especially for us business producers (formerly sales), I believe our job is not only to thoroughly consider the feelings of consumers but also to constantly think about the client's feelings and the team members' feelings at all times, weaving communication together.

However, overdoing the act of considering others' feelings risks turning you into what the author calls a "slave to evaluation."

We must never neglect honing our own will, lest we lose ourselves by overthinking others' intentions and end up "living someone else's life." And in the business world, it's precisely us business producers who must confidently decide what we ultimately do as a team... That's the kind of slightly passionate feeling that welled up inside me.

Ah, this book is a book about courage disguised as a book about writing techniques. Hiro-nobu-san is Ryota Murata pretending to be a young man while actually being unemployed. Watching (reading) it makes my eyes well up and courage surge within me (I don't know anything about boxing, so I don't even know why I used boxing as an analogy. Please forgive me, but that's how excited I got).

Finally, I understood why this book moved me so deeply.

Try reading it by replacing "writing" with your own "do."

Once I defined it internally as "a book about courage," I devoured the latter half in one go, feeling every chapter become fuel for tomorrow. Refreshed, I threw myself into training for the next ring (still using boxing as an analogy).

Love and respect. If these are at the heart of your writing, what you write will have meaning. (P185)

Writing narrows the world. Yet that small thing, purely as a result, broadens your world. (P225)

Writing and reading are about knowing the mutual solitude, and making respect, affection, and empathy for the world your own within a single lifetime. (P247)

These words focus on the act of "writing," but I think Hiro's "writing" could also be replaced with someone else's "doing."

For example, let's replace "writing" with "cooking," which I love. It's precisely because there is "love and respect" in preparing meals for my family on holidays that they receive its meaning, and conversations about cooking and ingredients flourish.

And while "cooking" might be an event confined to the space of my family within a few meters at that moment, it has definitely enriched my own world. It makes going to restaurants or supermarkets more enjoyable, leads to inviting colleagues and their families over to cook for them, and through SNS, I've made friends who love cooking – people I never would have met otherwise.

Life, at the crossroads of doing or not doing

Among the author's personal essay series "Hironobu's Notes" (serialized at "Street Corner Creatives" https://www.machikado-creative.jp/  ), there are several articles I find myself rereading over and over. And in every single one, what I love most is the final paragraph.

This book is no exception; I keep rereading the final chapter, "In Closing."

I won't spoil the ultimate punchline here, but I simply must share this incredible straight punch.

One video I revisit often is film critic Masahiro Ogi's commentary on Rocky.

(Excerpt)

After thorough research as a critic, Ogihara Masahiro recounts the journey of everyone involved in this film—their challenges and their triumphs. Ogihara states:

"This is the story of courageous people who chose 'to do' at the crossroads of life: to act or not to act." (P259,260)

Yeah, this is it! This is absolutely why! Even though I know nothing about boxing, I've used it as an analogy so many times!!

I offer my deepest respect to the author who chose the path of "doing" at that crossroads and created this wonderful book that gives courage to every reader. I also deeply apologize for using informal language at the beginning of this piece. I've reflected deeply and tried to "write what I wanted to read" in my own way.
 

【Dentsu Inc. Modern Communication Lab】