Haruki Murakami's Writing Advice

Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami has started a peculiar advice column, and New York Magazine has some highlights. My personal favorite:

Murakami-san, hello. Being that I’m a graduate student, I need to write a lot: reports, presentation speeches, emails to professors, etc. I’m not that great in writing, but if I don’t, I won’t be able to graduate. I struggle with it every day. How will this get easier? If you have any composition 101 techniques, can you let me know?

—Sakurai, female, 23 years old, graduate student

Writing is similar to trying to seduce a woman. A lot has to do with practice, but mostly it’s innate. Anyway, good luck.