Welcome to My Website
- Iris Kuraki
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
I'm Iris, a Japanese author writing fiction in English.
This post was originally posted on Substack. Check the original on Substack!
Hi there! I'm Iris Kuraki.
Welcome, and thank you for visiting my newsletter.
I’m an author based in Japan who writes fiction in English. Even after publishing my first book, I still hesitate to call myself an “author.” Maybe that’s something many writers experience: we’re always working on the next story and wondering if we’ve earned the title yet.
Either way, I’m happy you’re here.
How I Became a Writer
My writing journey began at university.
It started in an English writing course, where we practiced essays, memoirs, poetry, dialogue, and short stories. Most classes focused on grammar and structure, but I found myself enjoying the creative side of writing far more than I expected.
For my graduation project, I decided to write fiction.
That project eventually led to my first novella, Whoever Fights This Man.
One thing surprises people: I’ve never written a novel in Japanese.
Writing in English gradually became natural to me. I read English every day, mostly on my phone, and I believe the language we surround ourselves with eventually shapes the way we think and write.
I’m currently working on my second novel, Excuse Me, Does Me Being Pretty Bother You?, a YA psychological thriller about beauty, female friendship, and the personas people create on social media.
Why I started Substack
Before joining Substack, I wrote on note, a Japanese blogging platform.
Although it recently introduced AI translation, I found that my articles lost much of their meaning when translated into English. The nuance, tone, and cultural context simply didn’t carry over.
I wanted a place where I could write directly in English.
Like many writers, I tried Medium. It’s a great platform, and I learned a lot there.
Over time, however, I realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. Conversations often move very quickly, with a strong focus on trending topics, AI, and social debates. While those discussions are important, they weren’t the conversations I wanted to build.
Substack feels different.
It encourages slower, more thoughtful writing and allows writers to build genuine relationships with readers over time. That’s the kind of space I was looking for.
What You’ll Find Here
Here are some of the topics I’ll be writing about:
Fiction analysis (books, films, and TV series)
Criminal psychology and research behind fiction
Writing and publishing
Behind-the-scenes looks at my novels
Japanese culture and everyday life in Japan
Online culture and social media
Research notes and creative inspiration
If you’re curious about life in Japan, interested in psychological fiction, or simply enjoy thoughtful essays from a Japanese perspective, I hope you’ll find something here worth reading.
A Peek Behind My Writing
One of my favorite tools for world-building is Pinterest.
I’ve already created inspiration boards for Excuse Me, Does Me Being Pretty Bother You?, where I share character aesthetics, visual references, and the atmosphere behind the story.
In my next post, I’ll talk about why I wrote Whoever Fights This Man and the real-life research that inspired it.
If that sounds interesting, I’d love for you to subscribe and join me on this journey.
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