Date Approved
2023
Date Posted
2023
Degree Type
Open Access Senior Honors Thesis
Department or School
World Languages
First Advisor
Motoko Tabuse, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Hitomi Oketani, Ph.D.
Abstract
The goal of this project was to create a short story in Japanese for the purpose of improving my Japanese writing abilities, especially in areas such as natural character dialog, setting descriptions, pacing and other aspects of creative writing that are usually not covered in language classes. I outlined and drafted the short story first in English to establish a rough framework, then rewrote the story in Japanese with slight variations. I edited the text twice myself and subsequently edited it with a native speaker to ensure a natural tone. Throughout the final editing process, the initial goal of editing all five chapters of the Japanese version proved to be too large a scope for this project, and the goal was scaled back to an edited version of the first two chapters. Though the editing and revision process took longer than I originally anticipated, I was able to gain a far better understanding of prose writing in Japanese and the various ways it differs from English prose. In addition, my vocabulary and grasp of Japanese grammar was greatly expanded through working on this project.
Recommended Citation
Nisley, Seth, "Endless waves: Japanese creative writing project" (2023). Senior Honors Theses and Projects. 792.
https://commons.emich.edu/honors/792