robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss
@robgoss.bsky.social
370 followers 210 following 170 posts
Author. Writer. Haikuist. From Devon. In Tokyo. Bio, portfolio and industry-standard humble bragging at: www.robgosswriter.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 4d
Some days it feels like my “getting ready to write process” is even less efficient than Neil in the Young Ones prepping for an exam. Clear the desk. Do some dishes. Check to-do app. Emails. Kettle on. Write grocery list. Make drink. Tidy a desk drawer. Etc. Etc. Etc.

youtu.be/7FtcW9u0GDE?...
The Young Ones - Neil's Exam
YouTube video by 053bss
youtu.be
1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 6d
If, like me, some of your copyrighted books were used without permission to train AI, the settlement website is now up. You can search to see what work was used and register a claim. anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
ANT Homepage | ANT
anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 6d
So I can write without the need to lug a laptop around, I got a keyboard for my iPad for work trips. Hound not entirely impressed, but hopefully it’ll be an ok setup for trains, planes and hotel rooms.
A black and white shiba (dog) looking at the screen of an iPad.
2
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 7d
The following #haiku are brought to you courtesy of jetlag.

1 am
the caffeine-nap
bites back

2 am
the dog chases pigeons
in a squeaky dream

3 am
just darkness
creaking
3
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 7d
Back in Tokyo, back to writing, and back to doing these online chats about travel writing/feature writing. I have time to fit in a few more this month, if anyone is interested. Details in the post below. #writingcommunity
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · Sep 2
I'm opening my travel writing sessions again from October. Details in screenshots and link below. Briefly: one-to-one sessions in return for a donation to a good cause, whether that's related to Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, or something in your own community. www.tokyofreelance.com/first-friday....
Screenshot of a page of text. The text reads: What are the travel writing mentoring sessions like? A session isn’t one size fits all. It isn’t a fixed class. Each one runs for about an hour and the focus is up to the participant. Some people have wanted to discuss their freelance business plans or talk about how/what/who to pitch. Others have wanted to discuss specific pitches or get feedback on a writing sample. Some have wanted help building a strategy for transitioning from teaching to writing (like I did), or for going from writing for Japan-based media to writing for markets overseas (like I do). A few have wanted to share the frustrations they’ve encountered and then get some advice. When a participant isn’t entirely sure what they want to focus on, I often send them this blogpost about freelancing, and then we can hone in on some of the points it covers. With a few emails or DMs prior to a session, we can find something to structure a session around. When and how are the sessions conducted? Each session is conducted via Zoom. They are one-on-one and last about 60 minutes. I’m based in Tokyo (GMT+9) and (when not travelling) can schedule sessions on weekdays between 8am and 5pm my time. You don’t have to be in Japan – people have done sessions from Australia, the UK, and the US. Screenshot of a page of text. The text reads: How much do you need to donate and to who? When I started doing these sessions, the deal was for participants to donate a fee of their choice to a specific cause (directly, not via me). The first sessions were related to humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the second group of sessions the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. Now that the sessions are monthly, you can donate to any charity you like (well, nothing MAGA related…this is about spreading positivity not hate). I can suggest a charity if you aren’t sure. How much? There is no fixed amount. If you can afford $100, that’s incredible. If $10 is a stretch right now, do $5. And it doesn’t have to be money. Last time, one participant decided to donate a few hours of volunteer work in their community. All that said, donations aren’t essential for everyone. Not all aspiring travel writers have wealthy parents who can support them through unpaid internships or provide a financial safety net during the early years of a career. Nor do we all have country club contacts who can fast-track a media career or a trust fund with which to launch our own indie magazine. So, if you aren’t from a financially privileged background or aren’t able to spare any extra cash, don’t worry about the donation. There’ll be plenty of opportunities down the line for you to do something positive for someone else in return. How to get in touch? You can DM me on Instagram or email me (see the contact page). It really helps me to sieve out the spam if you send a message with a bit of detail – just a sentence or two about your writing goals, for example, or your writing background (if any) so far.
1 2
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 7d
They are nice. Melville feels like it could be applied to lots of locations. Kind of attainable for more people maybe. I like that.
1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 9d
For all sorts of reasons, I'm amazed travellers still want to go, and find it odd how much positive/unquestioning coverage there still is in travel media.
1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 12d
Hello jet lag. I nearly fell asleep in the supermarket queue. (Not a haiku…).
1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 16d
Lovely morning back in the village.
The River Avon. Fallen apples. St Petroc’s church.
3
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 16d
“Active parents” is quite an unfortunate way for them to put it.
1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
It’s an interesting read. I felt that way a bit (and more than several coworkers felt that way a lot) when I was a teacher in Tokyo. I think it was me projecting my frustration about work (and my feeling trapped in a job I didn’t like at all) on everything else for a while.
1 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
But when it comes to parenting adult children (especially post college), it feels like that’s a grey area. Or an area where there’s not much written, relatively speaking.
1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
I wonder about the latter. On this trip it’s something my sisters and I are talking more about, now that mum and dad are slowing down. Like empty nest, it’s difficult to write about and even more difficult to share.
2
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
I started. More rough scraps than anything, but nothing coherent. The scribbling has been about processing rather than producing so far. It’ll be a while before it becomes anything shareable.
1 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
Walkies. In Cornwall for the weekend.
Cows in a field. Sheep in a field. A red Labrador playing with a new stick in a field.
2
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
I plan on writing about it properly at some point, but the brief version: saying goodbye to a child at uni is emotionally brutal. I had no idea when I was the teenager leaving home.
1 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 17d
Argyle-ing. That was a grim game.
A football pitch. Two teams of donkeys could’ve played better.
3
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 22d
That’s good. This package (and one due today) are both out with Evri. I mentioned that over lunch with family yesterday and there was a collective sigh, followed by delivery horror stories.
2 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 23d
UK.
1 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 23d
"Package was handed directly to the customer" appears to be code for "package was left in the garden in the sodding rain."
1 4
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 24d
Slow life back in the village.
The centre of the village. The road is lined with older stone/granite buildings. In the distance are fields. The old school building. A cricket pitch with moorland in the background.
3
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 28d
This one: www.irwinwong.com/books
Books by Irwin - Tokyo Editorial and Commercial Photographer Irwin Wong's Portfolio
Published art books by Irwin Wong
www.irwinwong.com
1 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · 28d
You might like Handmade in Japan by a friend/collaborator called Irwin Wong. The artisans he interviewed give interesting insights into their craft/purpose/creativity.
1 1
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · Sep 2
I'm opening my travel writing sessions again from October. Details in screenshots and link below. Briefly: one-to-one sessions in return for a donation to a good cause, whether that's related to Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, or something in your own community. www.tokyofreelance.com/first-friday....
Screenshot of a page of text. The text reads: What are the travel writing mentoring sessions like? A session isn’t one size fits all. It isn’t a fixed class. Each one runs for about an hour and the focus is up to the participant. Some people have wanted to discuss their freelance business plans or talk about how/what/who to pitch. Others have wanted to discuss specific pitches or get feedback on a writing sample. Some have wanted help building a strategy for transitioning from teaching to writing (like I did), or for going from writing for Japan-based media to writing for markets overseas (like I do). A few have wanted to share the frustrations they’ve encountered and then get some advice. When a participant isn’t entirely sure what they want to focus on, I often send them this blogpost about freelancing, and then we can hone in on some of the points it covers. With a few emails or DMs prior to a session, we can find something to structure a session around. When and how are the sessions conducted? Each session is conducted via Zoom. They are one-on-one and last about 60 minutes. I’m based in Tokyo (GMT+9) and (when not travelling) can schedule sessions on weekdays between 8am and 5pm my time. You don’t have to be in Japan – people have done sessions from Australia, the UK, and the US. Screenshot of a page of text. The text reads: How much do you need to donate and to who? When I started doing these sessions, the deal was for participants to donate a fee of their choice to a specific cause (directly, not via me). The first sessions were related to humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the second group of sessions the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. Now that the sessions are monthly, you can donate to any charity you like (well, nothing MAGA related…this is about spreading positivity not hate). I can suggest a charity if you aren’t sure. How much? There is no fixed amount. If you can afford $100, that’s incredible. If $10 is a stretch right now, do $5. And it doesn’t have to be money. Last time, one participant decided to donate a few hours of volunteer work in their community. All that said, donations aren’t essential for everyone. Not all aspiring travel writers have wealthy parents who can support them through unpaid internships or provide a financial safety net during the early years of a career. Nor do we all have country club contacts who can fast-track a media career or a trust fund with which to launch our own indie magazine. So, if you aren’t from a financially privileged background or aren’t able to spare any extra cash, don’t worry about the donation. There’ll be plenty of opportunities down the line for you to do something positive for someone else in return. How to get in touch? You can DM me on Instagram or email me (see the contact page). It really helps me to sieve out the spam if you send a message with a bit of detail – just a sentence or two about your writing goals, for example, or your writing background (if any) so far.
1 5
robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss @robgoss.bsky.social · Aug 16
If only I got called mi andsome more often! I’m from a village just on Dartmoor. South Brent. Near Totnes. You?
1