"Thinking back on the first time I put my work out there." A prayer for all those just starting out. / Thus Spoke Hijiki Isoflavone

The theme of today's column is: "the first time I shared my creations with others".

Can you remember the moment you first dived into the world of creation, whether it was original art or fan work?

Drawing anime characters as a kid or role-playing with dolls could be considered creative work, but can you pinpoint the moment when you took the leap into tackling manga or novels more seriously? This experience varies widely—some recall it clearly, while it's more of a blur for others.

But what about the act of sharing your creations with the world, a.k.a. taking the fantasies and stories you've concocted alone and sharing them with someone else?

That's when your private musings, dreams, and feelings are laid bare for others to see, transforming your creations into proper artworks.

As for myself, I can recall that moment quite vividly.

Now you might see me as somewhat of a mangaka, but my public debut was actually with a fanfiction about video game characters.

I often wonder... why that, of all things?! Especially now, as I find myself yearning to write novels yet sadly unable to do so.

I was in elementary school at the time.

Back then, the internet was a relatively smaller and calmer place (although not immune to the occasional woe of endless pop-up windows from one wrong click), and interacting through fan sites run by individuals passionate about their hobbies was the norm. I chose to release my fanfiction on one of these fan sites dedicated to a particular game, which had a bulletin board for people to post their stories and illustrations.

Looking back, it's quite curious—the character I chose for my story wasn't even my top favorite from the game.

I had no experience in writing, yet I somehow felt motivated to write a story about them.

Was it a simple case of "everyone's sharing their stories and art, so I want to try too"?

In any case, with my shaky grasp of grammar and almost nonexistent PC skills, I managed to write a short story a few hundred words long and ending pretty abruptly, and boldly posted it as "Chapter One".

I distinctly remember not knowing how to use quotation marks, so I enclosed the dialogue with "[]" brackets. The horror!

After posting my fanfiction, I kept refreshing the page again and again, but of course, it wasn't like someone would stumble upon it immediately. Nevertheless, my heart was bursting with a sense of accomplishment: "I've uploaded my story, take that!" I even scribbled in my favorite diary with a marker, "Wrote a story on the XYZ website!" and proudly told my mom, "I wrote a story on the computer and posted it on this site called XYZ!"

How fearless and innocent was I? Looking back, I just want to give that kid a big hug.

I was already over the moon simply for having posted my story, but a few days later, someone left a comment on it.

It went something like, "Who came through the door at the end? Looking forward to the next part!"

I was shocked. Despite yearning for it, I couldn't believe someone had read my work and was hoping for more. Could such a thing really happen? The story that once lived only in my head had leaped out into the world and reached someone.

And then, I just stopped writing.

It was my first foray into the world of incomplete stories, a debut of disappearance.

It was just the first chapter, and I hadn't even introduced both characters in the pairing.

You might be thinking, "But the comment! Didn't that give you a boost?" But reality can be more merciless than fiction.

Perhaps having an audience for the first time made the once carefree writer in me suddenly nervous. I hadn't planned what would happen next, and that habit of diving in without a plan has stuck with me to this day.

Although my first attempt at writing ended with me ghosting my readers, I think that first comment somehow set things in motion for me. For a while after, I remember actively participating in collaborative writing projects, sending short stories to contests—writing with renewed vigor.

I often wonder if I would've continued writing had there been no comment. Or would I have dropped it eventually, assuming nobody cared?

What I do know is that having someone connect with my humble story in a small, safe space was truly a joy.

Sharing your creations with others, regardless of the outcome, is an act that shapes who you are as a creator. Do you want many people to read your work, or are you seeking a connection with just one person?

To all budding creators about to share their work with the world, I sincerely wish you a kind and welcoming start to your journey.