I read an amazing book that will likely become the 'textbook' and 'talisman' for all writers in 2026 #BookReview #Mikumayutan #HowToStartALifeOfWriting

“Once they finish writing this book,
　won't this person die?”

While harboring such an incredibly irreverent thought,

“If you want it, I'll give it to you...
　I left everything in this world right there.”

While mentally telling that famous panel from the beginning of One Piece, which was bouncing back and forth in my mind, to 'Give me a break! I'm busy right now, do it later!'

I still wanted to read ahead so badly that I read the first 12,000 characters in one breath.

There are many books in the world, but this might be the first one that gets people so excited just from the 'Introduction'.

Of course, it's not just a one-trick pony that relies solely on the 'Introduction'. Halfway through, I started thinking this:

“This book will likely become both a 'textbook' and a 'talisman'
　for every writer living in 2026.”

So, this time it's a book review episode.

The book I'm introducing is 'How to Start a Life of Writing: The Mindset for “Continuing to Write” That Is More Important Than Writing Skills' by Mikumayutan. It's fresh off the press, having just been released on January 30th!

■ First, who wrote this and what kind of book is it?

According to Amazon's classification, the genre of this work is 'Books/Bibliography,' 'Literary Theory,' and 'Thesis Writing/Writing Techniques.' In short, the simplest explanation is that it's a practical book for writers.

The author is a writer who goes by the pen name“Mikumayutan.”She is a veteran with 8 years of experience at the time of this book's publication.She is a true veteran with 8 years of experience at the time of this book's publication.

Actually, I have known about Mikumayutan unilaterally since I first started as a writer. However, at the time, I had a strange sense of inferiority, thinking, 'I'm just a side-hustle writer who can only write SEO articles anyway...', so I couldn't really bring myself to reach out.

I've forgotten how or why we started connecting, but she has been very kind to me lately (wait, I feel like I used this phrase last time too).

＼I was so happy to have my name mentioned in this article💕／

This book, written by such a lovable senior with the energy of 'I left everything in this world right here,' was seriously amazing.

■ This book has a divine balance of 'love, passion, and composure'

Now, let's dive into what made it so good.

First of all, the episodes in this book aresuper specific.They are so specific that everything is written with such realism that I can't even easily quote them.

I try not to read other people's reactions when writing reviews like this, but I'm sure everyone has the same impression.

“Wait, is it really okay to write this much detail?”That's what I thought.

It is undoubtedly going to be extremely useful for both beginners and entry-level writers struggling with the project acquisition stage, as well as for intermediate writers like me who are thinking, 'I want to expand the scope of my writing work, but how should I go about it?'

And behind thoseincredibly specific episodes, what flows like a basso continuo throughout is Mikumayutan's 'love,' 'passion,' and 'composure'.It really is.

Personally, I thought this balance was truly divine.

▶ What are the 'love' and 'passion' in this work?

The fact that the author loves writing itself is something you can imagine even before reading, in a strange way. And you can also somewhat imagine that she pours extraordinary passion into her writing work.

In fact, this book explains in detail the various genres of work that Mikumayutan herself has tackled so far, and every single one of them shows deep and concrete thinking. From that,it comes across loud and clear that she has poured serious passion into every single job she has taken on.

That's why, simply put,I think this book will be incredibly useful as a 'practical guide for those who want to work in writing' as well.That's why

But more than that. While reading this book, I was overwhelmed bythe depth of Mikumayutan's love and passion for 'people who want to work in writing or are already doing so'.

In this book, she talks about things that are, in some cases, extremely real and practical. It even touches on the raw (?) mechanics of business to the extent that some people might think, 'I didn't want to know about this reality yet...'

However, the way she addresses it is incredibly kind.

• The kindness of properly conveying the reality

• The kindness of anticipating, 'You might feel this kind of anxiety, right?'

• The kindness of removing that anxiety (as much as possible)

I was simply impressed by the fact that these three elements are all present.

▶ What is the 'composure' in this work?

And the wonderful thing about this book is that it doesn't just end with vague content like 'love,' 'passion,' or 'kindness.'

I've been repeating the word 'concrete' over and over again, but Mikumayutan's approach as a writer is quite calm and strategic.And that thinking is generously scattered throughout the entire book.

In other words, while tracing the trajectory of a veteran writer, this book also allows you to learn the behind-the-scenes aspects quite directly, such as
'I see, so that's the kind of thinking used to choose projects'
'So that's how I should step up'
as well.

I apologize for this extremely presumptuous image, but I feel like there are many people in the writing community who put that 'strategy' part on the back burner.

• Even though they can write properly

• Even though their personality is by no means bad

• Even though they seem capable of doing the work properly

I feel like there are too many people who can't quite land the projects they want because their action plans are vague or their mindset is strangely negative...

Now, let's recall the title of this book.

“How to Start a Life of Writing— The Mindset for 'Continuing to Write' That Is More Important Than Writing Skills”Mindset”

Yes, this book is actually a book about mindset, and it's a book where you can learn how to start a new life.

It doesn't teach you in a strangely strict, Spartan way.

Nor does it just wrap you up and say, 'You're fine just the way you are.'

Through this book, Mikumayutan keeps proposing, 'I've been able to continue working as a writer by thinking this way and doing things this way. There are surely parts that will be helpful to you, so please try using them.'

■ A book that I want all writers to read right now.

So, I've been speaking passionately on my own.

I hope that many writers will pick it up 'now in 2026'.

First, the job of a 'writer' will likely change significantly again in three to five years. While this is a 'textbook' that explains a fairly wide range of genres in detail as a 'writer's book' as of 2026, there is a possibility that the knowledge within can only be received as 'Oh wow, this is exactly what I wanted to know right now!!!' within the next few years.

Also, some of the episodes in this book feature topics that became popular on social media around 2024 to 2025. Therefore, if you read it for the first time in three years, it might not resonate with you.

At the very least, writers reading this book review in 2026 should read it within this year. That is a promise to Mr. Tanaka.