Creative Awards 2025: 17 Media Award Winners Share Their 'Path to Winning' and 'Changes Since'

After failing in 2024, I calmly analyzed the reasons and copied all the comments from each media outlet in the essay category's application requirements into a notebook. From there, I found common themes like 'frugality,' 'life hacks,' 'living,' and 'daily life,' and rewrote the 'conquering all Hoshino Resorts' topic from a new angle. For the title, I prioritized clarity and the impact of numbers over coolness, and valued the word 'frugality.'

It is to properly read the 'comments from participating media' and write accordingly. Instead of just writing what I wanted to write, I grasped what kind of work the publishers were expecting and clarified the goal of the work. In particular, I strongly kept in mind the part in Diamond Inc.'s comment about 'works born from the writer's experience and way of thinking being strongly reflected,' and checked many times whether the work was written according to the comments.

You don't need to bend the core of what you want to write, but you do need to make an effort to 'tailor it to the person you want to reach.' For example, try actually visiting a bookstore, or since the Creative Awards present the type of work the participating companies are looking for, read that thoroughly. How should I present what I want to write so that it is easy for the other party to receive? Please try to expand your imagination by being conscious of what the work will look like after it wins and becomes a 'product'.

After writing, I let it sit and reread it for about two weeks. I also changed the intervals, such as every other day or every three days. It is also recommended to read on different devices, such as a smartphone and a computer. When the screen changes, your sense of distance from the text changes, making it easier to review both the overall structure and the details. Please also try reading it aloud. Where the sound gets stuck is likely where the reader will also get stuck.

It is to create while feeling that it is fun, good, and interesting. In my case, if I continue without feeling that way, creating becomes painful.

Specifically, I rearranged an episode that was in the middle of the story to the beginning as a prologue, and refined the expressions. Also, I adjusted the stiff writing style to be a bit lighter to match the submission destination, and was conscious of making the protagonist's psychological description convey more clearly. I think the hooks for each section and the rhythm that allows for stress-free reading are very important to prevent readers from dropping off, so I am glad I had time to thoroughly pursue those.

I want to say, 'Doesn't it have to be pure literature?' All the public submissions I'd done were in the pure literature category, so since I got results in a different genre this time, I want to tell myself that it was good not to narrow down my own possibilities.

'You should have checked for typos and omissions 10 more times!' I suppose. I thought I had checked them when I revised for the rating change, but well, they remained. I read it again after winning and was mortified... The work itself was already finished, so the preparation before applying wasn't that difficult. Thinking about it, it might be safer to finish writing early.

For 'Voice of Poison,' when I was doing the revision work, I created a 'chronological table of the year the incident occurred and the ages of the characters' and a 'list of settings for the places where the incident occurred,' which was quite useful, so I think it might have been good to have them from the beginning. However, I feel like if I had been obsessed with making such materials, I wouldn't have been able to finish writing it, so it might be okay to make them once you've finished writing and are refining it.

For 'Rental Myself,' I want to tell people that worrying about whether the setting is too wild or whether the visuals are too plain to be an entertainment original is quite unnecessary! In fact, after winning, when I asked a media person, 'My work doesn't have flashy scenes, but will the visuals hold up?' they told me strongly that it would be fine.

I want to say, 'Even if you're hesitant, just try submitting it.' Honestly, I didn't think my work, which isn't dramatic, would win, so I was thinking of giving up on applying. In the midst of that, my husband pushed me, and I finally completed the application three hours before the deadline. I'm surprised that even a manga depicting my casual daily life can look attractive to someone else's eyes.

I want to say that among the things you've missed writing about because you didn't think they were that special, there are actually stories like raw gems. Because this is an award where everyone has an equal chance, I want to tell you to believe in yourself and write and submit what you can write now.

Anyway, 'Apply!' lol. It won't start unless you apply. Don't put a lid on your own possibilities from the beginning, like saying 'I can't win an award anyway.' I thought that believing in what you like and pushing forward leads to the first step.

After winning, by having the content of my note published in a serialized article on President Online, an opportunity was created for it to be read by a demographic I don't usually reach. Also, work has expanded, such as receiving requests for speaking engagements and advisory roles from people who saw my note and serialized articles. Rediscovering that I have a lot of material, and that my style of expression has expanded beyond just 'writing,' might be the biggest change.

I am working hard on writing the winning work for publication around October of this year! If I calculate backward, I think I will probably be working desperately on revisions until around July, which is the deadline for the Creative Awards 2026, so I want to run through these three months with the intention of running alongside everyone who will be entering this year. Let's do it together!

The winning work, "Usugumo Oiran: Mystery-Solving Zashiki," is currently being revised for publication. I am highly motivated because I have received so much praise, and since I have gained experience and continued to study as a writer from the time of writing until now, I should be able to deliver it in a great form. I will do my best.

While learning from the people I met through the Creative Award, we are working together to expand the world of the work. I feel that the Creative Award is not a goal, but a starting point.

The winning work was distributed on the web and published in the pages of Lettuce Club magazine. I have also received new offers, and I think this award has given me great confidence to take on new work.

Tips for creating work:
I thought that if I were to win the Creative Award, the only topic I had was "conquering all Hoshino Resorts." After failing in 2024, I calmly analyzed the reasons and copied all the comments from each media outlet in the essay category's application requirements into a notebook. From there, I found common themes like "frugality," "life hacks," "living," and "daily life," and rewrote the "conquering all Hoshino Resorts" topic from a new angle. With an eye toward becoming a book, I also created a table of contents: Introduction - Topics - Conclusion. Since I had been writing travelogues on note, I intentionally did not include stories about each facility, and structured it so that the 10,000 characters would serve as a teaser. For the title, I prioritized clarity and the impact of the numbers over coolness, and valued the word "frugality."

To myself before applying:
I want to tell myself, "Please, just apply." I applied for the Creative Award in 2024 and passed the preliminary screening but didn't win, which made me feel like I had been rejected, and I was about to run away from 2025 thinking it was enough. But if I had given up, there would be no future where it becomes a book. I thought it would be uncool not to apply even though I wrote "I will turn this challenge into a book" on my note profile, so I am now truly grateful to myself for putting in the effort to apply.

Changes after winning:
After winning, I have been working hard with my editor at Asahi Shimbun Publications, aiming for publication in the first half of 2026. In my case, I decided to conquer overseas facilities as well, and it was decided that I would include travelogues for all 69 facilities. Balancing this with a full-time job five days a week while organizing past manuscripts and writing new ones during monthly trips was 100 times harder than I imagined. I also received an offer to appear on the Fuji TV show "Kono Sekai wa 1-daful," and I realize the magnitude of the award's impact. I still can't believe it will "really become a book," but I keep my motivation up by encouraging each other on LINE with my fellow 2025 winners. I feel that having "peers" in creative activities is a unique charm of the note Creative Award.

Tips for creating work:
After writing, I continued to let it sit and reread it for about two weeks. I also varied the intervals, such as every other day or every three days. It is also recommended to read on different devices, such as a smartphone and a computer. When the screen changes, your sense of distance from the text changes, making it easier to review both the overall structure and the details. Please try reading it aloud as well. I think the parts where the sound gets stuck are the parts where the reader will also get stuck. If you have a second language, it is also effective to translate and read it. The subtle nuances that arise between languages gave me hints for new phrasing and expressions.

To myself before applying:
I thought I would put my strongest work in the second half to make an impression, so I felt pressured to write something better than the winning work I wrote in March, just before the call for entries began. Because of that, I couldn't write much toward the end, but looking back, I don't think it mattered much when I wrote it. I was worried that the character count was too high and tried to cut it, but in the end, I was able to win even with an essay exceeding 7,000 characters. I want to tell my past self that you don't need to worry too much about timing or character count. Just do your best at that time and submit it when you've written it. That is enough.

Changes after winning:
Currently, I am writing a series on the Futabasha website, and it is scheduled to be published as a book this autumn. After winning, I also received requests to contribute essays. Since I wasn't the type to write frequently, it is still hard to write every month, but I feel that my "writing muscles" are gradually being trained. Balancing this with my work in clothing production and management is not easy, and for the first few months, I worried that I wasn't cut out for it. After about half a year, I have finally started to see how to find my own balance. Also, I have started to take notes whenever I think of something to write. When writing manuscripts for the series, I sometimes get inspiration from those unfinished pieces of writing.

Tips for creating your work:
I revised it over and over again, persistently. Since I believe momentum is important when writing essays, I first focused on writing a rough draft in a short, concentrated burst. However, for the revisions, I reread it whenever I had a spare moment and polished it bit by bit. I remember sticking with the fine details until the very end. The Creative Awards receive a huge number of entries, and looking at the winning works from the previous year, the level was very high. So, rather than aiming to submit many pieces, I thought it would be better to submit one piece that I could confidently say, 'This is the one!' I'm trying to sound cool saying that, but it's also an excuse for not being able to write many pieces.

To myself before applying:
You're probably thinking that it would be difficult for someone like me, who hasn't lived a particularly special life, to win an award at the Creative Awards, or wondering what you should write about. But I want to tell you that there are stories like raw gemstones hidden in the things you've overlooked until now, thinking they weren't that special. This is an award where everyone has an equal chance, including me, so I want to tell you to believe in yourself and submit what you can write right now.

Changes after winning:
Currently, I am writing essays one after another for book publication. It is my first time writing essays as a job, and I have more anxiety and nervousness than I can handle, but including all of that, I am truly, truly grateful. Until now, I often struggled because I couldn't judge if what I wrote was interesting or if it was good writing, but now I have an editor who praises me and points things out before it goes out into the world, and I think how reassuring that is. My motivation remains the same—to have fun for those who always read my work on note—but I am writing essays more desperately than ever before.

Tips for creating your work:
To create while feeling, 'This is fun! This is good! This is interesting!' In my case, if I continue without feeling that way, creating becomes painful.

To myself before applying:
You might think that nothing will change with what you are creating now, but I want to tell you that if you keep creating, something will change little by little.

Changes after winning:
I have gained confidence. I still have anxiety, but it is anxiety for the sake of taking on challenges, so having this kind of anxiety is also a form of confidence.

Tips for creating your work:
In my case, I didn't create a new work for the Creative Awards, but instead compiled comic essays that I usually uploaded to note. I think that writing down daily events and feelings eventually leads to creating works for submission. The content of the comic essays I had uploaded was miscellaneous, including things about my family, vegetables, and Japanese sweets, but when applying, I chose and compiled works with the theme of 'a couple' from among them. Even if it's just a rough record of daily life, if you narrow down the theme a little, it might be easier to resonate with readers who are looking for that theme.

To myself before applying:
I want to say, 'Even if you're hesitant, just submit it.' Honestly, I didn't think my work, which isn't dramatic, would win an award, so I was thinking of not applying. In the midst of that, my husband pushed me, and I finally completed the application three hours before the deadline. I am surprised that even a manga depicting my casual daily life can look attractive to someone else's eyes. Even if you are hesitant about a work, if you take the plunge and apply, you might have an unexpected encounter.

Changes after winning:
Winning the award led to me starting work with the Lettuce Club, which I have always admired. First, a serialization of food comic essays began on Lettuce Club WEB, and starting with the May 2026 issue of Lettuce Club magazine (on sale April 25), a serialization of comic essays depicting a couple's kitchen will also begin. I feel that my life has changed significantly due to winning the award. Until now, I uploaded works as I pleased, but I feel a new sense of fulfillment and rhythm in compiling works within a deadline and a fixed number of pages. I want to cherish both the magazine serialization and the comic essays I upload to social media.

Tips for creating your work:
Since it is a cooking recipe, it is important to always imagine the reader 'actually making it' rather than just finishing it as reading material. Therefore, I was conscious of clarity so that people could simply feel, 'It looks delicious! I want to try making it!' and whether the photos were taken to look delicious. Also, I tried to touch on the content in the beginning so that the eating scene could be imagined, and as a perspective from the cook, I kept in mind to add careful expressions that only note, which has no character limit, can do, such as steps where failures are likely to occur and places where you should be careful of burns. And I was especially conscious of whether I could fully convey the deliciousness, texture, and sensation when I ate it myself, and whether it was clearly conveyed that the dish was born from the perspective of the eater as well as the maker.

To myself before applying:
While continuing to post steadily, I have accumulated the experience of completing each one while being strongly conscious of 'whether this recipe is something people would really want to eat and want to make.' I want to convey that this properly led to an award, and the importance of continuing to make careful recipes and devise expressions without forgetting that feeling from now on.

Changes after winning:
My winning work was distributed online and published in the pages of Lettuce Club magazine. I have also received new offers, and I think this award has given me great confidence to take on new work. Moving forward, I want to continue using note to carefully share simple, delicious recipes that are easy to make in daily life, while being more attentive to the lives, physical conditions, and concerns of those who eat them.

Efforts in creating the work:
The best thing I did was to commit to "writing exactly the scenes I experienced." By writing about the atmosphere I felt on the sales floor—such as "the moment a client suddenly started getting angry" or "a client who gave me a hint using horse racing terminology"—I think I was able to convey a sense of reality to the readers and create an article that was uniquely mine. It was also good to realize that things I thought were "obvious" as a salesperson might not actually be so for others. Also, it was extremely significant that I was able to verbalize the "sales based on human understanding" that I personally valued, which I achieved by talking through all my past episodes with my editor, Mr. Takemura, and refining them. I am certain that verbalization deepens more when you bounce ideas off someone else rather than thinking about it alone.

To myself before applying:
"Just apply to the Creative Award even if you think the content is clumsy!" Your knowledge and know-how are things you only feel you have "verbalized" after you try writing them down; if you wait for perfection, you will never publish them. If you have any note, I want to tell you to just add a hashtag and submit it. Finally, the thing I want to convey most is that "the joy of winning far exceeds your imagination." Of course, the grand awards ceremony for the Creative Award is wonderful, but I realized how happy it makes me when people tell me on this note, "I was moved!" or "I thought sales was interesting!"

Changes after winning:
After winning, having the content of my note published as a serialized article in President Online created an opportunity for it to be read by an audience I don't usually reach. I was honestly surprised when someone I met for the first time at a trade show where I was exhibiting said, "Mr. Sugimoto's article was just being circulated within our company." Also, I have seen my work expand, such as receiving requests for speaking engagements and advisory roles from people who saw my note and serialized articles. I am busy every day and can't easily find time to write, but I started a personal podcast in my spare time and have been posting daily; before I knew it, I was close to 100 episodes. Rediscovering that I have a lot of material and expanding my style of expression beyond just "writing" might be the biggest change.

Efforts in creating the work:
Reading the "comments from participating media" properly and writing accordingly. Since I have worked in client services at an advertising agency for a long time, I approached this with the image of taking on a job requested by a publisher. The part that corresponds to the request content is the "comments from participating media." Instead of just writing what I wanted to write, I grasped what kind of work the publisher was expecting and clarified the goal of the work. In particular, I was strongly conscious of the part in Diamond's comment about "works born from the writer's experience and way of thinking being strongly reflected," and I checked many times whether the work was written according to the comment.

To myself before applying:
While I say that "comments from participating companies" are important, I overlooked the official note where Diamond commented on the Creative Award, and I only realized it after winning. It might have been good to check that in advance. Extending from that, I think I could have written an even higher-resolution article if I had also read the X posts and past interview articles of the editors who were judging.

Changes after winning:
I still haven't forgotten the day I had my first meeting with the editor from Diamond. We were able to discuss things for a long time with overwhelming passion, so I thought, "My life might really change from here on out." I feel like the protagonist of a manga. This is the first time I've created a book with someone else from almost zero, but I feel like I'm reaching places I could never reach alone. I am currently writing with the goal of publication and enjoying every exciting day. Also, I only had eyes for the business category, but through the Creative Award, I started to think I would like to try writing essays too. Once the book writing settles down, I would like to take on that challenge.

Efforts in creating the work:
Just try writing it. And put it out into the world. Then fix it again from there. Since it was my first time writing a novel and I really didn't know anything, I first published about 15,000 characters on note with the momentum of the idea I first thought of. While receiving reactions to that, I expanded my image, thinking, "I can add a little more here" or "It might be good to have a scene like this," and gradually expanded the work.

To myself before applying:
Don't think too much, just apply! Since it's your first time, I think you'll be concerned about your own clumsiness or unfinished parts, but I think there are things you only understand after you announce it, and motivation that springs from there. Rather than trying to increase the level of perfection too much or thinking "maybe it's not the right time," I think it's a better experience for you to announce it and apply first!

Changes after winning:
While learning from the people I met through the Creative Award, we are working together to expand the world of the work. I feel that the Creative Award is not a goal, but a trigger.

Tips for creating works:
You might get results in a genre you never expected. When I was writing my work, I had a live-action drama in mind, but the result came in the Entertainment Original Work category. What is the demand for my work? I realized that the great thing about the Creative Award is that applying leads to unknown possibilities.

To my pre-application self:
I'd like to say, 'Doesn't it have to be pure literature?' All the public submissions I had done were pure literature, so since I got results in a different genre this time, I want to tell myself that it was good not to narrow down my own possibilities.

Changes after winning:
I am working hard day and night with my editor toward serialization. I started from a place where I didn't even know how to write a manga original, and it's frustrating that my manuscripts tend to become information-heavy. I want to read more comics and get a feel for it.

Tips for creating works:
'Poison Voice': I'm not the type to flesh out a plot, but I did write out and clarify in advance roughly how many chapters it would have and what each chapter would be for. Thanks to that, I think I was able to reduce scenes that were just self-satisfaction written out of habit and inertia. In addition, since it's a mystery novel, I made a checklist to ensure I didn't forget to resolve any foreshadowing.

'Rental Myself': Although I wrote it as a plot-twist type of work, I was conscious of creating points of interest other than the story structure so that I wouldn't rely on the twist and neglect the process. Specifically, I clarified the target as 'teen girls' and wrote the psychological descriptions leading up to the end carefully. Looking back, I think it's important to reinforce parts other than the elements you most want to be read, the parts you think are the flavor.

To my pre-application self:
'Poison Voice': When I was revising, I created a 'chronological table of the year the incident occurred and the characters' ages' and a 'list of settings for where the incident occurred,' which was very convenient, so I think it might have been good to have them from the beginning. But I feel like if I had been obsessed with making such materials, I wouldn't have been able to finish writing it, so it might be okay to make them once you've finished writing and are refining it.

'Rental Myself': I want to tell myself that worrying that the setting might be too wild, or that the visuals might be too plain for an entertainment original, is just unnecessary anxiety! In fact, after winning, when I asked the media representative, 'My work doesn't have flashy scenes, will it hold up visually?' they told me strongly that it would be fine.

Changes after winning:
'Poison Voice': Thanks to you, it's going quite smoothly...! I was always braced for when I would be told, 'Your work can no longer be published,' but I've reached a point where I can finally think that a book might really come out (laughs). Until now, creation was something I worked on with a sense of guilt, thinking, 'This is not the time for this,' but now I have a reason to devote my time and passion to it with confidence, so I'm really happy every day! It's fun! It's the best!

'Rental Myself': This is also going well! Manga original writing has a different format from novel writing, so it's fresh to write, and it's fun to be able to work on productions that are only possible because it's manga! Thinking that the world will expand further at the hands of the manga artist from here, I also feel the fun of creating works as a team.

Tips for creating works:
The first appearance of this work was in 2021, and it originally had a rating. At the time, I remember writing nearly 200,000 characters in about a month without a plot, just with the momentum of 'I'll write whatever I want to write!' It was just so much fun to write! I think this passion of 'writing is fun!' might be the most important thing for creating works. Also, perhaps it's about continuing to like what you like. I like demons, onmyoji, the Heian period, Japanese style, and things like that, and I feel like I've been watching and reading them since I was young. I also like ancient times and the Sengoku period. I also like shrines and temples. I think it's important to use what you 'like' as a subject.

To my pre-application self:
Maybe 'Check for typos and omissions 10 more times!' I should have checked when I revised it for the rating change, but well, they remained. I was shocked when I reread it after winning... The work itself was already finished, so the preparation before applying wasn't that difficult. Thinking about it, it might be safer to finish writing early.

Changes after winning:
I made my commercial debut in 2024, but this was the first time I received such an award. When I found out I won, I was already working on commercial serialization and various other things, but I became intensely positive, thinking, 'Can I do even better!?' My motivation has gone up quite a bit! I was originally uploading my work to a posting site, so I'm still writing and uploading in the same way after winning. It's not directly related to winning, but I was able to release my first commercial paper book this year, and I personally think there was a good wave from winning. I am still continuing to publish my work and apply for public submissions in various places.

Tips for creating works:
I was conscious of 'who I want to deliver my work to' from the beginning. I think this is important not only for the Creative Award but also as a creator. You don't have to bend the core of what you want to write, but you need to make an effort to 'process it to suit the person you want to deliver it to.' For example, try actually visiting a bookstore, or since the Creative Award presents the image of the work that participating companies are looking for, try reading that thoroughly. How should I show what I want to write so that it is easy for the other party to receive it? Please try to imagine various things, being conscious of what the work will look like after it wins and becomes a 'product'.

To my pre-submission self:
You really never know what will be chosen! In fact, I submitted multiple works last time, and I never for a second thought the one that actually won would be selected. So, instead of giving up from the start thinking, "This probably won't work...", I think it's a great idea to challenge yourself with a wide range of styles! Of course, you need to polish what you can, so don't forget that.

Changes since winning:
I've started looking forward to visiting bookstores! Since the work on publishing the winning entry began immediately after the award, every time a new book from the label I'm debuting with comes out each month, I savor the joy of thinking, "It's going to be lined up on this shelf..." (laughs). At the same time, I feel a sense of discipline, and I think my attitude toward creative activities has changed significantly from before. I strive to never compromise and to seek out the appeal of a novel. In a good way, I've become greedy about the quality of my work.

Tips for creating work:
I made sure that character dialogue didn't sound like reading from a script. I believe I'm not the only one who thinks this, but most daily conversation is filled with trivial content, so I think immersion increases if you advance the story while being conscious of letting the characters speak freely, without being too pulled by the direction you want to take. As for other things I was conscious of, I used external information effectively without it becoming noise in the writing, such as changing thumbnails for each chapter and setting a table of contents at the beginning of the article, even though it wasn't in the submission guidelines.

To my pre-submission self:
Before I started writing novels, I felt like I was stepping into an unknown world, wondering, "Can't you only write a story once the plot is completely set?" But once I actually wrote it, I realized it was more manageable than I thought, and I slightly regretted, "If only I had secured more writing time instead of spending it on the plot...!" Linking to what I mentioned earlier, I realized that if you write characters naturally, the story often emerges naturally, so I want to tell my pre-writing self: focus more on the characters than the plot!

Changes since winning:
I am working hard on writing the winning work for its publication around October this year! Working backward, I think I will probably be frantically revising until around July, which is the deadline for the Creative Awards 2026, so I want to run through these three months with the intention of running alongside everyone entering this year. Let's do this together!

Tips for creating work:
This is a work that adds the classic armchair detective and buddy elements of mystery to the glamour and hidden shadows of a pleasure district. I thought that if I combined interesting things, it would definitely be interesting, and I also made sure that there was no similar concept among period mysteries. After conceiving it to be completed in about the volume of one book, I intended to provide a sense of satisfaction from reading the story while establishing the characters by layering multiple mysteries and episodes, including past incidents. Furthermore, I left mysteries and gaps in the characters' backgrounds so that I could hopefully write a sequel.

To my pre-submission self:
Due to the large number of total submissions, I initially intended it as a commemorative entry, and when I received the notification of winning, I felt like I had won the lottery. However, I later learned about the enthusiasm of note, TALES, and each company, and that they had selected it seriously, which made me even happier and more honored. Even if there is no lack of luck or coincidence, I think it is a place where seriousness and ability are tested. So I want to say: go with all your might!

Changes since winning:
The winning work, "Usugumo Oiran: Mystery-Solving Parlor," is currently being revised for publication. I have received a lot of praise, so my motivation is very high, and since I have gained experience and continued to study as a writer from the time of writing to the present, I should be able to deliver it in a good form. I will do my best. It was impressive and happy that the editor was pleased when I talked about my impressions of "Musical The Twelve Kingdoms" because it was Shinchosha.

Tips for creating work:
The winning work was written two years ago, but I revised it for submission to the Creative Awards. Specifically, I rearranged an episode that was in the middle of the story to the beginning as a prologue, and refined the expressions. Also, I adjusted the stiff writing style to be a bit lighter to match the submission destination, and was conscious of making the protagonist's psychological depiction convey more clearly. I think the hooks for each section and the rhythm that allows for stress-free reading are very important to prevent readers from dropping off, so I'm glad I had the time to thoroughly pursue those.

To my pre-submission self:
After all, I think both the structure and the writing itself become more refined the more you polish them, so in order not to forget the reader's perspective, I think it is important to create with peace of mind.

Changes since winning:
I met many people at the awards ceremony and meetings, and I finally realized, "I am writing novels." No matter what form it takes, I hope to continue to be involved with writing for a long time to come.

Creative approach:
Above all, it's about 'having fun.' In my case, I didn't create my work to win an award; I feel that it was simply the result of doing what I love and enjoy, which others then happened to appreciate. Looking around, there are many amazing works, but through the Creative Awards, I was reminded that the joy of creating and the creator's genuine passion for their work likely reach the audience.

To my pre-entry self:
Just 'Enter!' (laughs). Nothing starts unless you enter. You just need to meet the entry requirements and submit. Entering itself is easy for anyone to do. Don't put a lid on your own potential from the start by thinking, 'I won't win an award anyway.' I realized that believing in what you love and pushing forward is the first step.

Changes after winning:
None in particular! (laughs). This isn't limited to the Creative Awards, but I do think that having your work evaluated by third parties builds confidence and serves as a catalyst for taking on new challenges. For me, this is still an extension of my hobby, so my top priority remains having fun. I want to continue creating and enjoying my work just as I always have.