And then there was chaos.

[miomir]

A Note About Writing

I have been debating taking down the excerpts from what will be this world’s main storyline in the current Age, not because I am worried about people stealing it or anything like that, but because it was written during NaNoWriMo and is very much rough, and even not being finished with the manuscript I have already changed and made notes to change things–some of which are posted on here.

So I have come to the conclusion to make those posts that are part of the main storyline private and unviewable to the public any longer, but I will keep prompts and drabbles and other such snippet-like things public on this blog. 

EDIT: I will be keeping the Prologue of the War of Orders story up, simply because that is already edited and such.

[miomir]

It’s been nearly exactly a year since I posted this, and things have changed, yet again.

Due to a current copyright infringement debacle concerning the site ebooks-tree and them posting unauthorized fanfiction and original fiction of many different authors--myself included (not Miomir content, to alleviate any worry; this is preventative in light of what’s going on)--for their own profit with absolutely no permission from any of the authors that I have seen, I have deemed it for the best to remove from the public eye any and all original narrative content. I have also made private posts in which I feel too-revealing information was discussed, and I have updated the links and their content on the sidebar to reflect this decision.

It was really my own mistake, wanting to share what I was excited to create before it was fully created, else I would not have to scramble retroactively like this to make sure that no one else tries to steal content that is worth a lot more to me than what was stolen. And perhaps that was a mistake of youth and passion.

As I say in one of the sidebar links, I am still more than happy to answer any questions about the writing or world building process, and general questions. I am not sure right now how detailed/specific a question has to be for me not to answer it. If you want to suggest or ask specific or detailed things, please still do so--just keep in mind that I retain the right not to answer anything I deem too revealing.

For those of you who do know more about this world due to personal conversations with myself over the years, I thank you to keep that information to yourself, and I trust you all to do so. And thank you to those who have been supportive of my choice to do this, and of me, personally.

--the author

[nevver]

A river runs through it, Sarah Martinet

[woodendreams]

Fjaðrárgljúfur, Iceland (by Valter Joannas)

[woodendreams]

Phuket, Thailand (by Munzir Khan)

[woodendreams]

Langshan Mountain, China (by Thierry Bornier)

[miomir]

whyswhoswhats replied to your post:since anon took silver, I'll ask for gold! c:

that is a good thing, re: describing emotion! I hope I’ve helped in a small way towards that, too XD all I ever do is go “internal monologue of feelings”

It is indeed a good thing! And you have played a hand in helping--writing back and forth and also in just talking and asking questions and getting me to think even more critically than I already was before. The latter is actually one of the things I love about the people I've met and found (and who've found me) in my little corners of tumblr--talking with everyone has broadened my thinking greatly and made me a more observant, critical, and inclusive writer and thinker in general.

[miomir]

Brown?

brown: what does it take for you to honestly be proud of something?

A good bar I have for myself is if I write something and then go back to it later--much later--and if I still enjoy it, if I still think then that I wrote it well (even if it's not completely perfect ot polished), I will be honestly proud of a piece of writing.

I tend to have a very high standard for myself and there are probably a lot of little details that go into reasons why I still like something several months (or longer) after I initially write a piece or part of a piece that I am not yet aware of, and sometimes I factor in opinions/comments of others, but sometimes I don't (or can't, depending on if I haven't shared it). Sometimes it's the way I've captured the dialogue precisely, or the descriptive words I've chosen that are perfect. Sometimes it's the way a sentence is structured, even if it's referencing something so subtly others will probably not pick up on it (examples: "There was no excuse in the words, no preamble and no obvious provication for their hostility." and "A tendon tightened along Tes's jaw." from this non-Miomir scifi excerpt).

Usually the reason(s) I am proud of a piece have not a whole lot to do with what others have said of it, but how I feel about a piece after I've spent some time away and can look at it with fresh and, hopefully, better and more experienced eyes.

[miomir]

since anon took silver, I'll ask for gold! c:

gold: the easiest [part of a piece]?

I feel dialogue is among the things that flows easiest for me, and descriptions of backgrounds and settings (though I probably have to be cognizant of becoming too verbose in the latter, heh).

Two things that don't necessarily come as the easiest to me, but are neither the most difficult--things I was mediocre at and have been striving to become better at (and I like to think I have) are describing emotion more evocative and viscerally, and showing, rather than telling. I feel I've come a long way in those areas, and that while still not truly easy, are becoming more so as I am more aware of them than I was in the past.

[miomir]

sssssssilver

silver: what’s the hardest part of a piece for you? (plot, background, etc)

Depends on the length of the story? Though, overall, I feel I have the toughest time with pacing. Or forgetting to put in action and movement alongside dialogue so that everyone just isn't standing around talking to one another and not doing anything.

Also, so far, actually finishing something feels fairly difficult. I have a lot of great ideas that I really want to write out, but seem to sort of... Get stuck somewhere along the way. Not sure id that's technically a "part" of a piece, but there it is anyway.

[asslicker2002]

creative process meme!

i originally thought up these questions for writers, but then i realized that they can really apply to anything - artists, composers, whatever. idk about you guys but i love to talk about my process so yeah

red: is it hard for you to think up new ideas? list three of your biggest influences.

orange: what do you do when you’re inspired? do you scream eureka, write the idea down in a notebook, what? 

yellow: what do you do when you’re stuck in a block? list three sources of inspiration when new ideas are scarce.

green: how do you flesh out an idea? does it take a long time, do you mull over it for hours, or does it come easily? describe the process!

blue: depending on your form of art, what are some of your favorite ways to characterize, add detail, design, establish a settling, or otherwise elaborate on the piece? are you fond of world-building, or does that pose a problem for you? (customize this question if you’re an artist or otherwise)

indigo: picture of your workspace!

violet: describe your work habits. do you eat? do you need music? are you messy or organized? do you keep a notebook? how long can you work at a time? etc.

silver: what’s the hardest part of a piece for you? (plot, background, etc)

gold: the easiest? 

black: what is your least favorite part of the creative process?

white: your favorite? 

rainbow: do you believe in true originality? 

brown: what does it take for you to honestly be proud of something? 

pink: what is the most rewarding part of being a writer, artist, etc? 

magenta: what drives you the most insANE?

[miomir]

miomir:

Send me a colour!

Ask away

This is always relevant—

I’ve already answered blue, indigo, magenta, red and pink, black and white, and yellow here, but have at for all the others!

[miomir]

are there any {or do you have plans for} indigenous cultures or ethnic minorities within any of the nations of miomir, such as the saami in scandinavia or the 55 different ethnic groups present just in china? {at present your nations just seem like monocultural masses, but you're also still in planning stages from what i've seen}

As I get deeper and further along in world-building, yes, this is definitely something I want to include--at least in a broader scope of things. It's not something that I'm 100% certain will be evident in all the stories, but I do want to be able to have more indigenous cultures fleshed out. That is, you know, once I figure out where everyone comes from and where their ancestors went (or didn't).Many cultures and peoples are still very much in the bare bones "laying down the tracks" sort of stages as I work on different areas of the world. Feel free to check out the Regions section and/or let me know if you have any suggestions for groups of people/types of cultures you'd like to see in a fantasy world!Thanks for the great question--this is something I had never originally thought much about before I started world-building Miomir in true earnest; initially the story only focused on one area of the world, and my main thoughts were more on dragons. But, as I've progressed in more story content and created a map (that I am in love with), and talked to more and more people about it--and about writing in general--making the world as diverse as I can in cultures, religions, and everything else has become another goal of mine along with the stories. I'd love to have a world that is more than only half-formed, that I can write a different, connected story in any part of and have vastly different elements than another part might have.

[woodendreams]

Turkey (by Tahir Özgür)

[miomir]

Yellow.

yellow: what do you do when you’re stuck in a block? list three sources of inspiration when new ideas are scarce.

If I'm only stuck in a block on one project, I will work on another. Sometimes instead of doing story writing, I will work on background stuff--fleshing out more history or culture, etc. If a block is really bad, though, I will work on something else entirely, a completely different craft. Or I'll read something either to try and get my gears going, or to simply decompress and let me creative batteries "charge" so to speak. Sometimes I'll sit down and play video games for a while and let things stew.

Inspiration from me can come from a lot of places, but the biggest one seem to be talking with people about ideas I already have. It's hard to say where inspiration might strike me for different things--sometimes I'll see a picture online that gets me going, sometimes I'll read something that gets my gears cranking, sometimes a particular song or playlist gets me back in the swing of things. A lot of times I'll be thinking of different things about the world none too seriously and then I'll have a train of thought that leads me to one thing and then another and then I have a few new ideas to jot down. For me, it's really more looking at something and seeing it in a different light, sometimes, if that makes sense. A normal everyday thing that I can fit or adjust to work for me in a different way in some world or story. I'm a big fan of tweaking things, manipulating them just slightly to be what I want in a different setting than real life. That usually starts me down a whole new rail of ideas.

[miomir]

whyswhoswhats said: I’m pleased to be the worst enabler, it’s fun and your ideas are invariably awesome

You and DagSys and Felspar all fall under that category.

I regret nothing.

[miomir]

black and white because reasons

black: what is your least favorite part of the creative process?

Naming everything under the sun. Often Sometimes with more than one name. Making those names seem related in a fictional world based from fictional languages from fictional cultures that aren't even fully fleshed out yet. Trying to decide how "authentic" to make names of places or not, to not alienate readers. Naming characters. Naming the stories themselves.

white: your favorite? 

World building as a whole. I love building histories and myths from the ground up and try to be as thorough and detailed as possible. Babbling about it to people who have the misfortune of encouraging such behavior.

Also the writing. The writing itself can fall under both. Sometimes simultaneously.

[miomir]

for that meme: red and pink

red: is it hard for you to think up new ideas? list three of your biggest influences.

I sometimes think it depends on the exact position of the planets in relation to one another, but mostly I think it’s just a matter of putting my mind to brainstorming. Sometimes I hit a wall, or a creative funk and I feel completely dry up on ideas, but usually if I think about things in the back of my brain while I go through my work day I usually end up having a pocketful of ideas scribbled down by the time I head home. I feel like I have a lot more idea notes than actual writing a lot of the time.

Three of my biggest influences: dreams (actually not for this particular world, but in general for other stories/worlds), talking with people about the world (any given world, not just this one), going for a hike in the woods for Miomir specifically. I will invariably get inspiration for Mirana and/or Ceilan.

pink: what is the most rewarding part of being a writer, artist, etc?

When people tell me the enjoy reading what I’ve written, or reading more about the history and cultures of the world, when people tell me they like or feel invested in or can relate to particular characters. When people ask me questions about the world, the characters, the anything related to it all. I write because I have stories in me I want to tell, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want other people to love it as much as I do. It’s literally the best feeling in the world.

[asslicker2002]

creative process meme!

i originally thought up these questions for writers, but then i realized that they can really apply to anything - artists, composers, whatever. idk about you guys but i love to talk about my process so yeah

red: is it hard for you to think up new ideas? list three of your biggest influences.

orange: what do you do when you’re inspired? do you scream eureka, write the idea down in a notebook, what? 

yellow: what do you do when you’re stuck in a block? list three sources of inspiration when new ideas are scarce.

green: how do you flesh out an idea? does it take a long time, do you mull over it for hours, or does it come easily? describe the process!

blue: depending on your form of art, what are some of your favorite ways to characterize, add detail, design, establish a settling, or otherwise elaborate on the piece? are you fond of world-building, or does that pose a problem for you? (customize this question if you’re an artist or otherwise)

indigo: picture of your workspace!

violet: describe your work habits. do you eat? do you need music? are you messy or organized? do you keep a notebook? how long can you work at a time? etc.

silver: what’s the hardest part of a piece for you? (plot, background, etc)

gold: the easiest? 

black: what is your least favorite part of the creative process?

white: your favorite? 

rainbow: do you believe in true originality? 

brown: what does it take for you to honestly be proud of something? 

pink: what is the most rewarding part of being a writer, artist, etc? 

magenta: what drives you the most insANE?

[cinnamonzen]

Send me a colour!

[miomir]

Ask away

[miomir]

This is always relevant--

I've already answered blue, indigo, and magenta here, but have at for all the others!