Leo, Puppis and Orion please
HI @noire-pandora! Thanks for the ask, friend <3 <3
Leo - Do you have a favorite place to write?
I do, actually. My favorite place to write is in my room, because it’s the only place in the house where I’m actually alone (my Mom and I share an office, so we’re together all day long). So I’ll write on my phone, then email the scenes to my computer, where I stitch them all together into chapters... although I have to hold my phone to the ceiling in order for the text messages to send, because we have bad cell service in the countryside.
Puppis - Give us a piece of advice! (about anything)
Hmm, about anything? I would say... separate yourself from your art or creation, and view your craft for what it is: a craft or product that can be improved upon. It safeguards against the feelings of ‘I can’t do anything right,’ ‘I suck at this,’ 'I should just give up already,’ etc. It’s tricky to do, especially after pouring hours upon hours into a project, but saves much heartache later.
Oh! And this: forgiveness isn’t agreeing with what happened to you, it’s the decision to let it go and not let it affect us... and it’s a two-way street. We forgive them, and we forgive ourselves. My mother told me this, and I never forgot it: inside each of us, there is a small child. Would you say to this child what you tell yourself for making a mistake? For allowing XYZ to happen? No? Then you must forgive yourself and practice self-compassion, for that child’s sake, if not your own. That made me completely reevaluate my thought patterns.
Orion - Do you listen to music while writing?
I do; music and its meaning play a big part in my creative process. I firmly believe that music is the universal language, and brings life and connection to any story. I have a set of playlists that I listen to, depending on the setting or mood I’m in. Here are some Spotify links to them:
Writing Music: This is my go-to list, that has everything from Led Zeppelin, to Florence + the Machine, to game and movie soundtracks, to medieval music and Lata Mangeshkar
Skyrim Music: a playlist of Scandinavian folk, traditional pieces, medieval music, and game soundtracks I listen to while writing Skyrim.
Nevarra: I had originally made this for @inquisitoracorn, actually, when they asked about music in Nevarra. The playlist takes a journey through Nevarra, starting in the North, near Tevinter, and traveling south to Orlais and the Free Marches. The middle tracks I included for the Mortalitasi.
Tevinter: I listen to this playlist often. It’s what I hear when I think of Tevinter and Seheron: there’s ragas, Ottoman/Turkish music, some Baltic pieces, and some movie & game soundtracks
The Brother and the Bowman: an early music playlist I listen to when writing my original novel of the same name. Lots of lutes, good for concentrating.
The Songstress and the Swordsman: This is the playlist that goes along with my fanfic, The Songstress and the Swordsman. It’s comprised of all the pieces that are referenced in the story. In each chapter (or almost every chapter), I write a little note about the featured piece.
