Myioko

I'd be interesting in hearing about your writing process, if you feel like sharing - like do story ideas come up on the spot as your writing? Do you come up with multiple possible story lines before coming up with one? Are you big on editing? Right now I'm listening to some video courses recorded by Neil Gaiman and I've found those inspiring, he's less on the practical ways of editing and making a story, and more on capturing the fundamental 'why' of a story, but it's great for motivating beginning writers to just do it and start writing more.

Haha, a lot of things remind me of Dr Who. Like that creepy hotel episode with Matt Smith where each room had a different monster in it! It may have taken me an hour and a half to write it since I didn’t time myself. And I had the story in my head before I started writing it, I feel nervous improvising stories on the spot Your dedication to spend 6 hours on a story really shone through in the quality of your writing and story!

@seeking_brilliance I got chills reading your story! Even though I knew the character was in Heaven, I was surprised by the ending, and it all tied together nicely by the end. (and I took a moment to stop and think when you wrote 'Had an all-nighter due to covid season', oh my) Well, here is my story. I gave myself an hour to spew it all out so it's more rough, and less wholesome than yours Infinity Floors Two men, harnessed by rope, stood on the ledge of the exterior of a skyscraper window. Mops in hand, they scrubbed at the window surfaces. One square of space after another was worked on until the sparkly clean surface gleamed, blue sky and puffy white clouds shone against its reflection. They continued moving from one window pane to another, steadily making their way upward. After minutes of silence, the short, scruffy man with the brown suit exclaimed: “My hat!” The second man, with a thin and gaunt face, gave a hoot of laughter. “Buck up, old friend! It’s not the first time you or I dropped something from these heights.” They watched the round derby hat turn into a smaller, smaller dot, then disappear within the clouds below. “...Ever wonder what’s down there? Or, hell, if there’s a top to this damned building?” “Ain’t no point in that. We’ve got work to do.” “Yes, but...it’s got me thinking, nobody out here but us. And it's got me questioning things.” The other man with the thin face gave a snort of contempt. “Aye, but those thoughts aren’t meant to be said out loud. You haven’t been here as long as myself. The other man I was workin’ with, when he started speaking out, he mysteriously fell out of his harness the next day.” The man with the brown suit nodded, then squinted his eyes and peered through the window he was cleaning. Dancing, music, laughter...what year was inside this floor level? France, the 1750s, 60s? He continued to stare, a slight melancholy and longing to go inside and join, knowing that by taking this job that nobody from the inside would ever be able to see them. At least his job was interesting enough. His mind was blown the first time he exited the interior of the walls, he never knew such sky and limitlessness was imaginable. It was another world out here, beautiful and serene. His memories of his past life had mostly faded. During his lunch breaks he could gaze into whatever level he was at, which contained a single year in history. But it came at a cost, he sensed...what cost, his mind found hard to grasp. It was hard thinking about things when there were always tasks to do, so he went on scrubbing. Minutes or perhaps hours later after these thoughts, he exclaimed -“Now would you look at that!” Barely catching sight of something from the corner of his eye, a flash of movement - a speck of grey, he saw, was zooming upward. It was a bird. He stared at the small creature... What was it doing out here? Birds didn’t belong out here, not that he’d seen, anyway. He grinned, giddy with the new sight. They both kept looking as the grey little bird flew up, up, up… His eyes began to burn, his head hurt. An odd sensation came over him, a strong pull to look away from the bird overcame him. He resisted, taking on the challenge to look at the bird no matter what effort it took. It wasn’t every day, afterall, that one saw a bird flying without constraint, in the wild outdoors. “You seeing that?” “Huh, what? No. Get back to your cleaning.” He hardly listened. He began to strain his neck as he focused on the bird, which was almost directly above them. Then…with a sudden pop in his head, all strain was cleared, and he saw with clarity the top of the skyscraper. “The top! I see it now! Oh my god - its - its” The other man turned his head to look at the other, frowning. “You shouldn’t be able to...I see nothin’, never have. What are you lookin’ at?” But there wasn’t time to explain. Gusts of wind angrily slapped around them, the air crackling with electricity with the promise of lightning. “It knows! We’re in big trouble now…!” “Shit, shit, shit!” As the ropes that held them swayed back and forth dangerously, one of the men slammed the back of his mop, hard, into the window. It cracked. Legs scrambling around, he kicked repeatedly on the weak point of the window until it was completely shattered. A wide gap in the building was now open to the air and the crowd of dancers stared back at them in wonder and horror, dainty glasses of beverages frozen in hands or dropped in fright. “Hellpp! Help!” The two men screamed out in desperation. A group of people ran forward pulled them inside, untying them from their harnesses. “Quel est ce monstre bleu sur le mur?!” “Je n’en crois pas mes yeux!” Later, the two men were able to find the stairs, dusty with disuse, that lead upwards to the top of the building. Curiously, their memories of the incident remained while all others soon forgot the disaster, and the walls were quickly patched up and forgotten. As to whether or not they made it up to the top is another story.

@seeking_brilliance Looking forward to reading your story I'll wait to read it until after I finish my own story in a couple of days.

Sure, here is a picture prompt:

Wow! Your story 'Devil's Den', was so interesting and captivating to read. I think you did a great job on the dialog. I liked the added details of the brother's behaviors, such as the howling, something a boy while camping would totally do. And one similarity between our stories was that inside the tunnel cave was a powerful, ominous voice that is neither male nor female that tries to lure you in - something universally mysterious/creepy about dark caves, I guess. I'd be interested in a second prompt, whenever works for me, like next week.

I wrote a story that is just under 1,000 words, I'm more used to drawing than using words so I'm guessing my writing is clumsy/unrefined and flowery. I've been meaning to write short stories for a while, it's just something I have a hard time getting myself to do. *Thinks back to 10th grade creative writing class...* This turned out a bit darker than I initially planned, so excuse that, probably inspired by my post apocalyptic dreams from the last few nights The Warrior The roar of the crowd is muffled as the heavy iron doors shut behind me. I’m so alone. All the euphoria that I felt earlier from defeating my component is rapidly draining away from me...my head echoes with clashes of metal, the sun blazed skin, spears splintered across the arena. I collapse to the damp floor in a heap of muscles, tendons, and bones. I smell of sweat and blood. I know I’m in a stone tunnel of sorts, as I had the foresight to take a hard stare before all light was shut behind me, my last gaze of light before a harsh goodbye to all that I know. I know I should get up, and I will...but just one rest, just for a little while...and I think about the situation that brought me here. I was born of humble upbringing, and my life started out with youthful optimism, distanced from my parents suffering and back-breaking work. We lived on the outskirts of the Capitol, the City of Gold. Because I lived on the edge of the city, my siblings and I were within a 5 minute walk to the wasteland, which was a vast flat landscape of grey slate stone, with pockets of wide holes. My mother told us it was dangerous, that we could fall into the depths of the earth and get swallowed up by fire. But here my siblings and I felt the safest and free. No soldiers could yell at us here, and we knew the landscape by heart. We had our own ‘secret garden’, a cave in the ground in which light shone down, containing trees and wildflowers, strangely shaped fungus, salamanders that hung around the pond which sustained its life. The pond water was clear, fresh, uncontaminated, and we brought our ceramic jars to fill them and take them back home. Where my family lived was all soot and shambles. But in the center of the city, its name ‘City of Gold’ lived up to itself: Pillars of copper, white marble, and azure blue rose to the sky, triple stories high. Intertwined around each pillar was the proud history of the past, and its accomplishment in human achievement. Never before had a foreign city dared break this city's breaches. Until I was 11 years old. Nomads from the west broke through, chaos ensued. When they took control, every oldest son was sent to the fighting school slums, even the previous Emperor's son. And if they survived that, then they were sent to the fighting arena. It was cruel, it was an inevitable death. I was sent there a couple of years after the invasion, and we hung on to the hope that we would make it into the top #1, the finalists. But for everybody else, the chances were 50% death, 50% an immediate send off to ‘The Unknown’. The arena was built against a cliffside, and once the winner defeated the other, they were sent to a mysterious tunnel into seemingly the heart of the mountain. The Unknown. It was there for as long as history memory...a door covered it, surely from the fear it emanated. The new Emperor was obsessed and captivated by the disappearance of those who entered it. His rule was simple: Wait 5 minutes, and if the door guards heard knocking, open it, and welcome the survivor. Once, the guards heard pounding and screaming from the other side, and they froze, fearful. After the Emperor threatened them with the same fate, they opened the door only to be met with a skeleton, bare and dry. And now I’m here. I slowly rise up, my mind is empty all for one thought: Move. Get going, walk as far as I can, face my end. My hand trails the rough and wavy sides of the tunnel...I shiver. I get the overwhelming sense that these walls are neither natural nor man-made. I wonder if the ground will disappear from under my feet at any moment. As I move along, the texture of the wall changes. I feel softness, slight squishiness...and fur! I sharply pull my hand back with a gasp, and for an instant, I swore I felt the wall take a deep inhale in. “I seee youuu.” A voice as thick as honey and the oldest sound imaginable penetrates my ears, all around me. Is this in my head? All around me? “I seeek yourre spirrrit. Givve it tooo me.” I reply, and my voice comes out clearer than I could have hoped for: “No. I accept my fate, whatever it may be, but I will not give you my spirit or my fear. Take it yourself, if you wish, but I myself will not give it to you. I have nothing more to lose.” “GIVE IT TO ME.” I stand there, eyes scrunched closed, to be met with silence. After a minute, I say: “I’m going to walk back. But why do you not attack me?” The voice that replies is exhaustive, vaporous, a tilted edge of exasperation. “II cannot...Your life is in yourr handss. You meet my two requirementsss: true courage, and the blessing of the clear water ssspring. I will tell you this, brave soldier: You have two choicess. Movee forwarrrd, and youu will meet a new lifffe. Move back, and youuu willl be met with extraordinary richessss.” My mind is stuck on the words ‘Blessing of the clear water spring’, until I remember the pond water I drank as a child. I nod. This could be a trick...or this could be a moment in time to choose one of two lives. I step forward, and I see a small window of light ahead of me. As I get closer, I’m met with a blazing light that my eyes are not used to seeing, and lush foliage and green plants that are unfamiliar to me. I hear pleasantly high pitched whistling, of creatures or melodies. I smile and walk into the light.

This is a great journal idea! I loved reading all of your guys's stories. What lies beyond: Oh noo, I feel bad for the boy in that story. Makes me want to treat my own inanimate objects with more kindness. I liked the pacing of your story. Sophias search: I loved this story, it had a great childrens book story feel to it as well as being magical, mysterious, not overly complicated. I liked the plot twist of her parents turning to stone and of the added description of 'sun-roasted dragon wings'. I also laughed at the part about the Outlander books, I read the beginning of the first book a few years back but never got into it. I was also reminded of the Dr. Who episode where the Dr meets Clara, when I read the name 'Queen Clara' because it has an overlapping feel to it. That particular episode stood out to me, where the Dr. lived in the clouds and they defeated evil snowmen together. The mistake: I love stories about magic schools. I am a little confused though, that could just be me. Especially with this paragraph: "I had just learned to open a portal in advanced physicks, and was certain I could pop them over to the Artic for an hour or two, just when we knew they were planning a rather devastating raid on the school's supply pantry. One of our friends was sister to a Black Viper who had a loose mouth-- well, loose everything if you ask me..." But the 'Black Vipers', that sounds like a suiting name for a dark magic kids gang. Cherry tree: The black, sweet cherry tree description is particularly suitable and sharp feeling that ties in to end of the story memory. Also, the feeling of sitting in a tree, eating fruit and looking what lays beyond is very reminiscent of childhood...(For me, I had a huge fear of lighting striking fears, but a fascination of storms, so I would have never dared sit in a tree during a storm!) LastThursday: I like your use of words, and your style of writing has a very relatable/real feel to it. (and yelling at an alarm clock - something I do internally in my head all the time)

I'm glad you re-visited a favorite dream location of yours! I hardly dreamed at all last month, I'm not really sure why but I'm appreciating the dreams I now more. I had a particularly long dream last night and I wonder if it was because I was so clear headed falling asleep. That haunted past point in your dream sounds very interesting, I relate to the scary-but-wonder filled aspect to that. If you don't mind me asking, when you re visit dream locations, does it look the same physically each time? You described it in a lot of detail. Or is it the spirit/feeling of the place that remains the same, or shifting around that place? All of my re-visiting dream places shift in looks, but I just realized that my childhood bedroom in dreams usually looks very close to what it was. Like the closet, desk, bed and window don't shift around, (but I'll never know what objects I'll find in the closet).

1.What where you doing before the thread was opened? Anything important? - I was cleaning the kitchen and listening to music. My mind was racing a bit, I was thinking about what I was going to do tomorrow. Then I wrote a bit in my journals on this forum 2. How did you get to where you are now? - walked outta the rabbit shed, into the kitchen, into my room 3. Do you really know if you were doing anything before opening this thread? - yeah! I think so. 4. If applicable, what did you block out to focus on the check in? - like, all of my thoughts 5. What is now, compared to before? - a lot calmer, the slow breathing technique really worked 6. Who am I? - right now i feel like music and words, so idk 5. Is this a dream? - it feels like one 8. Am I more focused now than before? - yea 9. On a scale of 1 to 10, (10 being the strongest) what is my focus level today or now? - 8. I feel very focused and clear headed on my daily walk/hike. I was focused, but at the same time, I hardly remember what I did today..? It's a blur. Sleep in, pet rabbits, draw, work, hike, cook, draw. 10. Can I let go everything in this moment? How does it feel when I let go? - mostly. tension comes back over and over again 11. Am I aware of my body and mind and spirit? Are they all aligned to my inner sense of purpose and direction in life? - yeah more than usual. Although I was thinking today, what is spirit? what is soul?

1.What where you doing before the thread was opened? Anything important? - I was doing a brainstorm session in my notebook, a lot of planning stuff to be done before the new year 2. How did you get to where you are now? - i stumbled here 3. Do you really know if you were doing anything before opening this thread? - yes and no? 4. If applicable, what did you block out to focus on the check in? - I've been feeling a bit scattered with the obligations and things I want to get done in the next two days. I decided to stop whatever I was doing and thinking for a moment 5. What is now, compared to before? - slightly calmer..and suddenly tired (its 2 a.m!) 6. Who am I? - i am right now, and after that, movement and squiggly wigglyness 5. Is this a dream? - hm not sure 8. Am I more focused now than before? - yes a bit 9. On a scale of 1 to 10, (10 being the strongest) what is my focus level today or now? - ranging from 4-9 10. Can I let go everything in this moment? How does it feel when I let go? - yeah right now I can. I can't always do that though 11. Am I aware of my body and mind and spirit? Are they all aligned to my inner sense of purpose and direction in life? - YES more than usual. I'm usually a 5/10 misalignment on average, so I feel more aligned than usual. Even if it's temporary

looking for calm vibes in my life right now I was listening to the soundtrack of 'Secret of Kells' and 'Song of the Sea' yesterday

last nights dream i was hunted by ghosts, haha, dream synchronicities ehh?? i was back in middle school with my 3 childhood best friends, only one of them was a dream-friend. the school was a dark mansion, as well as a hotel. I had this problem where I kept on attracting ghosts, if I stayed still for too long they would sense me. One ghost had a grudge against me, she was a thin tall lady with withering grey hair. her henchman ghost was a big bulky guy with frizzy white-blonde hair, bowl cut style. He even had a ghost pet dog. The henchman was half in the world of the living, half in the dead, so he could capture us. After school I was waiting for my mom to come pick me up (because dream me was just 14) and after 20 minutes I began to worry. And I didnt have enough bus money. Then, my friends mother walked by in the hall. She had choppy dyed purple hair, purple eye shadow, purple lipstick. She looked a bit too young, 30 maybe, and I wondered if she was really my friends mother. She said, ‘Oh you poor sweetie, not having enough bus money. Here take this.’ And shoved 75 dollars in my hand. My suspicion was right, as we were walking down the hall her face transformed into the old thin grey lady. Her henchman came running, and put us in cages. They left, and I wanted someone to come, I was bored. I started yelling/singing the lion king intro song with all of my might and it felt GREAT. My friends started singing with me, but we started arguing on who harmonized with who. No matter, the henchman came without the grey lady, and we were able to trick him by letting us out, he didnt have the sharpest wits.

@Shin That's so sad Those kinds of dreams are the worst! Glad you got your dream-dog back though. Two nights ago I dreamed somebody was trying to take my pet away, and the louder I tried to scream at them the quieter my voice became until it was almost nothing. I was so unusually angry in that dream.

Grateful for: RAIN Biden winning the election *confetti of mediocrity* *at least it isn't Trump* Ink pens that fill in spots beautifully and not dry out for a long time Yellow leaves I had the time to do an oil painting yesterday Ruby My black dress, it's very comfy ----- I bought gingerbread oreos today, curiosity got the better of me. Its not...terrible, but I do not recommend. I still have an after taste

Happy moments today: I woke up at 8 a.m, played with Ruby outside, went on a beautiful evening hike. The last few days have felt like fall, the air makes me feel alive. And I did yoga tonight, it feels nice to get back to doing exercise Yesterday I was grateful for: SLEEP, my god, lol. I wore an outfit I liked that day, I unpacked my colder weather clothing. And having a chat with my sister and playing with my younger brother for 10 minutes (which is a lot, with my brother) and going on a nice long trail walk, the leaves have started turning yellow Day before that: Pumpin carving with friends and then with little sister, eating christmas oreos because halloween oreos are out of stock, and a beauuuutiful moon sky, it was spectacular. And I had no headache that day

4 days of green check marks in a row, woo hoo!

@flume Thanks! Things I am grateful for today: I woke up at 7 a.m It RAINED. Or more like sprinkled. This was the first time in forevvver that it rained, like normal, flooding not counted Today was my day off. I cleaned the shed, spend some quality time with Ruby Called a friend Went on a long walk this afternoon. It felt surreal, I thought I became lost for a while, and this is a well known trail for me. I cut through the path to an unknown side path. I thought I was going far away from the park, but really I had just made a very slow loop back to the very beginning. For a moment I thought I had transported or something Made homemade peanut butter cups Drew some quick spooky sketches - halloween rubbed off of me this week i think Did 30 minutes of yoga Imagining a demon pretending to be the characters pet rabbit and then morphing into a giant bunny monster with four eyes, lopping through the forest

Woke up at 8 a.m again today (9 a.m by yesterdays time) Went on a nice walk this morning I turned in my art homework tonight, painted and drew crazy fast and focused today because I had to - but a couple of the paintings I'm happy with how they turned out! Ate homemade oatmeal berry crisp for dessert Watched an episode of tv

I woke up at 8 a.m today (: It's beautiful weather this morning A random girl complimented my outfit at the grocery store I watched a movie last night I feel healthy and no headache/no neck pain Had tasty leftover food for breakfast

Im glad I... Woke up at 7 am Drove across state to pick up dog from dog training Ate a delicious salad for lunch Didn’t have a headache today Got to listen to one of my favorite books for four hours but in audio version, I had read it multiple times as a kid (Amulet of Samarkand) and his voice was PERFECT some squiggly wiggly drawings i drew in the car, i started a new little sketchbook yesterday. i liked how the castle stair one turned out

I was looking for fun music videos yesterday and somebody on some random forum recommended me this song. The top comment for this song is ‘This looks racist for a race that does not exist.’ And this music video is very cute