Marco Miki
@marcomiki.bsky.social
Born and raised in Italy, usually somewhere else.
UX designer. Currently querying magical academia shenanigans (My dog is in the novel too, somehow).
He/him
UX designer. Currently querying magical academia shenanigans (My dog is in the novel too, somehow).
He/him
Great thread on something I see time and time again from people that do not understand that creativity requires work, and that a piece of fiction takes shape on the page as you write it, not in some hyperuranion where ideas live in wait for someone to take them to earth.
I've had a few 'what do you do' convs recently, and everyone on hearing I'm an author comes out with "so how do you come up with ideas?", just like every book or movie about a writer has them staring numbly into space because they don't have an idea for the next book. And look, that is Not It.
November 19, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Great thread on something I see time and time again from people that do not understand that creativity requires work, and that a piece of fiction takes shape on the page as you write it, not in some hyperuranion where ideas live in wait for someone to take them to earth.
Occasionally I google the planned title of my book, just in case anything big pops up. Today it's the first time Google AI shows to have picked up something about it (likely the reddit post where I asked for feedback on the query letter). Not sure how to feel about it.
November 15, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Occasionally I google the planned title of my book, just in case anything big pops up. Today it's the first time Google AI shows to have picked up something about it (likely the reddit post where I asked for feedback on the query letter). Not sure how to feel about it.
The first query I sent out for my novel turned 100 today, happy birthday query! 🎉 🥳
November 10, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The first query I sent out for my novel turned 100 today, happy birthday query! 🎉 🥳
Reposted by Marco Miki
A bunch of writer friends are noting that they have not used LLMs to write. Me either, absolutely not. I feel like we need to stop asking kids what they want to BE when they grow up and start asking them what they want to DO. Because: I am not here to BE A WRITER, I am here to WRITE.
November 9, 2025 at 12:04 PM
A bunch of writer friends are noting that they have not used LLMs to write. Me either, absolutely not. I feel like we need to stop asking kids what they want to BE when they grow up and start asking them what they want to DO. Because: I am not here to BE A WRITER, I am here to WRITE.
Reposted by Marco Miki
Good article from @jasonsanford.bsky.social here on this kind of thing. jasonsanford.substack.com/p/genre-grap...
Genre Grapevine: Book Club Scams Are a Warning of Emerging AI Super-Scams
My novella We Who Hunt Alexanders was recently published by Apex Books.
jasonsanford.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Good article from @jasonsanford.bsky.social here on this kind of thing. jasonsanford.substack.com/p/genre-grap...
Found at the store! Someone gave this soy sauce bottle a little scarf, I had to snatch it up (I also needed soy sauce). Will find a good use for it :)
November 3, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Found at the store! Someone gave this soy sauce bottle a little scarf, I had to snatch it up (I also needed soy sauce). Will find a good use for it :)
had an incredible time at @worldfantasy2025.bsky.social ! First con ever for me, I am now sure I will be there next year too :) learned so much, got great ideas and meet fantastic people. I am very new to the writing community and everyone was super friendly!
November 2, 2025 at 10:02 PM
had an incredible time at @worldfantasy2025.bsky.social ! First con ever for me, I am now sure I will be there next year too :) learned so much, got great ideas and meet fantastic people. I am very new to the writing community and everyone was super friendly!
I am so sick and tired of seeing stories about revenge that I added a "retelling of The Eumenides by Aeschylus" to the list of ideas for future books. Thinking Western Fantasy.
October 21, 2025 at 12:17 PM
I am so sick and tired of seeing stories about revenge that I added a "retelling of The Eumenides by Aeschylus" to the list of ideas for future books. Thinking Western Fantasy.
A true legend gone
October 2, 2025 at 1:31 AM
A true legend gone
Querying may go nowhere but in the meantime I can print myself a few copies :) #amquerying
September 25, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Querying may go nowhere but in the meantime I can print myself a few copies :) #amquerying
Last edits done, most queries out, personal copies ordered, about 11 months from when I started to write my book I can finally say it's time to move on to the next one. The query process is not finished, barely started really, but I think I am in a place where I can start writing the next story :)
September 15, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Last edits done, most queries out, personal copies ordered, about 11 months from when I started to write my book I can finally say it's time to move on to the next one. The query process is not finished, barely started really, but I think I am in a place where I can start writing the next story :)
Sometimes you gotta give yourself a little gift. Sometimes that gift is a Switch 2.
September 9, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Sometimes you gotta give yourself a little gift. Sometimes that gift is a Switch 2.
Every few years I do something that at first glance seemed unlikely to work out. Got funding for a Phd, emigrated to a different country, switched career to UX design… Now I wrote a novel? Not in my native language? And again getting it published seems unlikely… unless you are as stubborn as I am.
August 22, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Every few years I do something that at first glance seemed unlikely to work out. Got funding for a Phd, emigrated to a different country, switched career to UX design… Now I wrote a novel? Not in my native language? And again getting it published seems unlikely… unless you are as stubborn as I am.
Three best friends, a university for magical studies, and a conspiracy to turn the students into weapons.
🪄 magic system inspired by esoteric traditions
🏫 a magic school, but for adults!
👭 sapphic romance so sweet you will melt
🐕 the best boy sidekick (with magical powers!)
#PosterPit #Q #F #A
🪄 magic system inspired by esoteric traditions
🏫 a magic school, but for adults!
👭 sapphic romance so sweet you will melt
🐕 the best boy sidekick (with magical powers!)
#PosterPit #Q #F #A
August 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Three best friends, a university for magical studies, and a conspiracy to turn the students into weapons.
🪄 magic system inspired by esoteric traditions
🏫 a magic school, but for adults!
👭 sapphic romance so sweet you will melt
🐕 the best boy sidekick (with magical powers!)
#PosterPit #Q #F #A
🪄 magic system inspired by esoteric traditions
🏫 a magic school, but for adults!
👭 sapphic romance so sweet you will melt
🐕 the best boy sidekick (with magical powers!)
#PosterPit #Q #F #A
One of my beta readers just finished the book last night (she read it in like 4 days)
July 24, 2025 at 7:36 AM
One of my beta readers just finished the book last night (she read it in like 4 days)
Reposted by Marco Miki
Excitingly, Past Puzzle is now available in English too, so please share my daily agony at failing at history www.pastpuzzle.de#/
past puzzle
Errate mithilfe von 4 historischen Ereignissen das gesuchte Jahr. Ein von Wordle und Geschichten aus der Geschichte inspiriertes Spiel.
www.pastpuzzle.de
July 22, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Excitingly, Past Puzzle is now available in English too, so please share my daily agony at failing at history www.pastpuzzle.de#/
Reposted by Marco Miki
One of my English teachers years ago told me this little anecdote about writing process that legit changed my life.
Writers fall into two primary archetypes. They are equally "good," just different in their processes:
1. Mozarts
2. Beethovens
Writers fall into two primary archetypes. They are equally "good," just different in their processes:
1. Mozarts
2. Beethovens
Remember, a first draft's only job is to exist
July 21, 2025 at 2:25 AM
One of my English teachers years ago told me this little anecdote about writing process that legit changed my life.
Writers fall into two primary archetypes. They are equally "good," just different in their processes:
1. Mozarts
2. Beethovens
Writers fall into two primary archetypes. They are equally "good," just different in their processes:
1. Mozarts
2. Beethovens
Draft 2 out to beta readers and now I am forcing myself to sit and wait. I love the shape the novel is in, but it's time to get more feedback before I query, just in case.
July 17, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Draft 2 out to beta readers and now I am forcing myself to sit and wait. I love the shape the novel is in, but it's time to get more feedback before I query, just in case.
First draft of my first novel is now officially done!
June 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
First draft of my first novel is now officially done!
So close to finishing the first draft...
June 10, 2025 at 8:45 AM
So close to finishing the first draft...
Waaaaay to early to think about this seriously, but I was messing around with cover ideas today and idk, I think this one is tasty :)
May 28, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Waaaaay to early to think about this seriously, but I was messing around with cover ideas today and idk, I think this one is tasty :)
Reposted by Marco Miki
"Your life should not be a museum." "Being alive is as special an occasion as it gets."
April 15, 2024 at 2:47 PM
"Your life should not be a museum." "Being alive is as special an occasion as it gets."
arguably one of the best feeling when writing a novel is looking back at a random bit you made up on the spot in like, chapter 3 and go "oh, I can use this..." when you need something later in the story. You may not like it, but this is what peak world building looks like.
May 14, 2025 at 8:35 AM
arguably one of the best feeling when writing a novel is looking back at a random bit you made up on the spot in like, chapter 3 and go "oh, I can use this..." when you need something later in the story. You may not like it, but this is what peak world building looks like.
Reposted by Marco Miki
Words to live by.
April 24, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Words to live by.
Look I may not be a huge spreadsheet nerd, but I am probably a moderate spreadsheet geek at least?
April 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Look I may not be a huge spreadsheet nerd, but I am probably a moderate spreadsheet geek at least?