Mariya Kika

Hey! My name is Mariya, and I'm a young writer that was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. I'm currently working towards an MHSc, which has definitely cut into my writing time! I most prefer writing short stories and poetry, and I'd love to see the revival of the novella one day soon.

Question 1: What have you written that you're the most proud of?

I think I have to shout out the first piece I ever got published! I had seriously started my writing journey in January of 2022 and Pyre Magazine (with the wonderful Ryan as the EIC) had been kind enough to believe in my short story and give me a shot. That was the boost I needed to realize that maybe I do have a chance at this whole writing thing! "Burnt, Bloodied, Loved" is definitely a horror-esque short story so please proceed with caution if that's not your thing.

Question 2: What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I'd say my writing process is just a teensy bit chaotic. I'm definitely a planster! I do outline but some parts of my outline are so detailed that they end up in the final draft; these are often followed by draft points like "deep conversation here". Realistically, I do often start a piece with a general ending in mind and my outline is a guide to what points I need to hit before getting there, sometimes these points are already known to me and sometimes they are something I'll figure out as I go along! I do enjoy the relative freedom of this process as I don't feel guilty for not sticking to a rigid outline that was created before the piece truly started shaping itself into something.

Question 3: Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite?

I love to play music that gets me in the mood of the piece! I pull a lot from Bastille, Woodkid, Misterwives, Noah Kahan, Matt Maeson, and more! I love curating playlists for specific moods and feelings so I have something to fall back on if I need that creative boost. A lot of my playlists are public under the Spotify profile Marsipan! (Making playlists is also a great way of procrastinating writing while still feeling somewhat productive, but you didn't hear that from me!)

Question 4: What do you think is the best way to improve writing skills?

There's a lot to be said about practice and prompts but I find the most value in studying the works of writers I look up to! This can be done in terms of technical skills; I love figuring out pacing, especially for short stories. But I personally enjoy it when I find passages that emotionally resonate with me or passages where they're making their most salient points and I break those down. I look for technical skills there but I also look for why those are emotional touchpoints. Breaking it down like that has immensely helped me learn how to implement new skills in my writing!

Question 5: If you had to describe yourself in just three words, what would those be?

Hmm, I think they'd be: loyal, tenacious, and curious.

Question 6: How many books have you written and which is your favorite? I

've not yet written a book but I am working on my first short story collection! It's a theme that's very near and dear to me and I absolutely love how it's coming together!