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I made it! It was a slog, and quite the trial (evidenced by this being a relatively short update published around 8pm on the last day of February), but I did manage to get a second blog post done this month (hooray for leap days). So, I'm back on track! Now to keep this up for the rest of the year....
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Before I get into it, though, I just wanted to point out that I'm back to using Mali. I still have no clue which font I want to stick with permanently, so it looks like I'm back to rotating them. Kalam may be out of the running, though. It feels like a fun, hand-written font, which is what I like for this blog. After all, I wanted it to feel like I AM just handwriting everything. But... is that still the look I want to go with??? And if so, is Kalam any better than my original font of Coming Soon??? At the very least, is it better than Mali? I'm thinking 'no' on both of those fronts, but I would still love input if anyone wanted to drop a comment below. Alternatively, Josefin Sans was a nice font. It definitely felt more "professional" and less "Geo-Cities". A way to make this blog feel a bit less like some 20-something's online diary from the early 00's and more like a (nearly) 40yo is writing it in 2024. Although... this blog clearly isn't a "professional" resource to learn ways to improve your own writing or whatever anyway. So why do I care that it looks a bit immature???? Especially since I JUST SAID I still like the aesthetic of this being "handwritten"? Gaaah! Why can't I decide on a font!? It's been a year of trying them out! And why is overall decision-making so hard for me lately?
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Yay... burn-out and stress! woooooooooooo
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Hubby and I really just need enough finances to take, like, a month-long sabbatical where we can forget the world exists and we can just fully recharge.... I need the Covid shutdowns back, but without the social isolation, and constant fear and panic that we could catch a disease that might kill us, or that we'd pass to our loved ones and indirectly kill them, or that we'd all catch and then have chronic health issues for the rest of our lives.
Hooray to the last one actually happening to us! wooooo again.....
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This past month, my husband has been prepping for D&D to start back up on Monday. Which means he's been busy plotting away the next stage of our campaign. The teasers he's given me are so good, and I love what he has planned for a repeat NPC. Aurora Morgen got the writing bug again and has been sending me more notes on nir plot for me to check out. It's been a lot of fun to interrogate the world ne built in order to help nir flesh it out a bit more. Plus, it's been cool to spaghetti-toss ideas at the wall to see which ones Aurora likes. There were some in particular that I've pitched that I truly love. If Aurora ends up not going with them I might have to swipe the ideas back for my own stories somewhere down the line...
Speaking of, since everyone else around me has been bit by the writing bug, and I've been coming up with ideas for Aurora, does that mean I have some new writing myself?
....
Yeah... no.
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| Hacker Girl
Facebook sticker by Birdman, Inc. |
I dunno. I've tried changing up what I'm writing about. I thought, "Maybe I'm just burnt out on Miraculous Ladybug and need to write ANYTHING else." So I stepped away from Seduce with Caution and One and the Same and all of my ML plot bunnies.
Instead, I've worked on this blog, for more of a casual, "diary-like" writing style. I tried the Hailey's On It! fanfic idea I talked about in my December update. I tried working on a NoPixel OC. I played around with more ideas for Jolene. I tried thinking more about the OCs and world I created for my original story Blame Fate for This that I wrote for Ronoxym's 30th birthday. I tried even thinking more about my OCs and the world I came up with for The Race for Destiny, my old hodge-podge fanfic/original hybrid story I came up with while in college; my first-ever NaNoWriMo attempt. Hubby and I FINALLY started crossing things off of my massive To Watch list again. I got back into reading the webcomics and digital uploads of manga.
Oh! I don't think I mentioned that last time. Yeah. I have been reading manga on Comikey. It's like WEBTOON, but for manga. I found out about it because ChibiSunnie works as a copy editor at Comikey. I started really focusing three mangas there.
- My Housemate Sano-kun is Just My Editor!
28yo Shinomiya Teiichiro is so engrossed in his own prolific writing that he frequently forgets self-care. During one of his multi-hour writing binges he faints from lack of sleep, food, and hydration. His dutiful editor (and biggest fan) Sano Satoru finds poor Shinomiya passed out on his floor, and nurses him as he recovers. Fearful that it may happen again, Sano suggests becoming Shinomiya's housemate. That way, Sano can do the house work, prepare the meals, and make sure Shinomiya isn't working himself to death. Plus, if he's already right there, he can always edit Shinomiya's writing on the fly, which will make their work turn-around that much faster.
It takes some convincing, but Shinomiya agrees, and Sano starts his quest to get Shinomiya to a healtier work-life balance. It doesn't take long for the writer to realize (1) he's been neglecting his health WAY more than he imagined, (2) it's nice to have someone take care of him, and (3) it sure is lonely in the house whenever Sano is gone....
Shinomiya's prolific writing (but not the self-care neglect that results from it) is such wish fulfilment for me. Also, Shinomiya feels VERY ADHD-coded in the limited chapters that I've read. He hyperfixates on his writing to the point that he doesn't even realize he's hungry or thirsty until his stomach loudly (and rudely... according to him) interrupts his flow, or he's about to pass out being the main bit of evidence. There's also a part that I just read where Shinomiya - who, again, isn't even 30 yet - stands up and his shoulders and knees loudly pop. He laments his aging joints and Sano asks him when was the last time he exercised. Even as little as taking a casual walk.
....
Let me tell you... I felt so called out by Sano's question. I really do need to get better at that myself.... - The Lady Likes a Nerd Over Princes
Plucky 14yo Sharina is the eldest daughter of the earl. While at her magical school, she meets the studious and quite somber Riol, third son of a baron. He stops her from touching a toxic flower, and she falls in love at first sight. She tries to win his affections by personally making him a picnicked lunch the next day. Problem being, the scent of the cookies she made Riol catches the interest of the first-prince of their country, Leonardo. An arrogant and entitled brat of a teen. Not recognizing the prince, Sharina calls him out on his rude behavior, which only intrigues Leonardo further. Even after revealing to her who he is, Sharina is unphased and calls Leonardo a thief when he takes the cookies to try. Leonardo is now fixated on Sharina and claims her as his own. "Ever the arrogant narcissist, Leonardo can’t fathom how anyone could turn him down and his persistence crosses into the realm of harassment" [from the official Comikey posting]. Riol's constant rescues of Sharina from the prince's advancements only paints a target on his back as Leonardo marks Riol his rival (and causes Sharina to fall all the harder for Riol).
Poor Sharina and Riol now have to constantly dance around the varied harassment from the prince as he continuously tries to destroy Riol and claim Sharina as his trophy.
The whole thing is cute and playful and the prince is gorgeous but the biggest prick in the most entertaining way. Plus, you have that good ol' romance plot going on as Sharina tries to win Riol's affections. Meanwhile, Riol won't even entertain the thought of them being romantically involved due to how much higher a societal ranking Sharina is (it wouldn't be proper). Riol is actually only at the school on scholarship. So, despite still being a noble, he's also very much a "fish-out-of-water" as most consider Riol barely a step above peasant. It's just a fun little story, and I love watching them thwart Prince Leonardo's advances. - From General to Bride: Marrying My Strongest Rival
First-princess Leone (age 23) gladly serves her kingdom of Alderia by being the general for their fearsome army. She even received the moniker "The Golden Lion" due to how fierce she is, and yet beautiful with her golden hair flowing like a mane. One day, while in the midst of a heated battle, her opponents - the Kingdom of Zergios - abruptly retreat. Leone soon after discovers that she has been betrothed to the marshal of Zergios as part of a peace treaty. She now has to learn how to make a new life in the land of her once most-heated enemy. Not only that, but she's tasked by her father to help their new allies to prosper.
Leone is actually incredibly graceful and modest. She has no ill-will towards her new husband or compatriots. She instantly takes on the role of helpful citizen of Zergios. Or, at least, she tries to. The people of Zergios, especially its young prince, are understandably wary of her. She's also unsure of her dynamic with her new husband, who is too busy with war-recovery efforts to truly socialize with her. There's a connection there though, and a potential romance.
I'm personally so invested in the budding romance between Leone and her husband, as well as how she'll win over the people of Zergios so they believe she truly is their ally now. It reminds me a little of The Dragon King's Bride with the whole warring nations and arranged marriage that might have a true romantic foundation. Plus, it's nice to see a strong female protag who is also kind, courteous, and helpful.
I also started up yet another new comic over on WEBTOON: I Will Live the Life of a Villainess.
Korean woman Yuna Jeong dies when she's hit by a car that ran a red light. However, her life doesn't end there. Instead, she gets isekai'd into the land of Kartica; into the life of Duke Rosaria's only child Elena. Problem is, Katrica doesn't exist. It's a fictional country from a romance novel Yuna used to read in her previous life. The other problem? Elena Rosaria is the villainess of that novel.
According to the novel's plot, Elena is betrothed to the crowned prince. However, he ends up falling in love with the novel's main character Rosetta. Elena then spends the novel making Rosetta's life miserable to try to keep her away from the prince, which would allow Elena to eventually become queen instead. When all other attempts fail, Elena tries to poison Rosetta. In the end, the prince and Rosetta marry, and Elena is beheaded!
Obviously trying to avoid that outcome, Yuna tries to rewrite Elena's story. New problem: Elena is already an adult and betrothed to the prince. So her complete change in personality is a bit hard to try to hide. Plus, she has that whole struggle of trying to remove herself as far from the Elena/Prince/Rosetta love triangle as possible. On top of ALL of that? Turns out she's not the only one isekai'd into the story! The previously meek and overlooked first-prince is also acting a bit strange and a lot bolder lately. The first-prince and Elena dance around each other as they try to confirm that the other was originally from Earth, as they attempt to rework the fates of the characters they were forced to inhabit, and as a potential romance blossoms between them.
If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for fantasy romances... what can I say? A woman my age tends to read romance novels. I just do mine via pretty pictures online. Anyway, I do love how unique this story is, because the romance is actually SUUUCH a backseat plot that some of the main comments on the comic are "Oh. Right. This story is in the Romance category." The focus instead is on Elena (Yuna) empowering both herself and other female nobles that would otherwise be overlooked simply because they're women. It showcases Elena's craftiness and strategic mind. It also has a lovely little cat-and-mouse appeal to both Elena and the first-prince getting their footing in the lives they are thrust into. It's like a narrative game of chess. Quite engaging. I caught up on all of the available free chapters in a blink.
Honestly? Between those three mangas, adding in I Will Live the Life of a Villainess, and getting back into The Dragon King's Bride, FLOAT, and Rental Hero, I've managed to get a lot of reading in this month. Not nearly the 7.5hrs per month that I'm aiming for this year, but definitely better than my January record.
As mentioned, I also managed to wrestle the TV away from Hubby's obsessive watching of NoPixel content, and we crossed off a bunch of shows and movies I had on my To Watch list for a while.
I'm doing what a writer is "supposed" to. I'm consuming content. Engaging in it. Noting what I like about it, and what I would change. The Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series on Netflix, for instance. If I went into that cold - never saw the cartoon - I would have really enjoyed it. The writing is a bit clunky, but I still liked the characters and the chemistry the cast had. The wardrobe and sets were gorgeous and captured how they looked in the cartoon. The actor they cast for Zuko - Dallas Liu - was so convincing as the character that he even straight up sounded like Dante Basco (Zuko's original voice actor) for a bunch of his lines. The CG and green-screening still needed a bit of help, but it was way cleaner and prettier than anything Marvel has given us the past couple of years.... sadly....
The plot of the entire series is "There's this 100year war that has been going on as the Fire Nation tries to conquer the rest of the world." The cartoon almost makes the war secondary to the Gaang's personal growth and development. The live-action, on the other hand, leans a lot harder into the war plot, and the idea that war isn't fun. That it's messy. That it's brutal. That people are suffering. That people are doing whatever they can to survive. The live-action focuses on the world more than the characters, I think.
Sokka is brooding as he suffers imposter syndrome in his attempts to be a Warrior(TM) to protect his home and impress his father. Katara is suffering PTSD from watching her mother violently die trying to protect her. Aang is wracked with survivor's guilt as well as the guilt of abandoning the world; unintentually allowing all the pain that has happened over the past century. Zuko is still his broody, angsty self... never change, buddy. Iroh is mostly unchanged as well, but... less goofy and relaxed. The side characters are also darker and angstier.
The cartoon knew what it was: a cartoon. It dealt with the heavy concept of a war-torn world, but still had the characters - especially the Gaang - as light, fun-loving, playful, snarky, sarcastic, and embracing what limited joys they could find. The cartoon was awesome because it had that great balance of light and heavy. It made you laugh, but also made you think about the seriousness of what these kids are going through.
- Sokka got over his misogyny, and then got past his inferiority complex.
- Katara got past her anger, and no longer tried to compensate for her mom by being the Mom Friend to everyone else.
- Aang matured, embraced his responsibilities, and got past his guilt.
- Toph learned that it's okay to be vulnerable around the right people, because doing so doesn't diminish your strength.
- Zuko healed from his traumas, and grew the courage to stand up against his tormentors.
- Azula realized the emotional traumas and neglect she endured growing up. We don't get to see her overcome them, but realizing they're there and that she's broken was a character arc in-and-of-itself.
I don't see any of that happening in the live action though. With the exception of maybe Zuko and Azula (and we haven't met Toph yet), the live-action versions of the Gaang just.... aren't quite the same characters.
And they killed my favorite episode: "The Cave of Two Lovers". I mean, they kind of butchered a lot of the episodes... but did really well with others, such as combining "The Storm" and "The Blue Spirit".
I'm going off on a tangent. Point being, I watched something I really wanted to; was excited for. It was "mid". Not terrible. Not the greatest. Made me want to give the cartoon a rewatch. But decent for an adaptation, and good if it's the first introduction you have to the series. Anyway, I went in with a little bit of an analytical mind. I noted changes I liked. Changes that made sense. Changes that made no sense to me. Changes that just straight up made the story kind of worse. I sorted out WHY I felt that way.
That's what I'm "supposed" to do, right? That's supposed to help me improve my own writing?
I did the same thing for the other shows and movies we watched this month. Same for the many manga/comics I've been reading. Same with helping Aurora with nir story, and even Hubby with his campaign ideas.
So, why isn't any of this translating into ME doing narrative writing!? Why, whenever I bring up a word doc or this blog post do I INSTANTLY think of a million other things I should be doing? I have this work project that isn't crucial, but I've been meaning to do for ages. I have emails to check! I have Facebook or Discord messages to answer. I really SHOULD go through my Tumblr Drafts blackhole and start tagging and reblogging them. Seems like as good a time as any to research credit card options or get lost on Zillow house hunting or work on the dozens upon dozens of popped seems along the king-sized quilt my mom got me as a wedding gift. You know what? It's been AGES since I've played my mobile games on my tablet, or touched my Switch. Let's use the time to play some games instead! That'll help!
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| NuaNia
Facebook sticker by PRANEAT |
WHYYYYYYYY!? Used to be that you couldn't STOP me from telling a story. My life was writing. I felt most myself when I was writing. I was bursting with ideas and couldn't write them down fast enough.
And now?
Now I run away from the IDEA of writing. Even this blog post. I'd get a couple of paragraphs in and then magically find something more pressing to do before I forced myself to come back and sit down and just TALK TO YOU FINE FOLKS. No thoughts needed. I'm just having a conversation.
I've NEVER been this writing-adverse before! In the 30-some years since I learned how to tell stories, I have never been this disconnected from writing. This bored with a blinking cursor. The blue lines on notebook paper blending together as my eyes lose focus and gloss over.
I just want to be pre-2020 LycoRogue again.
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The first half of March is going to be a bit crazy. (Implying my life hasn't been a hectic, inconsistent schedule for YEARS now....) I'm on a 9-day work week, leading directly into me and Hubby going to visit my out-of-state family for my sister's birthday, her soon-to-be niece's birthday, and my godson's birthday. In other words: work nine days in a row, have a four-day weekend to visit family, then back to work for a 7-day week before our schedules are semi-back to normal. We also have our first D&D session since October in the middle of my 9-day work week. Then have our second session the Monday after coming home from my long weekend. Oh! And I'll have to work on sale price tags the long week I have post-family-visit.
I'm sure I'll find time to work on writing somewhere in there. Right? I can still get that quarterly story written?
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Guys, I don't think I'll be hitting that stretch goal of publishing a new story at least once per quarter.... At least, not unless I push myself to maybe work on that Hailey's On It! fanfic. I have a skeleton written up. And the back half of the first season is supposed to start in March. Maybe the new episodes will re-inspire me to actually officially pen that fanfic. It would be a fitting time to post my first fic for the fandom too... when the show is back in swing.
We'll see how that goes, I guess.
If not the HOI fanfic, then.... honestly, I have no clue. The well is dry and I am BEGGING the Muses for enough rain to refill it. Not even all the way. Just enough to end the drought. Maybe nicer weather returning will be the key. Maybe roleplaying again will be. Maybe simply getting sunshine again so my brain isn't just static snow nearly every waking moment. I'll take anything.
Wish me luck. And, until next time...
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