NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon Of The Day - 3

Sometimes, when the world is sad & filled with horrors, I just want to read something heartwarming & feel-good. This Timeless Food Truck AU called Amehrana by @timelesshonesttrailer (RedGold) is a story of found family, the struggle that goes into building & maintaining relationships, and the support and love we offer one another.

Our beloved characters are in love with food, cooking & serving it. Lucy struggles against her mother's expectations. Flynn suffers from PTSD from the war and his marriage to Lorena broke down because of it, but they are still loving friends and co-parents because they both put in the effort & work. In Lorena's words: "And getting where we are... it wasn’t as easy as we make it out to be.”

Emma is snubbed by Rittenhouse (reimagined as a huge & unethical food conglomerate) and carries a grudge against Lucy because of it. Jess is fabulous & brilliant & strong. I particularly love her quote regarding her history with Wyatt: “I tried to be supportive, but if he wasn’t going to help himself, well, it’s not the woman’s job to fix the man.”

This story is heartwarming, but not all smooth sailing. There is conflict, and struggle, and self-doubt. But there is also support in community together. A love for one another in a found and created family. An acceptance & exhuberance that comes from doing what you love while putting in the work.

It's a wonderful story for days when the world feels harsh to be reminded that community and heart is build together through kindness and hard work.

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 09: Take a Moment to Relax When You Need It

NaNo is more akin to a marathon than a sprint. To keep the stamina to last us through the entire month: it is important to take care of ourselves and relax when we need it. Get yourself that nice cup of tea, sit down in the fresh autumn air for a moment and take in the moment. Breathe! Take a moment and gather fresh energies.

Day 09: Take a Moment to Relax When You Need It

Keep writing your story. One word and one day at the time. These storms will pass and the way out is through!

NaNoWriMo – My Cartoon of the Day – Day 23: Just Keep Writing

We are approaching our final week! Are you flying yet with your story well advanced? Or does it feel you are slowly crawling your way up a mountain? Regardless of where you are: we can keep writing and even crawling is progress. If you need to rest for a bit to lick your scrabbed knees: enjoy the view and remember the view from the summit will be even sweeter. An empty page cannot be edited and having gotten this far: we can make it to the final stretch. One more week to go till we can enjoy the satisfaction of having made it to the finish line.

Day 23: Just Keep Writing

Remember to take a breath and look around at this glorious experience. When the sweat drips from your brow, your legs hurt and your shoulders chafe from the backpack: there is pleasure to be had in facing the experience head-on and living life to the fullest. Likewise with our stories: there can be hardship in committing those words to paper, but the experience of having done so will stay with you. Stand up straight. Stretch your body. Drink a sip of water. And Just Keep Writing! We can do this.

The Scholomance story Beside the Golden Door by Stellarete details Chloe growing up in the New York Enclave.

The Scholomance books Deadly Education, The Last Graduate & the pending: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik detail El's story in the magical school the Scholomance.

Chloe is a fascinating character who has learnt growing up to be blind to the intensity of the privilege she grew up with and yet learns to open her eyes throughout the series and to become a genuine friend.

The enclave's teachings are so similar to all the messaging in more privileged societies. I am a university educated European and know rationally that I hold an immense amount of privilege even if there are still a lot of hardships and intense challenges in life. Chloe doesn't ignore her privilege, but does learn that her value and existence are not intrinsically tied to it. She works to be a better friend and person.

This story highlights Chloe's character growing up and the subtlety of the messaging and teaching. It's not even maliciously done: survival is paramount and these parent do lovingly want their children to live come what may.

The Scholomance by Naomi Novik is an intriguing and wonderful story and I am very curious for the conclusion that'll be published in September.

While we wait, this fanfic story is a lovely glimpse into this universe and character.

The Timeless story Nisam sam by @thealocksly has a kind of visceral sadness to it. (link to her Tumblr post).

It offers glimpses and mentions as to what Lucy went through during her captivity by Rittenhouse. It has a realness to it - a matching of Lucy's stillness & silence on it all on the show. (Even if I think she's a bit more broken in this story than on the show itself).

The way Lucy shrinks in on herself versus the way Flynn respects and cares for her by the act of holding space is wonderful. Flynn's realization that he needs to look at the woman in front of him, rather than the woman he knows from the journal is wonderfully done.

There's a softness to this story. A quiet respect & caring & prelude to healing on her own terms.

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 08: Hell Week

The first week of NaNo flew by in a rush and now we are already in week two. Traditionally, the second week of NaNo is considered especially hard as self doubt comes out to play for many of us, tiredness sets in and starts to demand more attention, and yet: we are still here!

Day 08: Put Up Your Umbrellas to Guard Against Hell Week

So: let us put up our umbrellas against the possible storms ahead and brace ourselves against this challenge: we can DO this together.

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 12: Plotholes? What plotholes?

Writing during NaNo can sometimes feel like you are building a tower of cards or a jenga tower that is about to topple over & I am here to tell you: play recklessly! Explore those new adventure twists & directions your characters want to take you! Go build a story on patched-over ground and shore up your plot with plot bunnies & raptors & ninjas!

Day 12: Plotholes? What plotholes?

Get your story gleefully written. Get a draft on paper & take comfort in the solid trust you'll be able to put in those structural repairs in the editing process. For now: keep writing! Keep telling your story & know that your imperfections make you unique and marvelous & interesting & in the editing process you'll be able to polish them beautifully. Plotholes? What plotholes? indeed! 😆 Have a blast!

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 5

NaNoWriMo is a personal writing challenge and a massive community event at the same time! I enjoy the knowledge that there are so many others who are typing away with me and finding their own stories to tell.

Day 05: Checking in with Our WriMo Buddies!

Let’s shower ourselves and our buddies with encouragement and good vibes. We are approaching the end of our first week and everyone who is still here: you are marvelous! The courage of putting your story to paper is to be applauded and celebrated. Any word you’ve written is more than you had and I cheer you on!

As always: I am always happy to hear from anyone if you enjoy these cartoons. I hope to bring a smile to your faces and encourage you even when the goings get hard. Let’s keep being awesome together.

Fanfic Sketchnote Review of The Ship's Cat (Temeraire)

The Temeraire fanfic story: The Ship's Cat by Ystradwel is absolutely adorable. I am as smitten with Pan (or Biscuit as he's originally named) as Temeraire is (originally) jealous. The cat and the dragon come to an understanding while Laurence shows his bemused befuddlement. He respects Temeraire even if he knows nothing about dragons in this very early setting.

Granby is offered the opportunity to match his observations against what he has been told even earlier and it is glorious.

Enjoy this lovely little story that is well in-character for a smile and chuckle.

It was this amazing story about a farmer who finds one of her chicks hatched a dragon egg by @dycefic that inspired me to try and draw a tiny dragon. I think she's very cute indeed even if she doesn't quite match the dragon description from the tale. @dycefic's stories are wonderous to read and I highly recommend exploring their blog!