illarian-rambling - Tumblr blog

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @diabolical-blue!

Productivity Tag!

Goals:

Oh god, I suppose I want to publish traditionally, but that's a looong way off. I'm way too busy right now and a broke college kid to boot. My more immediate goal is to get all my finished stuff beta read before I save up money for editing.

Productivity Tip:

Sometimes taking a break now means more productivity later. You can still work on your story if you aren't writing it. Draw, or make playlists, or even daydream. Eventually, you're gonna have to buckle down and do it, but don't be afraid to recoup your energy until then. You're an animal, and animals are meant to conserve as much energy as they can.

Current Project:

Currently, I'm writing the third and final book in the Mystery of the Mortal God series (not the actual series name, I haven't come up with one I like yet). I'm about 60 pages in and the action is finally starting, so I'm feeling good about it!

Exchange Something:

I saw the person before me gave out playlists, but all my playlists are in my bio already, so here's an open offer for story assistance. If you've got a fight scene you need help with, my eight years of martial arts experience might be able to help with that. If you've got some biological worldbuilding you need assistance on, I've gotta use this stem degree for something. If you'd like some character art, I might be slow about it, but I'll probably give it a whack. Feel free to pop in anytime, I don't bite (only kick)!

Quote:

"The McDonald’s french fry is unbelievable. When you bite into it, you think: It’s so tasty, it can’t be real. As soon as it gets cold, it turns to lard and flubble. I mean, have you ever tried to eat a McDonald’s french fry that’s gone cold? That’s one of the circles of hell. The gulf between the warm, fresh, lightly salted McDonald’s french fry and the cold McDonald’s french fry is as great a gulf as any I know."

-Viggo Mortensen

I'll tag @sarahlizziewrites @goldencomet69 @mundanemoongirl @willtheweaver and anyone else who wants to try this one :)

[illarian-rambling]

Productivity boost tag game!

Thanks for the tag @leahnardo-da-veggie!

Goals: My biggest goal right now is finishing my first fantasy novel manuscript, Ambrosia Heights. I have written/rewritten 40 chapters so far, and I have 6 chapters left that I have not drafted in the slightest. At the rate I’m going, I’ll probably be working on this for the rest of the year. But that just means I might be starting 2025 with a first(ish) draft manuscript that’s ready to move on to revisions!

Productivity tip: Journaling! Whenever I get stuck, especially with a small detail that just needs to be thought through a bit (as opposed to a major writing block/lack of motivation), I write out my stream-of-consciousness thoughts as I think through the issue and examine all possible solutions. This can also be helpful spoken aloud, i.e. talking to myself, but I find it helps to have a written record of my thoughts in case I need to check later what I was thinking about a certain plot point or something.

Current Project: I already mentioned my novel manuscript, but another thing I’m working on currently (especially since I’ve been on break from writing for over a month now) is drawing concept art for my characters/story. I’ve been interested in art from a young age, starting with traditional mediums like pencil and watercolors and eventually transitioning to digital art when I was an older teenager. I have a bachelor’s degree in animation with a focus on hand-drawn 2D animation, which means I learned how to use programs like Photoshop and Toon Boom Harmony in college more so than Maya, which is used for 3D (CGI) animation. (I also really enjoyed learning After Effects and Premiere Pro! 👀) Nowadays, I generally just use the Procreate app on iPad for drawing my digital sketches and paintings, although I’d like to teach myself Procreate’s animation capabilities at some point too! (One other goal I have in the back of my mind is to create an animated trailer for my book when it gets closer to being done. 😉)

Exchange something: Leah suggested a song, and I really like that idea so I will too! I’ve been OBSESSED with Cosmo Sheldrake’s new album which just came out this month, but out of all those amazing songs my favorite is probably Interdimensional. I tend to be pretty picky about the music I listen to, but with Interdimensional I knew within the first 42 seconds that this was going to quickly become one of my all-time favorites. :)

Quote: “Darkness exists to make light truly count.” - Uneven Odds, Sleeping at Last

Tagging: @kaylinalexanderbooks in case you didn't see Leah's tag (Tumblr doesn't notify anyone else after the first 5 tags), @illarian-rambling, @tildeathiwillwrite, and @the-ellia-west!

[illarian-rambling]

Hey, a fellow dnd lover! And you're from the south/midwest too! Got any fun dnd stories?

Writeblr Re-Intro

Yo! I'm V Saintsin. Or V or Vin or Saintsin or whatever you want to call me that sounds right on your tongue. I'm a self-proclaimed Social Media fumbler who got a late start to the party and has never quite figured it out. I hate how hipster and edgy it sounds to say "I'm bad at social media" but like I used to work with some people who actually managed the social media accounts for the business we worked for and there were rules and whatnot and damn, I think online media is just not my medium. That being said, here I am! Hah

I'm an author and general mess who's hoping to be the miracle man (somebody who makes a living writing silly little stories). I do use a pseudonym but please hear me out when I say I didn't realize how edgy it sounds, it just has some sentimental value to my personal life. I'm so sorry that I sound like I'm in my emo phase HAHA

About me -

He/Him Transguy from the American Midwest (arguably the south, depending on who you talk to, but the older people still say "Sodi-pop" and "ope").

I'm dysautonomic, bendy, permanently sleepy, and a survivor of Crappy Doctors Who Suck At Doctoring.

I like DnD, Pathfinder, Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk, Dragon Age, and other things in that vein.

I do make art of my stories and characters (Tablet is currently not working so I'm in a dry spell).

My writing background is predominantly ancient, dusty RPs from as far back as the foopets days and fanfic writing on Quizilla - I am an old and wizened elder of the net.

My formal education was music performance and behavioral neuroscience, I don't really know how I got where I am.

This is not my first rodeo with tumblr but it is the first time I have anything to SAY instead of just lurking.

In the event of malfunction, you can put me outside for 5 minutes and I'll probably factory reset.

My existence as I know it hinges on a massive number of sticky notes plastered throughout my room.

What I'm lookin' for -

Idk, whatever? I'm down for most things. Did you write it? Cool, let me see. I'm not too bent on genre or anything, just fascinated by the art of storytelling.

A bit tentative with fanfiction but that's just because if it's not a fandom I'm familiar with I am rather clueless about what the hell is going on and if it's a fandom I am familiar with I HUNT DOWN THE DEEP LORE.

I like art a whole lot, including fanart. Also art advice, love seeing things from different perspectives and learning something new.

Mutuals, really, for any reason. Building better connections on here, getting to know people. I am hideously bad at this but I try.

What I write -

Science Fiction with heavy subjects that matter to me - trigger warnings on a story-by-story basis.

High Fantasy (eventually books I think?) characters and their backgrounds for DnD and Pathfinder - I have been tempted to share these to help people get ideas or just for free use?

Things that I delete because I have crippling imposter syndrome and publishing makes me nauseous (doin' it tho).

Stories that I hope will make people feel less alone or that people could relate to, stories that I wish I had when life was worse and I was reaching out for anything I could find to keep me afloat, stories that try to be critical of things that SUCK in a way that's any helpful.

Lots of curse words and cussing (that's just how people talk 'round here), dubious science, things that I hope might make you cry but in a good way though.

Character-Driven stories that revolve more around the development of the person and less around the plot itself if that makes sense.

I've put blurb things below for my primary project/series which features a grumpy, queer, 37-year old chain smoking Frenchman and his misadventures with life and love and unbridled rage. If any of that sounds cool stick around and hang out? (This part is a plug bc I did a thing and I'm proud of it) And if my books sounds interesting the first one is 99 cents on Kindle and you just need a phone and a free app to read it!

THE SECRET OF LIFE (Published) - Sci-Fi/Psychological Thriller, Bi M Lead, Lovers to Enemies, AI but the oldschool cool kind not the real world thing that's stealing our future

Carlisle-Trystan Antoinette is a mercenary on a hard road, navigating life and death itself in an infinite cycle started by powers above his understanding. He has one mission - warn The Dianican Space Station of the coming threat and put a stop to a war that would encapsulate the whole of the Sol System before it can ever begin. Unfortunately for Carlisle, reality is a tenuous thing, made up only by our understanding of it. At least, according to his Psychiatrist, who tells him that there is no war, that he was never a mercenary, and that what Carlisle is experiencing is a severe but manageable psychotic break. Stripped of his combat enhancements, his bio monitor, and everything he's every known, Carlisle has a decision to make. Does he give in to the thoughts and memories, so real that he can almost taste them, or does he live a life of comfort and ease, returning to a husband and daughter that he left behind?

TWs: Domestic and War Violence, suicide, rape, medical trauma, grief, drug use

THE SILENCE OF ANGELS (Due July '24, TSoL 2) - Betrayal and Rage, Learning how to love again slow-burn romantic subplot, Learning how to Dad, A general inability for any one thing to just go right

(Quick Rough Blurb that offers no spoilers for TSoL) Making connections isn't easy for somebody who's accustomed to burning bridges. Isolation has always been Carlisle's mantra for surviving his life. Playing a role comes second nature, pretending to be the man that everyone else wants to see in him. When an old friend is murdered Carlisle finds himself as the primary suspect with all evidence pointing to him so clearly that even he calls to question what he is capable of. Unwilling to believe that he could commit such a heinous crime, Carlisle sets off to find the truth of his friend's death - was Carlisle framed or does he truly have the capacity to bring such harm upon those he loves? Old and new bonds will be tested, faith broken, and the future of everyone called into question as lines are drawn and sides are picked.

TWs: Violence, mentions of SA, graphic character death, more grief, more death

I don't know what else to say... Later!

[illarian-rambling]

Pain and suffering on planet earth :(((

Y’all I wrote the scene. I really did, I swear

iCloud fucking overwrote it. It’s gone. I’m trying to recover it but I don’t know if I can. I’m so angry right now, this was the hardest part of the novel for me

[illarian-rambling]

Fire af writing! Your characters feel so real and your setting is interesting. You also have a friendly and whimsical air about you, like a welcoming orchard grove with lots of new flowers to see :)

New ask game:

Reblog if you want your followers to tell you what your trademark ™️ is. Like, what’s that thing that really identifies you.

[illarian-rambling]

To be fair, it's been a very bad day for Djek. They figure themselves out though! All it takes is nearly burning to death and a few kidnappings

Thanks for the tag @mundanemoongirl!

Out of Context Line Tag

From Honor's Outcasts book 1 :)

You know, he really ought to just ask for the man’s name, seeing as it looked like they were probably about to engage in the be all end all of stupid shit together, but it was just such a bad time. Maybe he’d hear Twenari say it, though given that she seemed to have inherited her mother’s wet-blanket temperament, he figured any conversation might be a long time coming. Eh, whatever. Pasty—Djek decided that was what the astonishingly pale man’s new name was—was making those odd gestures again, though this time towards the kid, all while maintaining unblinking, night-black eye contact with Djek. Freak.

I'll tag @mk-writes-stuff @the-angriest-author @rivenantiqnerd @terriblepersongreatseamonster and anyone else who wants in :)

[illarian-rambling]

30 for the OC asks that reveal more then you think game?

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

Going for the hard questions, I see! Well, I think I've got some answers :)

If she knew she'd be forgiven, Izjik would want to find a way to put a child-lock on Twenari’s magic. Not in the later books probably, but in book 1, Twenari is a 12 year old with the power to summon a fireball in exchange for her health, and 12 year olds are not exactly known for their self preservation abilities. She just wants her girl to be safe, even if Twenari is sure she can handle her magic.

If Sepo knew he'd be forgiven, he'd go back to Ulahdris and finish what he started. He knows Izjik would beat the fuck out of him for such a stupid idea in real life, but the thought still tempts him.

If Twenari knew she'd be forgiven, she'd go fuck around with the desert magic. Yes, it's probably evil and yes, it probably wants to possess her, but she still wants to know what's up with it.

With full forgiveness, Djek would probably be less responsible with money. Izjik gets on him about it in reality, but if she didn't, he wouldn't have the drive to. He'd have a lot less drive to make an actual career for himself too, if he knew Izjik wouldn't be disappointed in him for not reaching his potential.

If she knew she'd be forgiven, Astra would probably be doing a lot more depraved shit, to be honest. She's riding that mad scientist line already, but if she didn't have her parents or Mashal's expectations to live up to, she'd probably decide that some of those sacrifices were worth it in the name of science.

If her forgiveness was guaranteed, Mashal would try to keep Astra out of his quest as much as he could. He knows he needs her intellect, but in a perfect world, he would keep her out of the nitty gritty. He doesn't want her getting hurt on his behalf.

For Ivander, honestly, I don't think he cares much about other people's forgiveness. It wouldn't change his actions, though he'd feel less bad about them.

If Elsind could forgive herself, she'd go back home to see her mom. However, they can't, so they stick with the SLP to prove they can still be brave and aren't broken.

If they could be forgiven, Avymere would probably step down as heir of Salis. They want to protect their people, yes, but they really don't want to have the crushing responsibility of being the sole person in charge of the wellbeing of half a million people. Someday, someone will introduce them to the concept of democracy, but until then, they'll bear their title as best they can.

So the moral of this story is that Izjik is truly the one keeping the rest of the Outcasts in check. I had fun with this one! Thanks for the ask <3

[illarian-rambling]

>:]

Hey y’all, I have a strange request. I want to force myself to write today, can one of y’all hop into my inbox and ask me to write my next scene and post a snippet or something? It’s a scene about Belladonna dragging Cassie on a (plot-relevant) shopping trip and I think a bit of peer pressure might be what I need to finally write the thing

[illarian-rambling]

Yeah, those nightmares are rough. I feel bad that Cassiopeia whipped up Stellaris's reputation enough to where Cassie is having nightmares about him. I hope they get to meet someday and she realizes he's not so scary at all :)

What recurring dreams do they have?

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Oh these are good ones!

(From this ask game here)

What recurring dreams do they have?

Honestly, for all three of my MCs, I think they’re trauma nightmares.

Belladonna has vivid dreams of being abandoned and cast out by everyone she cares about for her failures. I think Cassiopeia is becoming a more and more frequent figure in those dreams - not because she’s done anything like that, but because Belladonna is really scared she will. Her parents also feature heavily, as does another new figure of her new little sibling.

Cassie has trauma nightmares of Sixth Station, of being beaten and abused and murdered. She sees Cassiopeia’s face in them a lot. Sometimes she’s dragged off to meet Stellaris. Recently, she’s had nightmares of Belladonna turning her in.

Nellie has nightmares of Third Station, and of how Narcissus forced himself on her and drugged her. She has nightmares about going back to him and what he’d do to her. She also is getting recent nightmares about Ricinus and his advances towards her and how he might be just as bad as Narcissus.

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Belladonna: Neurotic anxious noblewoman; awkward pathetic failure

Cassie: Buff irreverent clone; will kick ass

Nellie: Kind nosy clone; shy but excited

Narcissus: Arrogant cunty nobleman; absolutely 100% perfect

Ricinus: Dignified cruel father; important station leader

Goldenrod: Manipulative guilt-tripping mother; well-meaning authority figure

Cassiopeia: Cruel refined noblewoman; does what’s necessary

Stellaris: Anxious autistic nobleman; a bit wrong

Rhys: Shy misprint clone; highly confused always

Sel: Anxious brave clone; scared but trying

I hope these were fun! Thank you for the asks :)

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @mundanemoongirl!

Out of Context Line Tag

From Honor's Outcasts book 1 :)

You know, he really ought to just ask for the man’s name, seeing as it looked like they were probably about to engage in the be all end all of stupid shit together, but it was just such a bad time. Maybe he’d hear Twenari say it, though given that she seemed to have inherited her mother’s wet-blanket temperament, he figured any conversation might be a long time coming. Eh, whatever. Pasty—Djek decided that was what the astonishingly pale man’s new name was—was making those odd gestures again, though this time towards the kid, all while maintaining unblinking, night-black eye contact with Djek. Freak.

I'll tag @mk-writes-stuff @the-angriest-author @rivenantiqnerd @terriblepersongreatseamonster and anyone else who wants in :)

[illarian-rambling]

Hehe, these look fun >:)

oc asks that reveal more than you think

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite?

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Ask them to describe their love interest.

Do they look good in red?

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them?

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?

What age do they most want to be right now?

They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save?

Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)?

Name one thing their parents taught them.

Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear?

Do they like children?

Kissing: tongue or no tongue?

Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews?

What do they like that nobody else does?

What would it take for them to break up with someone? What would be the last straw?

Do they like being called pet names? Do they call other people pet names? What’s their go-to?

Stability or novelty?

Honesty or charity?

Safety or possibility?

Talent or effort?

Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)?

Would they date a fixer-upper?

What recurring dreams do they have?

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

[illarian-rambling]

In case anyone is unsure how to get their writeblr dash more active...

People get busy. Life happens, and we can’t always be super active on our blogs in the ways we want to be (this is where I am currently). These are some things I like to do after I feel like I’ve been away from my blog for a while that also help the community and other writeblrs out. ♡

♡ Look through the latest writeblr introduction/active writeblrs/looking for active writeblrs/creative writing/etc. tags and make it a priority to  r e b l o g  everyone’s intros and latest wips and such. This helps introduce yourself to others as well as helping everyone else out in the community by giving active blogs more attention and interaction.

♡ Follow and interact with the people you see in the tags! We are the lifeblood that keeps this community alive and without us the writeblr community wouldn’t exist on Tumblr. Use that to your advantage!

♡ Write a writeblr reintroduction! Let people know you’re still alive and kicking and looking to be more involved in the community. Make posts that reintroduce your WIPs, characters, and more.

♡ Don’t be afraid to message writers and ask them about their WIPs and characters, as well as asking for others to look over your WIPs and see what they think of them. I can’t speak for others but my inbox is always open and I love chatting with other writers and hyping each other up! It’s the best.

♡  Participate in writeblr tag games and get to know the fellow writers in your community and what kind of genres they like to write in, what their writing styles are like, how often they like to write, what their favorite tropes are, etc.

♡ Reblog. Reblog. REBLOG. It’s great to receive a like on your writeblr posts but reblogging is what keeps our community thriving and helps others get more eyes on their work. It’s a great way for writers to support other writers, and really, that’s what the community is for. :)

Feel free to pm me or add more if you’ve got any tips. :)

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @somethingclevermahogony!

Find the Word Tag

My words are: Fright, Fly, Fire, and Fang

Your words are: Squeeze, Saw, Memory, and Cork

Hm, MG3 is getting pretty long, let's see what I can find in there

.

From their shirt, they tore a strip of fabric and began winding it above the wound as a tourniquet, only for the puncture to start bleeding at twice the rate. Avymere tore the cloth away, hands shaking as adrenaline warred against rational thought. That wasn't how tourniquets were supposed to work!

Hardly pausing to think, Avymere wrapped the cloth as a bandage instead. They were careful not to bind it too tightly, lest Elsind's thin, lilac blood come spilling out like water from a punctured wineskin. The changeling was still shaking frightfully, which didn't make it easy.

.

'We're about... three days from Alfburn, with enough rations to make it there without too much trouble. We think we are going to try to get their army instead. Avymere says they don't know that city as well as Whitefang, but it wasn't like we were going to have an easy time there anyways. I just thought we'd let you know.'

Astra let out a deep breath. At least they weren't abandoned in the heart of the desert or some crazy shit like that. So long as they could make it to a city, the plan could still fly.

.

The changeling sighed and shifted the tent they carried. "It could've been worse. They could've sold us both to slavers."

"It could've been worse, true, but that doesn't make it right," the Duchon spat

The fire in Avymere's chest was almost foreign to them. They'd felt anger many times, yes, but then, they'd always been holding the cards. They'd known what was happening and how to control it. Only when Vermir had invaded their home had that control they'd taken for granted been stripped away.

Now some peasant thought he could leave them and Elsind stranded I'm the desert on no more grounds than not trusting changelings? It was ridiculous! And there was, for once, nothing they could do about it.

.

Brushing the road dust from their coat, Avymere walked serenely over to the caravan master. Their posture and clothing seemed to scream lower nobility - the kind that was more of a merchant than a lord. The only thing off was that breathing mask. It was too memorable. Too occult.

"Sir!" the Duchon called. They waved boldly at the caravan master, who had stepped off his crate for a sip of water. "You wouldn't happen to be heading to Whitefang, would you?"

The lizardfolk man cocked his head, blinking buggy yellow eyes as he took in Avymere's appearance. They had modified their accent to sound more Unitian - a flawless rendition to Elsind's untrained ears, at least - and smiled with a focused, businesslike intensity.

I don't think I've ever seen their real smile, the changeling realized, glancing up as the clouds as he trailed after them. It's always been some mask or another, except in the demiplane.

.

I'll tag @leahnardo-da-veggie @diabolical-blue @mysticstarlightduck @phoenixradiant and anyone else who wants in :)

[illarian-rambling]

☀️ Sun - What's your favorite part of your WIP?

🔥 Wildfire - Who is your most emotional character and why?

🌋 Volcanic Eruption - What's your biggest flaw as a writer?

:3

☀️

That's a tough one. Story element-wise, my characters are my favorite part. I love worldbuilding and I love my setting, but my characters are what make it shine! In terms of actual scenes though, I couldn't say. I am really looking forward to writing the big finale of Mortal God, I think that'll be fun.

🔥

Also a tough one lol. The title goes to either Sepo or Astra. Sepo comes off as pretty emotionally repressed (because he is), but he just feels so much that if he didn't try to keep a tight lid on it, he'd be losing his mind. He loves incredibly deeply, hates with terrible ferocity, and gets anxious every time he leaves the house. He hides this all rather poorly, so his friends know he cares. He can go from a 0 to a 100 with any emotion in seconds.

Astra, on the other hand, wears her heart on her sleeve. Unlike Sepo, she makes sure people know when she's angry, or happy, or embarrassed. She's very free with physical affection, frequently flicking Mashal on the shoulder or dancing when she's excited. She's more than a little free with words of anger too. The only emotion she has trouble showing is uncertainty. Her pride keeps her from admitting when she's nervous or doubtful of her own abilities. Other than that though, she's a whirlwind of emotions.

🌋

I infodump like a motherfucker. I had to cut an entire chapter from MG because I was just talking about fantasy microbes for seven pages straight. This is why I have to have a smart character in every group; because I'll physically explode if I can't nerd out about the magic system through one of them. Also, given that I don't outline super well, my pacing can get a little funky, and I sometimes lose track of plot points. Basically, I just need to outline better.

Thanks for the ask!

[illarian-rambling]

⚡️Lightning - Have you ever spontaneously added something to your story that you wouldn't have added normally? If so, what made you do it?

I mean, my outline is more of a suggestion, so pretty regularly, yeah. The Araunian desert wasn't supposed to be as weird or as big of a player as it ended up being, I just made it sentient on a whim. Anarac, Tess Bounty, and even Djek, to an extent, were all added on the spot. The personality of most side character is also decided in the moment based on what I think will work the best. I also accidentally released sexism into Illaros by making Ivander’s dad and only Ivander’s dad a misogynist. No one else is like that - it's just him.

So yeah, thanks for the ask!

[illarian-rambling]

11, 27 annnnd 44!

Books/authors that have influenced me the most:

Gotta be Sanderson. Writing something like the Cosmere is a sort of dream goal for me, and his magic systems heavily influenced my ideas for such things. The Founders Trilogy also had a huge impact on my magic system and setting vibes in general (even if the end of the last book still has me fucked up). Joe Abercrombie books taught me how to write violence like how I do. Rick Riordan is the reason my chapter titles are so goofy and where I get a lot of writing humor from. Like all writers, I'm a composite of what I read :)

Favourite line/scene

Oh, that's a tough one. I had a lot of fun writing the balcony fight at the end of To the Stars and Back (HO book 2). It's emotional, it's brutal, it's got End - what's not to love? Izjik and Sepo’s heart to heart at the end of Honor's Outcasts (book 1) is also one of my favorites. For Mortal God, I really like the part where Mashal and Ivander are figuring out some of the traps - it's just got a lot of good character moments - and the scene where Astra fucks up her teleportation ritual in MG book 2 is particularly wild. Idk, I can pick a favorite lol

Most of my favorite lines come with a lot of context attached, so it's kind of hard to pick one of those as well. For MG, it's probably, "I'll fix this." It has a lot of thematic relevance and I get some good milage out of it. For HO, there's this scene where Sepo talks to Twenari about being scared to confront her abusive mother and he says, "You don't even owe her your hate." That one just resonates with me.

How much research do you do?

Eh, not too much. I write fantasy, so I'm making most things up as I go. That said, I've had to do some pretty deep dives on medical problems, conversion rates, more math than I'd like, and how muskets work. I've also had to learn how a hydraulic system operates (thanks Mashal), so there's that. Thankfully, with brain injury research (thanks Sepo), I could just call my dad since he used to work in brain injury rehab

Thanks for the asks!

[illarian-rambling]

People liking your personal OCs is still such a crazy feeling, I've been doing this for years and ppl asking about them still fills my entire heart with warmth and idk how to handle it

You enjoy this fictional guy I made up for fun?? Whose only content is random artwork or writing made by me and a handful of other artists at most? They have no show/book/game with a large fandom, it's just one person with an art blog?? I love u