lozmxandcreates

[lozmxandcreates]

Really excited about this collab between myself and YouTuber Jo Chastney!

In part 1 of this 2-part heartfelt conversation on being non-binary, Jo and I share ourpersonal journeys of realising and embracing our non-binary identities. 🌈✨

Topics we cover:

- When and how we realised we were non-binary

- Our experiences with coming out as non-binary

- What being non-binary means to each of us

- How we handle being misgendered and its impact on us

Join us as we dive deep into our stories, offering insights and support for anyone exploring their own gender identity or seeking to understand more about the non-binary experience.

👉 Don't miss Part 2 of our discussion on ​⁠Jo’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCltBXyyMtBmBqROETNCPs9w

[lozmxandcreates]

Been working on some more character design this weekend 🤗

We meet Decma in Chapter 3 of Children of the Gods. Decma is a Homo Deus living in the Deity State and working for Conveniences Inc. Decma, like all members of the Homo Deus species, is reproductively both male and female and considered ‘whole gendered’ by their society.

[lozmxandcreates]

The most useful book I've read in a long time!

For the aspiring novelist: Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murikami

After my first novel writing attempt 9 years ago I stayed away from creative writing altogether. That was back in my mid-twenties after years of blogging and short story writing.

James Patterson had just released his Masterclass "James Patterson Teaches Writing" and after working my way through some of the lessons, I decided to try turning one of my sci-fi story ideas into a novel length work.

I now realise that the story lacked substance to go the distance of a novel but at the time I couldn't understand why it was so hard to slow the pace of the story down.

Some stories are just not supposed to be novels.

I had headed straight to the keyboard to flesh out the first chapter but found myself rewriting the same part of the book over and over again.

It was miserable writing and at the time I'd thought to myself "Really, what is the point anyway? It''s not like anyone is going to publish this." Not long after, I launched my first business which took up a lot of my time and creative juices.

So that was that. I put the story aside (I actually have no idea where it went...) and turned my attention to the world of business and marketing.

Despite feeling the tug to write again numerous times, it wasn't until I read this book late last year that I truly understood where I'd gone wrong all those years ago, and what I needed to do differently if I were to turn my attention to writing once again.

Needless to say, "Novelist as a Vocation" by Haruki Murikami was a game changer for me.

In a nutshell, what Murikami helped me realise was that novel writing was much more about habit, routine, patience and practice than it was about perfect prose, artistic torment and sheer talent.

And contrasting with James Patterson's approach of gathering, planning and structure, Murikami's method of "clocking in and clocking out" to fulfil a quota of written pages each day just made sense for the way I like to work.

I'm also grateful that I read this book during time away from work whilst traveling and in need of a creative outlet. I'd just wrapped up my business and had been accepted for a new full-time job (a job that would allow me to keep my evenings and weekends free to continue my creative pursuit). So as I read, I began to write and I could understand in my own practice what Murikami was explaining from his experience.

For instance, instead of being in the analytical, research mindset, I found myself adopting a free flow style of words pouring out onto the page. I let the characters appear and make the decisions and began to experience the joy of allowing the story to write itself.

I understand what Murikami means when he talks about being a "faithful scribe" to the events playing out in his mind - that's what writing feels like to me now and it's so much fun!

I have not yet experienced writer's block during writing the first 6 chapters of my new novel (WIP): "Children of the Gods" (@childrenofthegodsau) and I attribute this to what I learnt from this work.

A word of warning though. If you're reading NAAV in the English translation (I cannot speak for the original Japanese or other language translations) you may, like me, find the almost exclusive adoption of the "he" pronoun used for "the novelist" to be incredibly grating.

Occasionally an "or she" is thrown in but sadly there is not a single singular "they" pronoun used throughout the work. If you can get past that (honestly a struggle and distraction for me at many points when reading) there are many gold nuggets to extract from this book.

And of course, whilst there is no such thing as a silver bullet, I do believe that for many aspiring novelists out there, this book is bound to be helpful in one way or the other.

Truly grateful to Murikami for sharing these insights!

Happy Reading!

Loz

[lozmxandcreates]

Creative writing course for the self-learner

I've always been fascinated by the idea of studying creative writing and character design. Even the idea of studying English is quite appealing. But when I really think about it, it's the idea and the structure of studying via a tertiary system that appeals to me.

So today I decided to design me a course that I reckon I'd be interested in - this is what I asked Chat GPT for:

"Can you design a creative writing course for my personal use that includes writing a queer sci-fi novel with a recommended reading list and character design art electives"

And this is the answer it gave me:

"Absolutely, I'd be happy to help you design a creative writing course tailored to your interests in writing a queer sci-fi novel. Here's a suggested outline for your personal writing course:

Course Title: Queer Sci-Fi Novel Writing Workshop

Week 1-2: Introduction to Queer Sci-Fi

Overview of the sci-fi genre and its subgenres

Exploration of queer themes in literature and sci-fi

Discussion of the importance of representation in fiction

Week 3-4: World Building in Sci-Fi

Creating a unique and immersive world for your novel

Developing the rules of your speculative elements (technology, magic, etc.)

Incorporating diverse cultures and identities into your world

Week 5-6: Building Compelling Characters

In-depth character development for main and supporting characters

Exploration of diverse identities and backgrounds

Techniques for creating authentic and relatable characters

Week 7-8: Plotting Your Queer Sci-Fi Journey

Crafting a compelling plot with a focus on the sci-fi elements

Incorporating queer narratives into the storyline

Building tension and pacing in a sci-fi context

Week 9-10: Writing Style and Voice

Developing a writing style that suits your story

Finding your narrative voice in a sci-fi context

Exploring different perspectives and narrative techniques

Week 11-12: Art Elective - Character Design

Introduction to character design principles

Creating visual representations of your characters

Utilizing character art as inspiration for writing

Week 13-14: Writing and Revising Your Queer Sci-Fi Novel

Strategies for drafting and completing your novel

Peer review and constructive feedback

Tips for effective revision and editing

Week 15: Recommended Reading List

"The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

"Ancillary Justice" by Ann Leckie

"The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers

"Ammonite" by Nicola Griffith

"The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin

"The Space Between Worlds" by Micaiah Johnson

Final Project: Complete a Queer Sci-Fi Novel

This course is designed to guide you through the process of writing your own queer sci-fi novel, from world-building to character design and ultimately completing a draft of your novel. The recommended reading list includes influential works in the genre to inspire and guide you in your writing journey. The character design art elective adds a visual dimension to your creative process, providing a unique way to connect with and understand your characters. Feel free to adjust the schedule and content based on your preferences and progress. Happy writing!"

[lozmxandcreates]

I forgot I have to be active here so here’s my Twitter tutorial on how to draw folds I made a while back to help a friend!

[lozmxandcreates]

I made a Room Building tutorial! Lemme know if it helps! 🧡

Tip me here| Commission info here!

[lozmxandcreates]

A guide to designing wheelchair using characters!

I hope this helps anyone who's trying to design their oc using a wheelchair, it's not a complete guide but I tried my best! deffo do more research if you're writing them as a character

[lozmxandcreates]

You don’t suck at Lineart, you’re just not familiar with line weight👍🏼!

[lozmxandcreates]

Cooking up something tasty on @bookremedies 😋

📕 Some book remedies for creative ailments including procrastination, writer’s block and burnout:

[lozmxandcreates]

From here: tumblr(.)com/bad-comic-art/722210984058585088/silver-surfer-70-1992

My anatomy is still wonky, as is perspective, but I still feel like this quick sketch is an improvement.

submitted by @ynqviry

[lozmxandcreates]

🤔

do you think those entire unfired bullets are meant to be being expelled from the gun as spent casings but the artist could only afford one .png or are they meant to be blingee stickers for her epic kawaii shoot out scene?

Maskerade #7 (2023)

[lozmxandcreates]

Unboxing

Written: 2nd of June, 2023, Edited 31st of December, 2023

Have you unboxed yourself?

Have you had the chance to unbox you?

The you that was put into pink or blue

Made to sit or stand according to the rules of boxes shaped by human hands who

Hadn’t had the chance to unbox themselves.

Or to deconstruct in order to reconstruct.

Like the burnt ashes we use to paint our truth when all is quiet and we feel no-one watching.

There is a reason these truths haunt us in the looking glass.

Their ghostly imprints felt on the insta-gram-ification pages we’ve built to keep our boxes tightly sealed.

“Seal it. Keep it shut. Stop it from breaking through.”

“Oh and make sure you file down the razor blade pain that threatens to cut yourself open and bleed onto the pages, ‘kay?”

“No words, shush now, control yourself!”

“Don’t let your words escape.

These are not practical after all

In fact they are unlawful”

In the law of the people against the person.

The people that speak of freedom, of integrity

These principles must remain unshook by humanity.

Keep them in their boxes they pray,

For our beauty, the beauty of you and me

When all boxed up for no-one to see

Is like the string that suspends them a small height above the ground

Stuck in space and time

Doomed for the same same same fate no matter the decade.

So let them stay there,

Their sealed up boxes suspended on a string

And I’ll wait for you.

[lozmxandcreates]

Getting to know Robin’s face!

[lozmxandcreates]

Robin makes their first appearance in Chapter 5 of COTG and is the only main character who is a Homo Sapien 👀

We meet them after their first night squatting in a derelict high rise apartment block.

Looking forward to sharing more about the COTG universe and my other main characters Sylven and Decmak 🌈

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