meharker

[meharker]

So, I do write for market these days. Which is to say: a lot of my current book ideas are dictated by the questions: "What's popular right now?" "What will sell?" "What do readers want to buy?"

BUT. That said. I could never 100% write a novel just by market trends. I think my heart would break. 🥲

I use the market trend as a suggestion, and then, well… Inject something crazy, and try to make it WORK. (Especially if it sounds like it shouldn't work.)

Like. Okay, current projects:

"Let's take Sci-Fi Star Trek theme…but the Janitor is the heroine. Captain? Lieutenants? Naaaah. A Janitor is saving the day."

"Dark Fantasy…but the hero is literally a sword dancer. And raises zombies. Yes I think I'm writing the plot of the Thriller music video, but it's full tilt fantasy."

Some previous projects:

"A reincarnation of death has been personified. She's adorable and likes to throw tea parties. She accidentally becomes besties with an elf in the middle of a war and makes him undead. Whoops."

"Little Red Riding Hood concept, but a Slice-of-Life friendship-romance between Riding Hood's Sister and a very adorable Werewolf who really didn't succeed at being the Big Bad Wolf."

"Okay, but listen, what if there WERE aliens. And all they wanted to do in life was be in a rock band???"

Not saying these were all GOOD ideas, mind you 🤣 those last ones are all unfinished projects, but still very fun to think about.

Thanks for the tag!! @lucilleambrose @SolunaStuff @pyramidofchangingdestinies

Since you’re always coming up with cool prompts and all, here’s a little one for you:

Not to sound like a nosy anon but, what’s your biggest inspiration when you write? Spill the tea 🍵✍️ And tag a few folks to answer too”

Great question! Really just little pieces of my life in general. Usually people I've met and the experiences we've had. I've had a very interesting life so it's the easiest thing for me to write about. So many different ways I could word the stories, so to speak. And so many different stories. I have bits of my life I've never touched in my writing, though I would like to change that.

@moonknightmaiden @noxnightingales @peepeepoopoo3d @butwhyareyoureyessosad @nyx-tenberis @faemaril @behindstonewalls

[meharker]

I am the star that shines brighter than others at night. Once I was known as the Bagpipe Charmer. I am one of the greatest servants of Byeong the world has ever seen. You ask: "Who are you?" I am... None of your business SAILOR MOON

Fan Art of the (presumed) Plague Doctor from the Plague Doctor's Apprentice by @alphapainter

Parody / Alternate ending for this chapter of the comic.

sincerely hoping you do not mind a very silly meme drawing of sailor moon pose with your character 😂 i just...I saw this in my mind and had to draw it. It's actually quite tricky to draw this character with low/flat shading, but I really liked the look with the flat background!

happy thursday y'all

Work In Progress images below the cut!

[meharker]

Wayra // Speedpaint // PS, Rebelle 5, Flame Painter

I just really like to paint fire 🔥🔥🔥

Part of an art trade, drawing the character Wayra! Absolutely loved his design. Hope I did him justice!

Spent a little longer on this one to get the fire and reflection effects, because @wolfythephoenix is being amazing and drawing all 3 of my main characters from 'Just One Command' (all three!!!) So I hope this enough of a return sketch!! 😆

Work in Progress images below the cut!

[meharker]

A Quiet Moment // Speed Paint in PS & Flame Painter // 60 mins

Realized I forgot to upload this one! Part of an art trade on Instagram.

On the right is Angela, with her dragon-beau Vikas on the left. Characters are from an upcoming Romantasy novel by Anna Leitensdorfer!

Anna was kind enough to do an art trade with me. She's the one who drew Casey here!

Art by @meharker Characters: @ valkyrie_hero (on Instagram)

Work in Progress below the cut!

[meharker]

Genuinely, coming from a medical field background, I love this advice. Fantastic for writing injuries, definitely work backwards!

I wish there was a website where you could input a character's description (height, weight, sex, medical conditions, etc.) And a situation (car crash, falls, stabbing, etc.) And it would calculate for you from most to least likely the injuries that character would receive, potential complications, and how long it would take recover. This would make writing injuries SO MICH EASIER if I wasn't guessing at everything

[meharker]

Really enjoyed this letter and writing prompt! Reblogging here to share! 💖

(Witness my glorious non-dominant-hand attempting to write children's handwriting 🤣)

Prompt:

Imagine, there is a child. Lost and astray, he does not know the path ahead. All he could see is the dark abyss, he feels someone is there. Someone or something, maybe his answers to all ?

Now, what you have to do is write a letter from the child to abyss OR a letter to the child from the abyss.

Letter:

"Oh dear child,

You would like to go home ? of course you would, who wouldn't ? Let me show you how, first put your hand on your chest. Do you feel anything ? The puffing of your chest and…. A sound ? Remember, you will always have a place, time, and strength to do anything as long as you can hear that sound. That comes from your life ! As long as you have your life in your hand, you can find home anywhere, where that life of yours feels complete. Did I make it hard to understand ? Then all you have to do is listen to that sound, it is where your home is. Inside you, whenever you need a help to build that home, remember I am always here, looking at you from the dark. Forever.

Your home builder,

Darkness."

[meharker]

Casey Cassandra from Just One Command, drawn by the amazing Anna Leitensdorfer!! (Reposted with permission!)

We did an art trade on our Instagrams, I'll post my drawing of her characters here soon! :)

Artist: @ valkyrie_hero on Instagram and TikTok. Artist website!

[meharker]

"A major selling point in my opinion was the characters."

Book Review: Just One Command

With all the fun it’s been to make memes and similar posts, it is now time for an official review for @meharker. 

Just One Command is a sci-fi novel set in a futuristic world where people work on space crafts, live in sectors which determine their social status, and only get to see an artificial sun. This type of world has become commonplace for the inhabitants, even down to the ambassador, Dessian Tandor, having his regular meeting with the higher-ups on board his vessel…until a member of the engineering staff, Casey Cassandra, stumbles upon proof of an assassination plan which threatens to turn the entire government on its head. With the help of the pilot, Yozin Lotte, the three must fight to clear their names, for their lives, and to prevent power from falling into corrupt hands.

I’m sure this is no surprise to anyone who’s seen my previous posts about this, but yes, I loved it. The descriptions of everything were amazing to immerse yourself in and there was a surprising bit of comedy which really made me laugh. This was one of the first sci-fi stories I’ve read and I’m fairly certain it was at least my first full-length sci-fi novel. Normally, I find the genre to be a little intimidating because of all the technical jargon and the sense of scale with space. I can happily inform you that this was not an issue here. There’s still plenty of tech for it to feel like you’re in a futuristic world, but it’s not convoluted or confusing. Something else I liked were the specific ways it brought the reader into the experience (like that artificial sun I mentioned and how people tried to force themselves to sleep at regular times to not mess up their circadian rhythm). The world just feels so grand as you learn more about the sectors, painting a fair picture that people from the higher-numbered ones can either be dangerous because of their experiences or could be in desperate need of a new home. That gray area is something I love where you really don’t have a clean-cut answer. This is a major theme in the story to me. There aren’t simple answers to problems. You just do what you can and hope you can make it out alive.

A major selling point in my opinion was with the characters. They all were so loveable, from the fabulously fun Millie to the gruff Yozin. There’s a depth to them which makes for a really compelling read and when there's action, you feel invested in what happens because of that. Naturally, a good villain is needed, and I’d say that the threat presented by the big bad here was extreme. There was an air of power and confidence which created a lot of tension. As for the main two, Casey and Dessian were just adorable. Dessian actually wound up being my favorite. I adored how he wasn’t just some “rich jerk” who let his fancy family make him think he was superior to those around him. He’s a genuinely decent guy who treats others with respect and has the heart of a hero who’d do anything in his power to protect those he cares about. Something else I liked was that he wasn’t perfect. You can see his humanity in how he realistically feels overwhelmed by what’s going on. He’s out of his element and it shows, but he doesn’t let that stop him. The bond he has with both Casey and Yozin is so nice to see (and sort of makes me sad that this was a standalone because now, I can’t see their scenes anymore). 

I almost had a critique about a certain something seeming too on-the-nose, but I was promptly silenced by reading further. As to not spoil anything, I’ll suggest that you keep an open-mind and just pay attention. I really don’t have anything I’d change about this. If I had to pick something, maybe it would’ve been nice to get a little more background on the villain, but I still think the story didn’t suffer for that at all.

Overall, this was a great story. It actually made me want to check out more sci-fi works down the line. Whether you’re a sci-fi buff or pretty new to the genre like I am, this is a story you’ll be able to enjoy. (And then you can join the club of wishing there was more of it!).

The link to the story on Amazon is here! 

[meharker]

A little bit of tachycardia is fine...right? ;)

When you know you're safely on a sofa, wrapped up in a blanket, but you're also reading about a dangerous flight on a space craft that's described like you're right there with the characters...

Thanks, @meharker. I think my heart was beating too slowly earlier. Now, I get to channel my inner rabbit.

(Check out Just One Command on Amazon! It's so good!)

[meharker]

Some Links for Author Entrepreneurship

Realized I'm half-delirious from sleep deprivation 99% of the time. But thought I should post some things I'm finding regarding indie authorship!

First: InkersCon virtual conference starts this weekend! (June 7th to 20th) Huge virtual summit for Indie Authors!!

Second: Women In Publishing. They host virtual webinars and events throughout the year. I went to their big summit this last March, got to network with a ton of fantastic folks!

Third: Contests!

Novelry is hosting a "pitch your intro" contest for your first 1500 words ($15 entry fee, USA/UK/Canada/Australia only.)

The BookLife Prize Fiction contest is open until August. ($180 fee, but you get a professional review from their staff. USA only, I think.)

The Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year closed last month (I got so distracted I missed it!) But I'm including the link for you to bookmark to start preparing your entries for next year! (€20 fee, Global.)

Right now these are all paid events, but if I find more free things that are good, I'll try to post those too. Most of the freebie stuff is scattered, so I don't have as good links 🤣

[meharker]

Oh gosh, okay, I can't keep up with all these tags but I do really like this one!!

Just One Command: (Sci-Fi) On an embassy spaceship, someone's plotting to kill the VIP Ambassador. The ship's janitorial engineer finds out. Problem? She's just the janitor. And the assassination is tonight.

Dance the Blades: (Fantasy) What if a sword dancer accidentally raised the dead during his performances? Necromancy is taboo, and punishable by death in the kingdom. But he doesn't even know he's the one doing this.

[Dance the Blades is a working title and manuscript. Still needs to go through Editor & Publishing, so that one's going to change 😂]

Thank you @theeccentricraven & @winterandwords for getting the tag going! Just to tag some fellow writers (but if double-tagged or too many tags, no need to reply 🤣) @shytoadsapphic @physalian @the-archivist-14 @shouta-angstzawa @sarnai4 @stephmanser @pyramidofchangingdestinies @casswritesstuff

Story base ideas tag 👩🏻‍💻

Thank you @winterandwords for the tag!

Rules: Share the original base ideas for your stories

The Blood Cleaners (YA Dystopia)

What if there was only one occupation of people who cleaned up blood and the the only thing they cleaned up was blood?

Sanctuary Calling (YA Dystopia) What if earth was abandoned as everyone left to live in space while the Amish were allowed to stay?

Brigid Aideen (YA Superhero Scifi Fantasy) What if there was a superhero whose only superpower was immortality?

Columbus Day (YA Scifi) The story of Pocahontas kind of like Avatar except the aliens come to earth and it's a platonic friendship not a romance.

Tagging: @kaylinalexanderbooks @agirlandherquill @buffythevampirelover @authordmalder @thelittlewritingcat

@kitty-is-writing @ieppiq @gioiaalbanoart @the-golden-comet

[meharker]

Book Shoutout! | Just One Command by M.E. Harker

This was a fun one! Check out @meharker for the links, I read the whole thing in one sitting.

Very much written like a movie hovering between third person omniscient and limited like a film camera following the action.

Just One Command is a tight little sci-fi story: J-EPR (Jepper) mechanic Casey Cassandra gets caught up in an assassination plot against her boss—Sector 2 Ambassador Dessian Tandor, the machinations of a very powerful and far-reaching traitorous admiral of their fleet. After a narrow escape, Casey, Dessian, and his pilot and long-time friend Yozin have to stay alive long enough to get the truth to the people before a sector-wide war erupts.

This is a refreshingly and surprisingly close story with a sense of scale in the background that doesn’t bog down the worldbuilding. There’s only a handful of core characters and the vague notions of a vast space network all churning along around them, without massive exposition dumps about what makes each sector distinct.

It’s not shallow, however, with a commentary on caste systems held up by the different sectors—lower numbers are the more privileged, the elite way of living, while the higher numbers up in the teens are kind of like the Outer Rim.

It knows it’s a stand-alone scifi adventure, with only about 4 main locations, and it was quite nice not feeling like I had to take notes to understand the plot.

(spoiler alert)

There’s no romantic subplot, nor did it feel like one was lacking. Dessian and Casey have very distinct friendship chemistry, not romantic, and while I was initially worried thinking this guy has way too much on his mind to also shoehorn in a romance, I was so happy to see that never happen, especially for a male/female lead duo.

Also, highly recommend listening to the Interstellar score while reading. There’s a similar docking problem that the characters have to overcome, and I just so happened to have “Tick-Tock” blaring through my headphones as I was reading it. Excellent added ambiance.

Overall, Just One Command is a fun little space adventure with just the right amount of stakes and tension to properly marinate inside a single book, with a few ideas left open-ended. I’m glad I picked it up.

[meharker]

Everyone has been so lovely and wonderful! Though I haven't been on Tumblr very long, I'm sending good vibes to all of you in the OTB crew 🫶 and some of my other followers!

If you are a writer: may the Corgi of Good Words visit you this week and give you inspiration

@shytoadsapphic @physalian @the-archivist-14, @shouta-angstzawa @sarnai4 @stephmanser @nineofclouds @pyramidofchangingdestinies @casiavae @lucilleambrose @randomdelusionaldee @jeuniiberry @author-a-holmes @enbeemagical 💖

Send this to ten other bloggers you think are wonderful. keep the game going!!

Thanks so much! That's really sweet :D!

@famouslysleepy, @mer-acle, @meharker, @firinnie, @superscrub323, @abyssower, @emberphoenixisgoingtolive, @lucilleambrose, @the-archivist-14, @shouta-angstzawa

[meharker]

Oh goodness I do love writing (and constantly re-writing) my first introduction lines!

From Just One Command:

"An alert flashed on a holographic screen: small and ignored."

This line was a last-minute change. Originally the chapter opened with:

"Amid a bustling workroom, a young woman sat in the corner of her cubical, not noticing the alert on her screen."

Which was fine, but not nearly punchy enough. The sense of urgency and nagging fear (Please go look at your screen! You're missing an alert!) wasn't there.

Currently, toying with the opening for my fantasy series:

“Next round of ale’s on me.”

As to where that one goes...well, we'll see next year 🤣 I'm still working on it!

Thanks @sarnai4 for the tag! And @vivsinkpot for the idea! 💖

How to Craft an Unforgettable Opening Sentence

“Begin as you mean to go on—but with teeth.”

Your first sentence is more than a hook. It’s a promise: of tone, voice, tension, and style. So how do you make it bite?

Start with Movement or Mood

Drop the reader into something already happening—a flicker of tension, a sound, a change.

“The scream tore through the morning like a knife through silk.”

“By the time they noticed the blood on the floor, she was already gone.”

Ask yourself: What emotion do I want the reader to feel right away?

Start with a Contradiction

Use paradox to spark curiosity.

“Everyone said he was a good man. He wasn’t.”

“She had waited her whole life for this moment, and now she wanted to run.”

Contradiction = instant tension. The reader wants to know why.

Start After the Event

Let the fallout speak louder than the explosion.

“They buried the monster behind the chapel, but the ground never settled.”

“It took three days for the smell to fade.”

Hints of trauma, mystery, or aftermath can draw readers deeper than action ever could.

Let Voice Do the Work

If you’ve got a strong narrator, show it off in the first line.

“You’d think I’d be used to ghosts by now.”

“The last time I saw him, he was trying to steal a book from a priest.”

Voice tells the reader how this story will be told. Think attitude, rhythm, and perspective.

Don’t Waste Time Being Polite

Skip greetings. Skip the weather (unless it’s cursed). Skip “My name is…”

Instead of: “My name is Calliope and I live in the city of…”

Try: “They say beauty is a gift. I say it’s a curse.”

Jump into what matters. You can catch the reader up later—right now, you’re getting them hooked.

Your challenge: Write 3 first sentences for your WIP.

Make one moody, one voicey, and one full of contradiction. Then pick the one that won’t let you go.

Want feedback? Tag #vivsfirstlinechallenge and let’s read each other’s openings 💌

[meharker]

Hitori

Speed Paint in PS + Flame Painter // 60min // art by @meharker Character: Hitori from "Residual Hate" by @steph-manser

The character prompt was: "A dark skinned Japanese mage with green eyes. Fantasy setting. Reading a book, sewing, or wandering through the woods."

Spent a bit longer on this, since it takes me more time to come up with a design from text. I wasn't sure whether to go more Arthurian European Fantasy, or more Japanese-inspired, so I ended up making a mix of outfits somewhere in between!

Leaned into the woodlands inspiration, a bit impressionistic. Hope it's close to the character!!

Part of an art trade series, trading sketches with other artists on Tumblr :)

Work in Progress below the cut

[meharker]

Fan art of Yozin by @okira42 ! Absolutely adorable, I can imagine him sneaking a nap on the job -- probably at the helm of some very important space ship! 😉 Thank you so much!!

Part of an art trade series with other authors & writers here on Tumblr!

For an art exchange with @meharker . Yozin from Just One Command .

Yozin's just feeling sleepy and apathetic you know. But hey! Managed something beyond stick figure!!

[meharker]

Ahh!! It's so exciting to see Dessian in action, on the run, trying to carry this wine case down 45 flights of stairs 🤣 oh my gosh, his suit looks amazing and the panic is real.

Thank you so much for the art trade @sarnai4 !! 🎨✨ These have been amazing!

Art Trade: Just One Command

Hey everybody! This stressed out individual is Dessian Tandor. He's a main character in the book I'm reading now, Just One Command. It's a sci-fi novel that's available on Amazon and was written by a fellow Our Tumblr Bookstore member, @meharker. I hope you'll check out her blog and the book! It's seriously so much fun. I've been loving it. To make things a bit easier, here's the Amazon link.

Come on...I bet you're curious why he's doing this ;)