#I sketched this back in December and just left in my drafts for ''better times'' (now) :'D

[zu-is-here]

homme fatal ♡

[orangesand-lemons-234]

Albert running into his art studio wasn't something Jack expected on a random Wednesday evening, but there he was.

He had a tattered notebook in his hands, and his fingers were stained splatters of different colours with what looked to be water colour paints. His face was red and puffy, showing that he must've been crying before he'd came over.

"Al? What's wrong with ya?"

"I need you to teach me how to draw and paint... right now."

Jack snickered, only to be met with Albert's face. "Oh, you're serious?"

Albert raised an eyebrow at him. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm serious as a heart attack."

"Albert, you can't just learn how to paint overnight." He explained. "It takes years to learn- I've been doing it for ages, and I'm still learning."

"Well then, teach me the basics! Please!" Albert exclaimed. "Show me how to draw a person- it doesn't even have to be everything! Show me the easiest of the easiest skills you know!"

Jack stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "Right, Albert, where is this coming from?"

Albert huffed and slid the notebook towards Jack. "I saw you drawin' Davey, and I wanted to try it out myself and draw Race, but I couldn't- I didn't understand how to do it. Every time i did it, it just didn't look like Race."

Jack flipped through the pages and saw the countless drawings of Racetrack on each page. Some were just plain pencil doodles, while others were coloured or painted in.

They actually weren't half bad. Some were definitely a little rushed, while others looked to have genuine time put into them. But on every page, you could read Albert's aggravated annotations in the corner.

"doesn’t look like race."

"too shape-y."

"wtf am i even doing here"

"sketch looked so much better"

"too stiff"

"who even is that"

"why can't i draw my boyfriend???"

"Okay, are you stressed out over this?" Jack asked, holding the notebook up.

Albert nodded slowly, scratching at the skin around his fingernails. At this, Jack threw the book into a drawer and shut it. He got up and walked over to a shelf, pulling a plain sketchbook off of it.

"Right, c'mere." Jack said, signalling to Albert to sit on the seat at his desk. He then grabbed a stool from the corner and sat it next to him. "We're gonna forget about your other sketchbook, and we're gonna start a different one, 'kay? I got this one off of Denton a while ago, but I'monly halfway through my current one, so this can be yours."

Albert nodded again, rubbing at his eyes. Jack reached over into a small basket on the corner of the desk and pulled out a sticker. It was of Simba from the Lion King. He peeled off the back and quickly stuck it onto the front cover.

"There. Now it's really all yours. Got your favourite character and all."

This got a laugh out of Albert, which told Jack that they were free to carry on.

"So something you should know about drawing is that sometimes you just can't draw the people you love. It's odd- some sorta science behind it, I think, but I don't know the real cause." Jack explained. "For me? I think it's because you love that person so much that you don't know how to draw them in a way that does that admiration for them justice."

"But you drew Davey for his birthday?" Albert questioned.

"Albo, when's David's birthday?"

"May 18th?"

"I began plannin' that painting in December. It took me half a year to plan that and practice that and draft that properly."

"Oh."

Jack patted his shoulder and smiled a little. "You don't have to do all that, though, but I can teach you bit by bit how to get to a point where you'd maybe like to try that out?"

"Okay then." Albert smiled back. He wasn't picking at his skin now, and he looked excited to begin.

"So, first step: pick up a pencil. Seems pretty simple, but you wouldn't believe how many times I've accidentally picked up a paintbrush instead."

-

That night, Albert fell asleep the second his head reached the pillow. He'd left the sketchbook out on his bedside table, alongside his bracelet and his black stud earrings.

Race leaned over to give him a kiss before he fell asleep himself, only to notice the book, which he didn't recognise.

He picked it up and went to open it. If it's a diary or something, he'll put it right down, but he did wanna see what it might be.

On the first page, he saw a sketch of himself. There were a few notes in Jack's handwriting littering the page, but that's not what he was focused on.

He didn't care if it wasn't perfect or anything.

Albert had drawn him. And he loved it.

[joycew-art]

Someone asked what my process was to make the Rickbot comic, so I thought I'd make a separate post to show it. The process was kinda all over the place and spread over many months from December 2022 up till June 2023, so I'll try my best to make it understandable. And if you have any questions feel free to ask them!

The idea

So it all started with the idea of; What if Rickbot came back? And then the idea immediately made me think of two things;

How would Rickbot react?

Why is he brought back?

Which ended up with these two scenarios in my mind;

A. Rickbot awakens and he's not happy B. Rick tells the reason he's activated again

These were the very first scenes that started it all.

So then the question became, how do I go from point A to point B?

I would take moments from the show as reference for how they would act in these scenarios. And I'd take inspiration from manga and other comics of how I wanted the dialogue to flow and what the comic layouts would look like. In this case I knew a lot of dialogue would be involved cause these guys talk a lot! But I also didn't want the panels to feel too crowded and rushed so I limited myself to the amount of dialogue per panel.

Right now I'm writing it down like it was very planned, but for me this was often a very subconscious thing I did. I just thought up scenarios while I was taking walks or daydreaming in the shower etc. And sometimes these very specific moments would pop up that I would write down or draw out later.

I would make mini thumbnails of how I wanted the pages to go and write the dialogue next to it. At this point I'm mainly thinking of what I want characters to say and how I want the story to flow. Sometimes I make multiple versions of the same scenario to see how it flows better.

At times I even only write down dialogue and then make the thumbnails for them later. I have a tiny a6 sketchbook for little thumbnails and ideas like this. These were often moments were I didn't know where I wanted to take the comic yet, so I would separate the two to keep it more organized for myself.

As you might have noticed, not everything is the same in the final comic. I always fine-tune or change stuff up as I go. Sometimes things don't flow as well as I thought they did or some dialogue feels awkward or unnecessary.

Sketching

Once all the pages were planned and I have a good idea of how the story would go I opened a new Clip Studio Paint file and used the comic feature to set that up.

I would then copy the thumbnails I made in the page files and exported a thumbnail draft of the whole comic and 'read' through it to see how it flowed.

After I was satisfied I finally started sketching the pages.

Most of the pages stayed the same from the thumbnail, aside from some poses or expressions here and there. But I would also change up stuff I wasn't satisfied with.

For example, initially the Prime panel looked like the left one, but I didn't like how the pose flowed with the text balloons. There was a lot of empty space as well. So I decided to redo it to the one on the right.

Even now for the final version I'm thinking of resizing Rick a bit more. These kind of changes just happen throughout the process.

The backgrounds

I knew the comic would only take place in the garage, so to save myself a lot of time I decided to make it in 3d.

First I decided to sketch out the four walls of the garage as planes;

Then I imported those in Blender. I did some simple 3d modeling to get the basic shapes for the counters and the cabinet et voila! 3d sketch version of the garage!

I know this is a very watered down explanation, but trying to explain how I did it would take a whole new tutorial. And there are many other ones out there that explain it much better than I could. I was lucky that I already have some Blender experience cause of past works I've done for school and stuff.

But if you got the time to delve into it I would recommend it! For this here you only need to know the basics. Also Blender is free to download :)

This has saved me a lotttt of time drawing the same backgrounds over and over again!

Cover

Lastly I did the cover. That one has also gone through multiple versions. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, but I wasn't happy with the execution so I redrew that one as well.

So that's the whole process so far. I do I wanna continue the comic once I got the energy to work on it again. Gonna do some test pages first to see what kind of rendering I wanna go for. Not sure if'll be in black and white, color or a combo...we'll see.

I hope this helps! And if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask them.

[onedivinemisfit]

2022 Creator’s Self-Love Extravaganza

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works (fics, art, edits, etc.) you’ve created this year and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world in 2022. If you don’t have five published works, that’s fine! Include ideas/drafts/whatever you like that you’ve worked on/thought about, and talk a little about them instead! Remember, this is all about self-love and positive enthusiasm, so fuck the rules if you need to. Have fun, and tag as many fellow creators as you like so they can share the love!

Tagged by @bubblesthemonsterartist tho I daresay I am fashionably late at this point, more than two weeks into the new year. Did I forget? Maaaaybe. Which brings us right to the main problem;

I barely remember. Like. 2022. At all. Things happened, I’m sure, but it’s as if there’s a fine layer of mist atop my memories, stopping me from really seeing them. Last year wasn’t really very kind to me. For every up, three downs followed, and between two failed surgeries, a bout of covid, and then whatever the hell kind of flare happened in the autumn… yeah. Idek. It is what it is.

As such, I can’t really comment on my art as like, a whole process, this year. It just existed in the ‘now’, which is presently the ‘then’. I know I beat my submission record from last year, but it felt like a meaningless victory. Despite everything, I can feel it in my hand now, when I draw, that some progress has been made. Subconsciously perhaps, but it’s there.

Onto the ranking then! (I just had to pull up the archive cuz fuck if I remember what I posted, and when)

1.

*deep sigh* we all saw this coming, didn’t we? As much as I love, I curse this image, for in hindsight it felt as if all my creative energy for the entire damned year went into this one piece! Like how dare! But yes it is one of my best redraws ever, and more so than the characters, I feel like I added to the background something even better than the original. There, I said it.

2.

Omigod this entire thiiiiiing. Were it not for the redraw, this would be the top spot. I can’t explain, so many ideas are left in the brain for countless hours, days, months, YEARS. This was two years in the making, and never before did I manage to recreate something that had the exact same vibe as it looked in my imagination. Especially because I’m not a comic creator, hashtag compulsive disclaimer lol. Also while I was drawing it, seeing people go from “hmmm what’s this?” to “wait is that-?” and then “ooooooh it is the lead-up to The Thing” was priceless.

3.

A last-second outlier comes in third. I admit to making this in a hurry, just to have something really nice to show for december (a month which is usually a highly productive month to me, but 2022 didn’t let me have that either) and as such, since I was struggling, both with a deadline, and a lack of real inspiration, I feel like. I managed to improve, somehow. Call it magic, but this looks noticeably different to many of my other colored pieces.

4.

To be perfectly honest, this was a sketch. People might not think it one, for it has details, a color scheme, and even effects - but at the time I posted it, this was just a colorized sketch in my mind. Tumblr disagreed. And I was left in awe watching this first get reblogged within the fandom, then beyond, then go through a hanfu appreciation blog, and finally reblogged with a truly tender chinese poem attached that said person felt gave them the same vibe as what I had drawn. The people spoke, and I was both awed and humbled, and I learned a valuable lesson in humanity relating to art.

5.

Unlike the others, this was a conscious attempt at something different. I can’t really say why it should go in the fifth spot, but it does; i spent a lot more time than usual on composition, colors, and most importantly, mood setting. And putting characters so solidly into the middleground can be a challenge in itself for me, as I run the risk of getting storybook-ish. Which would’ve been disastrous for a scene like this.

Honorable mention;

Coping through art. @bubblesthemonsterartist has the honor of inspiring this, or like, being the one to “give me” the go-ahead to channel some of my experiences through the characters and story-telling in general. Back pain is something I know all too well, and it was well and truly therapeutic. I also got to do another test of “can I retell this scene, even if I switch part of the cast and premise?” And it seems I did. I will always remember @what-plant-metaphor-am-i ‘s tag; ‘# I feel like I just watched an entire episode XD’ <- never has my inner storyteller been more validated.

There, that wasn’t so hard! Sometimes I’m really thankful for the internet, and timestamps, and kicking my memory back into gear etc… anyway, since I am so woefully late to the party, I’m not tagging anyone specifically; if you wanna be fashionably late too, you know who tagged you~

[ramonaprintmakingtwo]

Project 3: Landscape composition

Due to the current travel restrictions and lock down it didn’t feel appropriate or safe to sketch on location the way I would like to. Reading through the exercise I really wanted to study London’s Southbank. This is my favourite part of London and reminds me of spending days with my family, walking along the river and visiting the Hayward, National Theatre, BFI or The Royal Festival Hall. Although often viewed as ugly I love the brutalist architecture and enjoyed climbing up the various staircases and levels, hiding behind pillars and looking out over the Thames. 

In my last Unit, Illustration Two, I completed a six digital illustrations of some of the iconic buildings on the Southbank. In preparation for that assignment (and about two weeks prior to the last lockdown) I took lots of photos so had some reference material already to work from. 

My Photos

My previous Illustrations

Visual Reference

I also supplemented my visual reference using photographs and videos I sourced online. This allowed me to explore more angles and perspectives that I hadn’t captured previously and the videos in particular helped me to remind myself of the feeling of walking down river. 

London National Theatre (Escuris, n.d.)

Hayward Gallery (Guy, n.d.)

Geometry + Geology: Hayward Gallery (Hewitt, 2011)

London Virtual Walk With Ambient Sounds Roof Bar To Festival (Living Walks, 2018)

360° London - South Bank (Fly Through Films, 2015)

Difficulties in comprehension

I read through the project instructions multiple times but struggled to understand what exactly I was been asked to do. I looked at other printmaking students learning logs to try to gain a better understanding however this didn’t clear it up entirely for me.  I am going to include the instructions and my interpretation of them within this write-up in hopes that my tutor or future assessor will understand my rationale for my work, even if the process I have used isn’t what was asked of me. I have used bold to indicate my thoughts.

Instructions

‘Using a pencil on A3 paper and working to the edge of the page, make a line drawing of a section of built environment. Pay attention to perspective and the main forms and structures avoiding excessive detail. Think where to place the lights and darks. Line drawing to me means just the key shapes, I’m not sure how to indicate tone, light and dark within a line drawing. As a left handed person, excessive pencil mark-making quickly becomes messy. You may well need to do a number of drawings until you find the perfect balance of shapes.

Now draw four boxes on tracing paper 15cm x 10cm. Use these boxes as viewfinders and move them over your drawing trying different angles and compositions looking for what you consider to be balanced composition of lines and shapes. As you make your tracings you can edit any unwanted detail and even make the design more abstract – enjoy the freedom of exploring form to produce an aesthetically pleasing composition.

You will use these tracings (plural) to mark up your piece of lino. (singular) Is the final piece meant to be 15cmx10cm? Are the four tracings meant to be combined to create one piece around A4 measurements (30cm x 20cm)?

The print is going to be black, grey and the colour of the paper. You can start by adding black to one shape and then to another to balance the weight and so on.’

My understanding and steps

Make a pencil line drawing on A3 with little detail of a built environment.

Using  viewfinders, explore the image to find a good composition.

Refine and edit composition (for me this usually means using pen to block out dark areas).

Combine the four sections to make one abstract composition. 

Use a reduction print method using grey and black. 

First Sketches

I completed two very basic sketches of The National Theatre (reference Escuris, n.d.) and the back of The Royal Festival Hall (reference Living Walks 2018).

(Pencil on paper)

I used paper viewfinders on my LED light board to trace selected areas. I put the pieces together in different potential compositions and scanned them. This allowed me to put the compositions next to each other to allow for direct comparison. 

Three different compositions scanned

(Pencil and pen on paper)

Draft composition, taped viewfinders

I then went over this composition again, cleaning up lines and bending others so the image felt less disjointed. To help me remember which bits I needed to cut, the blue in this image represents areas of white. 

Final Composition 

(Pen on paper)

I selected this composition as the contrasting angles meeting in the centre of the design reminded me of a ship, moving forwards through the river. This felt in keeping with the riverside location of the National Theatre. The overall image feels dynamic and dramatic. 

The abstract interpretation of buildings reminded me of the hand coloured etchings of Bronwen Sleigh.

Earlspark Avenue, Pacific Quay, Rue Beaudoin,Hinna  (Sleigh, n.d.)

First Layer test print with ink pad

Printing process

First time using my press

I had difficulty using the press for the first time as my Lino was jumping causing the registration to be off. I ended up completing the run by hand as I being a reduction print I only had a limited number of prints and didn’t want to ruin the entire run and have to start again. Through talking to other printmakers on Facebook I have since learnt that I had the pressure too tight. 

Final Prints

Best Print

I would have never considered creating an image using in the method outlined in the course materials (or my interpretation of them!). The end result is bold and striking and captures my joy for the National Theatre and it’s architecture. 

PLEASE NOTE: These prints have been scanned using the incorrect setting causing the colours and contrast to be inaccurate. I will be re-scanning and updating this post at a later date.

References

Escuris, L., n.d. London National Theatre. [image] Available at: <https://linoescuris.com/london-national-theatre/> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Fly Through Films, 2015. 360° London - South Bank. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/WGjCaNTQhVk> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Guy, C., n.d. Hayward Gallery. [image] Available at: <https://gidsey.com/portfolio/hayward-gallery/#> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Hewitt, D., 2011. Geometry + Geology: Hayward Gallery. [Gelatin Photography].

Living Walks, 2018. London Virtual Walk With Ambient Sounds Roof Bar To Festival. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/NsD7FbiMMlU> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Earlspark Avenue. [Hand coloured etching].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Hinna. [Lithograph].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Pacific Quay. [Hand coloured etching].

Sleigh, B., n.d. Rue Beaudoin. [Hand coloured etching].

[voxyldy]

SPEECHES MMA BTS 2020

Melon Music Awards 2020

The 2020 Melon Music Awards (MMA) were held online over a series of days, culminating on 5 December. BTS won 6 awards at the event. Translations of their award speeches are below. Videos will be added to this page as they begin to be uploaded by the official channel. The award names are linked to the relevant tweet thread.

Top 10

V: Yes, hello, we’re BTS. Shall we say our greeting for the first time in awhile? 2, 3 – BTS: (scattered voices) We’re BTS! Jin: (laughs) That really didn’t work out. V: Yes! Despite it being such a difficult time, for continuing to love our music and listening to it often, thank you. I really want to bequeath this award to ARMY. I read some of the words [shown on the screen] behind us, and I think ARMYs are ‘Re’ on the musical scale, because they’re ‘Do’ing More Than Expected and Just On The Verge of Going im’ME’nsely Passionately Crazy. I wanted to make sure to say these words. ARMY, in your hearts, we’ll always be ‘dynamite’, and we’ll make sure [to show] ‘life goes on’. We love you, and thank you! [Note: V made use of ‘Do, Re, Mi’ on the musical scale! It’s a cheeky compliment.]

Album of the Year

RM: (reaching for the award) I’ve brought it to you! JM: Thank you. Ah, I’m so nervous. BTS: Ah, yes. JM: No, really. (laughs) RM: (ENG) Album of the Year! JM: Thank you so much. Honestly, because the first Daesang we received was this ‘Album of the Year’ at the MMAs, receiving this award again is incredibly meaningful for us, and I’m really really happy to think we’re able to have given back to ARMY through receiving this again. And because I believe being able to receive this again is a testament to our value, I’m so happy, and to think that we, who are nothing, could receive this, I believe is a positive message to many people – [a promise that] all people can [achieve it too]. Thank you so so much, and first, to the ARMYs who are always cheering for us, we thank you and love you, and to Bang Shi Hyuk PDnim and all the Big Hit family and producers who made it possible to create such a good album, thank you so much. We’re truly grateful.

Best Dance (Male) – Dynamite

JH: AYYY! First, whenever we receive an award, we shout for ARMY – so, ARMYYY! BTS: (cheers) JH: We really do want to convey our thanks to ARMY. And I do honestly want to say that we worked really hard on BTS’ performances this year. We began the year with Map of the Soul : 7, for which we even went over to America to learn [the choreography] and showcase a large-scale performance through ‘ON’, then incorporated modern dance to beautifully express ‘Black Swan’, and next, had our fate-like meeting with the funky disco ‘Dynamite’. We really did work hard on these. And though we too [did work hard], delivering our speech here, it would only be right to express our thanks to – JM: (shouts) JH: That’s right, to the performance core of Big Hit Entertainment: Mr. Son – Teacher Son Sung Deuk – as well as Bangster Byungeun-nim, Sunghoon-nim, and though they’ve since left, our Gawonie – JM: Gawonz!! JH: who was part of our MOTS: 7 ON performance, we want to say we’re so so thankful. And honestly, because of our busy schedules, there is a limit to what we can do, but to our impressive dancers who sketched out the drafts of our stages and rehearsed hard, we want to send our thanks. And we plan to keep showing you cool performances in the future too, so please keep watching us with great interest and love.

Song of the Year – Dynamite

JH: JK! (hands over award) JK: First, to our ARMYs, though they’re not here, I would like to exclaim “scream!” ARMY, scream! (BTS screams in our stead) JK: Ah, yes. Though you’re far, it’s as though your unified voice could be heard even from here. Yes, “Song of the Year”. As singers, one of the things that make us feel most warm is when many people are able to gain strength, receive comfort, by listening to our songs. This makes us feel very warm. And especially in such a difficult period, releasing an unintended album and receiving good results from it, and from that song – this song – to see many people gain strength made me feel really happy. And I, too, received a lot of strength through this, and in the future also, I want to keep keep making music that gives strength and comfort and have you hear it. And to our composers who helped create such a great song, and mm, to our many staff, we’re thankful. We’ll make even better songs in the future. Thank you. BTS: Thank you! JK: I love you! V: Borahae!

Netizen Popularity Award

RM: Ah, this is indeed a great award! J: ARMY! Yeah! We have been able to receive the “Netizen Popularity Award” again thanks to ARMY, and I personally think this to be the hardest award to receive. It is after all undertaken through a voting process, and we were thus only able to receive it due to the fans working hard at voting for us. For all other awards, there are many people we need to thank, but for this, I want to say thanks to ARMY. And I also read one of the comments behind us, and apparently all the chocolate factories of the world have gone bankrupt – V: Why? J: Because ARMYs are too sweet~ BTS: (overwhelmed) J: Anyway, thank you so much for allowing us to receive this award, and in the future too, we’ll work hard to show you many great stages. Thank you! RM: Thank you!

Artist of the Year

RM: Ah~ We have been able to receive such an award once again. First, we are truly thankful to everyone. Honestly, my heart isn’t completely at ease, receiving such a meaningful award in such a period. It’s actually coming up to a year now: the length of time we’ve performed without our fans in front of us, without being able to see them. I believe it would be the same for many other artists.

Honestly, in the beginning – though as recipients of such a large award, we shouldn’t complain – but this year, it’s been really hard for you, right? We, too, in the beginning, were angry, resentful, filled with despair, and even hated a thing without a name. Undergoing such experiences, we worked hard by releasing the music we could and filming music videos.

The scary thing is that from a particular point in time, we were facing versions of ourselves who had accepted this reality and as humans, humanely, had become used to it. And so we thought “we shouldn’t be getting used to this”, “we need to directly see and feel the warmth of people”. Getting used to it was scary.

But honestly, ironically enough, what we felt most clearly this year was that the sincerity we had spread throughout the world until now had not been in vain. Though we cannot currently see each other, reach each other, hold each other’s hand, and embrace each other, we are connected, and our hearts do reach each other. We were able to confirm this through “Dynamite” and “Be”. The letters that you sent, the words that you sent, like those behind me – oh, they’re not behind me now! – were able to confirm your love and sincerity.

And in a situation where, just like us, many artists are unable to perform, they too in their own rooms and studios, will be making music, albums, with their utmost strength, and those artists’ fans will indeed begin and end their days with their songs. In our individual places, we are all trying our best. I want to believe that. And so, I don’t know what’ll happen, but I would like it if, in our own places, through our own mediums, in order to reach others, we were able to pierce this long, long winter until the coming of spring, survive together and in doing so, live. The seasons will return, and life does go on, so let’s have faith that spring will come, and I would like it if you could continue living with me. This year, you all suffered greatly, and I’m really really thankful and love you. Yes. You worked hard.

V: And additionally, what we need to say here is that we are in fact seven, not six. To our final one member who is watching this via video, to our SUGA hyung, if I could say one thing, it would be that we’ve received a lot of awards today, and it’d be good if in your joy, hyung too could quickly [continue to] make many happy memories with us. Get better soon!

JH: And the song ‘eight’ was nominated a lot~ It’s a song our SUGA hyung composed so – RM: I think he’ll be happy JH: Yeah, yeah. Hyung, you’re the best. V: Eat a lot of food today.

JM: And finally – oh, not finally – RM: Oh, that’s fine~ JM: As Namjoon hyung said earlier, I do think it was a really difficult situation for everyone due to COVID-19. So, for us, with our members, and from ARMYs, we received a lot of strength and were able to rise again, but it’d be good if many people, not just our ARMYs, could receive even a little strength by listening to our music. We’re always thankful and we’ll work even harder in the future. (bows)

BTS: Thank you! JH: And we have to say – to Hitman Bang, our Bang Shihyuk PDnim, I’d like to express our thanks and – is there more we should say? – Oh, and Big Hit Entertainment! All our staff – JM: (And the staff) JH: Oh, our staff – honestly, there are SO many people to thank – V: Our protocol team – JH: That’s right, there’s no end! We’re so thankful, and J: Our parents JH: Our parents – (JK whispers something in JH’s ear) JH: Ah~ And this – what do you call it – this Artist award is the blooming flower of the award ceremony, so thank you so much, ARMYs, for making us flowers. We love you. (finger heart) BTS: Thank you! V: We borahae you! JK: Take care of your health, everyone.

Bonus.

Best Performance Director – Son Sung Deuk

J: Moa, your father won an award!

SSD: (laughs) Hello, I’m Big Hit Entertainment’s Performance Director and BTS’ Choreographer, Son Sung Deuk. Yes, I want to first convey my thanks for being given such a precious award. To Bang Shi Hyuk producer-nim and the whole Big Hit family, especially the best performance director team, and to my many colleagues, I want to convey my thanks. And to the members of BTS, who always showcase such passionate performances on stage, I want to say how thankful I am. And to those who are my great strength beside me, the family that I love, Bitna, Moa, and Hoa, I want to say that I’m thankful and that I love you. With even greater performances and choreography in the future, I hope to share great comfort and great feeling to many. As a choreographer and director, I will work even harder in the future. Thank you.

(The above translations are thanks to WISHA from the Wordpress account @doyoubangtan.  They work really hard to do translations on all things BTS. Give their website some love if you can.)

[songofproserpine]

WIP is now sitting pretty at 44,282 words, making this my slowest day yet, but I don’t really care much. I wrote 5k of Jaime x Sansa slow burn drabbles earlier today, and spent most of the day with my mother running errands. So there was bound to be a little bit of a slump on the WIP.

I have later scenes and chapters sketched out in a bare bones way, including the all important first sex scene. I’m pretty sure that in the draft right now, it’s just one sentence in brackets. [Sex happens here, blah blah]. I have more details written out for the Grand Gesture than I do for the reason why the Grand Gesture should matter, heh.

I’m ready for this story to be done, so I can move onto the frustrating process of (1) picking out a title, (2) revising/editing, and (3) finding a cover to use. Ideally, I’d like to get this WIP polished up enough to go on Amazon by the end of the month or mid-December. I think I can accomplish that, provided I remember to keep it simple and have fun with it.

That being said, I feel like I’m running out of words to describe how alluring a fine pair of eyes can be in a handsome man’s face. But I feel so stifled because this story can’t be as flowery poetic as I’d like it to be, because it’s a contemporary drama. Or maybe it can, and I just can’t think of a way to do that? Bah.

Anyway, here’s an unedited excerpt.

“Reya?” Kai’s voice was like a light guiding her from the storm of her thoughts back to the gentle shores of his company.

She took in a long, steadying breath and focused once more on his face. His plush lips, so quick to frown or slip even lower into deeper scowls, were now curled up in the opposite direction. His smile was kind, quiet, like the voice he had used to sing her to sleep.

Peering at her like that, with his intense artist’s gaze, the sort that made Reya feel as if he were looking past her skin and bones and down into the very contents of her soul, all but took her breath away. How was it possible that such a man could enter her life and stay there, not for a job or for the seedier demands of his employer, but because he found something worth pledging himself to? What does he see in me that makes him look at me that way?

Reya didn’t think she was unworthy or lacking in any way. Whatever negative thoughts she had about herself were born more out of a need to defend herself than to tear herself apart. She knew she deserved better than what the Mac Tirs had done to her. Of all the problems she had to tackle in therapy, that had been one of the lesser issues in need of mending.

She also knew she deserved someone special, be it a lover or a companion or something more, something dire and wonderful and sweet—that would care for her and stand by her through the worst of life’s storms. She deserved to have a life that was like a song, and wouldn’t settle for anyone who could give her less.

As the silence continued, Kai slowly held out his hand, palm up. He didn’t snatch at her, didn’t make a grab at all, the way Leon would have done. He simply stood there, offering some small part of himself for Reya to take.

If they touched, it would be her choice, her decision to make. If she turned away, that would be her choice, too. Nothing about Kai, not in this moment nor in any of the others they shared before, made Reya afraid of him. He was patient. He was watchful. He listened and learned and withdrew into himself to process all that she showed to him. And he did so without that awful, fiendish expectation of a reward. How many times in the past had she seen Leon look at her with a glint in his eyes and a sickle smirk on his face. Like a lion about to feast, instead of a lover listening to fears.

His mother had looked no different, the few times Reya had been forced to stay in her company. She dressed Reya down with a sharp, sweeping gaze, made her feel stripped bare, and then picked her apart with carefully chosen words, all designed to leave a mark.

“How fortunate you are to have my son tend to your every need. I imagine his wallet is as much a comfort as his company.” 

“You carry yourself very well for a girl with so few accomplishments. And how young you are, too. With so little experience in the world. One would almost mistake your confidence for vanity, until they got a better look at you.”

“I always thought that hardships suffered early in life granted someone a certain air of dignity. Something like grace. But that isn’t the case with you, Lunafreya.”

“Lunafreya. What a name. I imagine it came to your parents in a dream or a vision—or at the end of a long, strange trip.” 

Reya shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. But the cold wasn’t something that seeped into her skin. No, it was already inside, biting and gnawing at her, every ice pick like a knife ready to tear the skin off her bones.

“Reya? What’s wrong?” Kai’s voice was so soft, so warm. She shut her eyes and felt his words seep into her.

“Say my name,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “My full name. Please.”

Silence filled the room. She opened her eyes and peered up at Kai. His expression was one of cautious concern, the kind that made her heart ache just to see it.

“Reya,” he said. He licked his lips and tried again. “Lunafreya Ahlgren.”

“You make it sound so pretty,” she said, and when she smiled she felt the tears press in, traitor tears that always seemed to lurk just on the edge of her mood, ready to spill at a moment’s notice. Reya tried to smile, but she must have gotten it wrong, because the next thing she knew a little bubble of hysteria rose up from her chest and burst free, like a sob.

“How can you do it?” she demanded through her tears. Reya’s gaze never left Kai’s face, but it was getting harder to see him. Angrily, she swept her fingers over her eyes and shook her head, her hair scattering across her damp cheeks. “How can you take what sounds so wrong and stupid, and make it… make… me…”

Her voice trailed off. The last of her strength left her, abandoning her to a fresh wave of shame. Reya knew she wasn’t making sense. Knew that she was trying to put words to a pain that had yet to take on a definite shape in her brain. But this was how grief always came upon her: too demanding to be kept secret, yet too rough and large to stay penned up inside coherent speech.

“Just breathe,” Kai said, his words barely more than a breath themselves. Reya did as he asked, taking in a short, low gasp. But it wasn’t working—her panic was still too near, her skin still frozen solid in fear.

Kai saw this, and wasn’t deterred. “Follow mine if it helps,” he said, and she nodded, eager to begin.

He breathed in slowly, held it, and then let his breath spill out in a quiet hum. Reya listened the first few times before she matched her breathing to his, noticing the way his broad chest lifted up and out with every inhale, and the way his shoulders sank as his breath slid out. His whole body seemed to open and shut like a heart—air came in, and so did tension and pain, nerves all a tangle with fear. And then the air was let out, and with it went all the agony of anxiety.

They stood there, barely a foot apart, breathing in tandem and watching each other closely. The longer they watched and breathed and waited, the silence between them lost a touch of its former frost. As the chill ebbed from Reya’s bones and fled her thoughts, she felt once again the same warmth from the night before. It rose up from the pit of her belly and flourished, like flowers stretching to a newfound sun. She shivered once more, but for a different reason this time—it was for Kai, and the warmth she felt burning between them.

His gaze, so steady and gentle, was like a kiss on her skin. His breath continued, and the closer she listened, the more Reya felt her body relax into the sound of him. It was no different fro the night before, when they shared whispers and fingers trailing over all the secret parts of her that had for so long ached to be touched. Here, now, in the bleak light of a cold autumn day, Kai’s breath continued what he had started the night before, chipping slowly at the ice that had sealed away her heart. And he did it all with looks and breath, did it all without ever needing to lay a finger on her.

Reya shut her eyes and listened. Kai’s breath was a private sound, a small, vulnerable thing meant for her ears alone. She focused all her attention on that precious noise, and let it wash over her. And yet…

I want more. She was a throne of want, and the feeling moved through her like a queen marching to her dais, emboldened by grace and glory. Her want sat rigid and regal in her heart, crowned by desire and reigning with the terrible certainty that only passion could inspire.

“How do you do it?” Reya whispered.

“Do what?”

“You make me feel so brave and holy,” she said, “When all you do is look at me.” Her words as hushed as a sinner at a confessional. But there was nothing wrong here at all, nothing that was in the slightest bit deserving of shame or guilt.

That undeniable fire to once again roared between them, rekindled with a vengeance. Slowly, the way knots come undone after much time and effort. Carefully, with a patience borne of kindness and warmth, not of any demand for a reward.

Without a word, Kai extended his other hand, opening his arms in a silent offer of comfort. He swayed a little as he stood, as if he were fighting off the impulse to dart forward and sweep Reya up into his arms. A part of her wished he would. She wanted him to do the difficult part for her, because the idea of taking even one step closer to him was more than she could bear.

I don’t have the strength to be needy again.

But it wasn’t need that filled her heart in that moment, as she stood teary-eyed and aching in front of Kai. No, it wasn’t a need or a desperation of any kind—it was want. She wanted his warmth, his comfort. Wanted the feel of his strong arms enfolding her, offering her whatever strength she lacked in that moment. She wanted the feel of his heart under her cheek as she pressed herself to his chest and stood there, easing into the shape of him. She wanted to tilt her face back and offer her lips up to his own to be kissed and consumed.

[touchpointpress]

I interviewed Sharon Yang, author of Bait and Switch (released December 15, 2015) and Letter From a Dead Man (released December 6, 3017.) Are you as excited as I am to hear about what’s happened to Jessica Minton and her friends? Order a copy of her new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Dead-Jessica-Minton-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07664TYT1/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507496492&sr=1-1&keywords=letter+from+a+dead+man

And while you’re waiting for it to arrive at your doorstep, you can learn more about the author and her books right here.

This is the second book you’ve published with TouchPoint Press. What was different for this book from the last one your published? Have you learned anything?

One interesting difference was that I automatically planned to develop the cover myself with my husband. There had been a holdup on the release of Bait and Switch due to the publisher’s artist not coming through with good material. So when I decided to take the bull by the horns and ask Sheri if I could come up with my own cover, she gave me an enthusiastic green light. The first cover was actually almost exactly what I’d always pictured as the cover. So, as I was editing Dead Man, I was tossing around ideas with my husband for the cover. I’d originally had a different idea, but it didn’t quite seem to fit the style that we’d started with Bait and Switch. Then, re-reading and revising Dead Man, I came across a scene that I thought perfectly captured the spirit of the book and evoked one of the most suspenseful scenes: Jessica hiding from killers behind one of the lions at the New York Public Library. We tested a few poses, in sketches and by having me stand next to one of the actual lions in NYC, before settling on our final choice. So, I learned from my first experience to just go right for my own creation for a cover.

That’s really interesting. I don’t often think about how much time and effort is put into developing a cover design. How did you find and/or choose to work with TouchPoint Press?

The answer to this question is a funny story. My discovering Touchpoint was part serendipity and part luck. I had studied the Writer’s Guides to Publishing and Agents and made up detailed lists of who my best bets would be for my kind of fiction. I came across the Red Writinghood Ink Agency. The book made them seem perfect for a new writer with my ‘40s mystery style, but their website said that they weren’t accepting new writers now. I was disappointed, but decided, “What the heck, I’ll still give them a try, just in case.” So, I sent my query to the agent listed in Writer’s Guide to Agents as my best bet as a contact, Sheri Williams. Well, lo and behold, Sheri had left to start her own publishing company, Touchpoint. She loved Bait and Switch and wanted the whole manuscript. The rest is history! So, my take away is be persistent, take chances; you never know where opportunities will flare up. Hard work and luck pay off!

Do you think of writing as a second/full-time job? Does your time at work and your writing time overlap any?

Right now, writing is clearly a second job. I pay the bills by teaching as a tenured Professor in English at Worcester State University. It’s highly unusual for writers to make enough to support themselves in a comfortable life. So, since my teaching is such a demanding job, I basically only write in the summer, when I’m not teaching. This setup gives me a nice balance. During the school year, I throw myself whole-heartedly into teaching, so I’m exhausted when summer rolls around. Writing, either fiction or my scholarly work, is a nice change of pace for my mind. I exercise my intellectual and creative muscles differently. Then, by the end of summer, I’m so exhausted with writing that I’m ready to switch gears and go back into teaching. Maybe that’s why autumn always seems like the beginning rather than the end of the year to me.

It sounds like having a yearly writing schedule like that would make sure that you stay energized and don’t feel burned out with one task. During the summer, what are your writing must haves or routines?

I definitely can’t write during the school year. I don’t have the concentration or the time. Summer break is the best because I have longer stretches of time without interruptions. On a nice day, I sit on the front porch, with a great view of the hills and the trees, and work away. I do like to have a cup of tea with me. I’m too stirred up with my writing to have coffee. My first draft has to be written with pen on paper. Typing slows me down; the words don’t flow. Later, I type the written draft up, editing as I go. Later drafts are done on the computer. Editing is easier for me with a computer.

What emotions are you trying to draw out of your readers? Do you enjoy making them work for answers?

The emotions I want to draw? Well, definitely suspense and surprise. I love to drop hints and see if they pick up on them. I like to try to bend the generic rules. I love to play with in-jokes. So, I want the readers to be in suspense but have fun. I also want them to care about the characters, to share their feelings of love, doubt, and humor.

Can you tell us about your future writing plans? Are you planning to continue the series? What hints or tidbits can you give your fans? Do you have anything planned besides the series?

I definitely have more adventures planned for Jessica, James, Liz, and Dusty. I actually have a third novel completed called “Always Play the Dark Horse.” This mystery needs more editing, but it’s in good shape. “Dark Horse” takes Jessica and James to a college campus on the beautiful Connecticut coast, where they run into her old college sweetheart, a mysterious veteran who literally rides a dark horse, and the strange disappearance of an art professor – who later turns up to wreak havoc on everyone’s lives. Dusty continues to preside over affairs while honing her mouse-catching skills, and Rose Nyquist from Dead Man reappears as another professor who helps Jessica and James unravel some fatal mysteries.

In addition, I have detailed outlines for a fourth novel in the series, which I’ll probably call “Shadows of a Dark Past.” Here, Jessica and Elizabeth travel to an eerie, isolated manse on the Maine coast where Jessica joins the rest of her radio program comrades to perform several remote broadcasts revolving around the unsolved murder of a beautiful woman at the manse nearly twenty years ago. Of course, Jessica bears a striking resemblance to the woman – something of interest to the woman’s husband, who still lives nearby with their daughter. When Jessica finds herself sleepwalking to the room where the woman was murdered, Liz calls on James to get up to Maine and help her figure out what’s going on with Jess before her unconscious peregrinations end tragically.

I have ideas for at least three other novels in the series, but they are in a less detailed state. I also have ideas for a mystery set outside the Jessica series, as well as a supernatural tale. Either of them might lead to a sequel.

Wow, it looks like you have everything all planned out! You write what you love to read and watch, and you’re good at it, which is so awesome! But if you had to pick another genre to write in, what would it be and why?

You know, I have to say I only write what I like: mysteries, supernatural tales, and scholarly writing in subjects I love. Writing is far too demanding for me to invest that much of myself in something that does not fully capture my heart.

Fair enough. Is writing a solo experience for you? When do you allow people to see your work?

I have a posse of friends who get first crack at what I write. Partly, they just enjoy reading my mysteries, but they also give me great feedback on what works and what doesn’t work. They are honest but tactful. The friend with whom I work the most is Ruth Haber. She usually gets the very first crack. She is an avid reader of mysteries and another English prof, so she knows what is good writing and fits in the genre and what doesn’t. She’s also good at encouraging me to bend the rules of genre to create something original and exciting.

In your opinion, what was the most difficult part of the writing process?

I think trying to figure out what to cut to make your novel read smoothly and keep the suspense going. You don’t want to undermine the development of characters or toss away some evocative descriptions, but you also don’t want to bog down your readers. Striking the balance between keeping up a good pace and giving your readers some prose they will savor is tough.

That’s a great answer. So, what scene or detail did you take out from either book that you wish you had left in?

With Dead Man, there was a part I wish I could have kept, but it would have slowed down the building of suspense. That was a flashback to a scene where James proposes to Jessica. I have considered including it on my website as a little treat. I also had to cut a dramatic scene from Bait and Switch where Jessica almost ends up shoved down an elevator shaft. It worked really well, but it would have dragged out the novel too long. However, I’ve been figuring how I can adapt that vignette to a later novel in the series.

You are all about characters and character-driven plots. You’ve said that you were inspired to write a story with a strong heroine. Did you find it harder to write about male characters?

I don’t really find male characters hard to write. I just think about who this person is and go from there. That usually seems to work. I tend not to enclose people in gender roles, although who that character is might do the enclosing for me.

If you weren’t a writer, what interesting thing would you want to be known for?

I don’t know if this is interesting, but I do want to be known as a teacher who is creative, inspiring, and challenging. I want to be known for not just inspiring students to love literature but to better understand themselves and others through reading. I want to be known for helping them find their voice as writers and to use that voice to help others.

That is interesting! Interesting and inspiring. Would you say that writing energizes or exhausts you?

Writing definitely does both. It’s thrilling to have ideas and to play them out in my mind, then translate them into words to provoke my intended vision in readers. However, I usually kind of collapse after a bout of putting ideas and images down on paper. Writing is hard – but exhilarating – work!

You do a lot of research for your books. You’ve mentioned books and movies and newspapers and interviews…How much time do you think you spend researching versus writing and editing? Have you gone on any “reading/writing pilgrimages”?

I don’t know if I can compare the amount of time I put into editing vs. research. Sometimes one leads into the other. For example, when I was editing various drafts, I realized that I’d written some information that might not be true. As a result, I had to go back and double-check to correct the manuscript. So, yes, it was the AF of L in 1945, not the AFL-CIO and there was no racing at Saratoga the summer of 1944.

In addition, we definitely do “pilgrimages” to check out setting. We went to the NYPL to take photos of the lions so we could see how to set up the cover – and I adjusted my description of two scenes to depict more accurately what the area outside the library looks like. Another time, I wanted to see how a scene I intended to write would play out. We went down the subway by Bryant Park, then I raced up the stairs, down the street, and over to hide behind one of the lions. Nobody even noticed. That’s one of the sneak peeks I have on my website.

I remember reading about that on your blog. That sounds like one crazy adventure! What’s the best money you’ve spent as an author?

As a mystery writer, I would say joining Sister in Crime and Sisters in Crime-New England. These two organizations have provided me with guidance on publishing and promotion. They have helped me to get the word out on my books and sell them through putting me on speakers panels for various libraries, organizations, and book fairs. Even better. They’ve introduced me to other writers who are not only wonderful mentors but good friends. Plus, I get to widen my library of great mystery writing through these connections!

I’ll definitely have to suggest those organizations to other mystery authors. And finally, the golden question: What does literary success look like to you?

When you use the word “literary” to me, there’s an implication we’re discussing the quality of writing rather than “fame and fortune.” I want to create writing that evokes imagery and feeling. I want to inspire readers to interact with my characters as if they were real people. I love to challenge them to figure out “whodunit.” I also want them to have fun getting the in-jokes that connect to high and pop culture. I want to sell enough books to be able to keep writing, but I don’t expect to be making enough to retire on. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if I suddenly was rolling in greenbacks from the profits – as long as I could keep control of my writing and not be forced to cookie-cutter it to what is perceived as popular taste.

  I hope you enjoyed getting to know Sharon Yang a little better. You can follow her on her website, https://sharonhealyyang.com/, and keep checking out our website for more information about her appearances and future works.

Interview with TouchPoint Press Author Sharon Yang I interviewed Sharon Yang, author of Bait and Switch (released December 15, 2015) and Letter From a Dead Man…