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Hi Zee! welcome!
I am @scoutfinch190, I too write and draw and am currently learning digital art on Krita. Having drawn traditionally all my life, this is a big learning curve though lol, but I’m getting the hang of it, vector stuff is a big struggle though🤣 (vector means it’s not made of pixels, so you can zoom in infinitely w/o losing the quality of the image, great for prints).
My writing, when I do, is mostly fantasy related or something along those lines, and not half as much as when I was a teen. But I have been on SE (story embers) for a long time, and I can tell you that there’s a lot of great people on here, and almost always someone who can answer whatever questions you have or critique a portion of your writing.
What drawing style are you interested in? What kind of stories do you like to write? What’s your preferred art medium? When I draw traditional, I’m a big fan of using pencil, pen, and watercolor.
We crazy people are the normal ones.
Nice to meet you! Thank you for the welcome 🙂
When I started drawing, I mostly did anime/manga art. As I’ve practiced my art has slowly inched to a more “semi realistic” style, but there’s definitely still some manga influence in there. I use pencil and pen a lot too, as well as colored pencils and alcohol-based markers.
I mostly write fantasy as well, when I do write. Most of my “stories” are really more just scenarios I daydream about ( I do a lot of daydreaming) part of the reason I joined was to motivate myself to actually write out my ideas. 😀
What kind of things do you enjoy drawing the most? Do you have any stories you’re currently working on? What made you want to start writing? For me, I’d draw characters and think of stories for them as I drew, and then I’d want to write it down.
Cool! I’ve actually migrated more into a vaguely anime/semi-realistic style over the years myself, and I used colored pencils a lot for a while, but I found myself gravitating toward watercolor as time went on.
I totally get it! my writing started out as disjointed scenes of daydreams I had, but as time went on I started to write more stories/poetry/attempts at novels that never got anywhere lol. Right now, I do the odd short story now and then, mostly work on the outlines of two longer form stories from time to time, and would love to try making them comics one day. But my primary focus is art and a future card business someday.
I enjoy drawing my characters, and large scenes involving landscapes involving their worlds recently. They take me a day or two digitally, but they bring me a lot of joy.
My story WIPs are:
- A future (web) comic script (fingers crossed) about a con-man who learns how to do the right thing over the easy thing the hard way, and his super-genius scientist/doctor brother who is trying to eliminate the result of his experiment before it’s used for evil that would outweigh his positive intentions. It’s genre is kinda sci-fantasy, I’m guessing, since it’s similar to Ray Bradbury and C.S. Lewis in the worldbuilding, even going for a mid-century space-age sorta vibe visually. (except for con-man’s side shave lol) almost how Treasure Planet is, where it’s more space fantasy than sci-fi.
- is a comic script in the future hopefully, but this one’s not as active a project unless I get randomly motivated to write it lol. It’s a fantasy that’s set in a pretty traditional medieval setting, i have my villain, and my primary cast planned, and some plot. It follows a prince who was forced to be used by his world’s clergy as a tool for his ability to see into the future when he sleeps, having him be mostly raised by the equivalent of monks. When he starts having visions of what seems to be a fever-dream apocalypse brought about by use of magic and a God that wants to be worshipped exclusively, he tells them about it as he was told, and is shut down from speaking about these things, embittering him to try taking over the kingdom, which he fails, and is promptly exiled, and winds up as a slave working with a family that owns a distillery to prevent alcoholic centaurs from enslaving their family.
Well, it’s a long story lol. I daydreamt for a while before I was writing. I would come up with fantasy races *cough* knockoff Legolas *cough*cough* and worlds with bad names like Avaron, since Avalon was taken by the back of a Toyota lol. Eventually I developed a love of talking about it with anyone that would listen, willing or not, then about 6-8 years ago, I got the chance to go to a creative writing class at a library, a bit later I found Kingdom Pen (SE’s teen-oriented predecessor) and SE, queue further learning and increased motivation, when I started taking writing much more seriously. I started going to a homeschool co-op, and I got some know-how of prose and grammar, and I wrote whenever I could, up to 4-5 hours at a time. And soon after I joined the Kingdom Pen and SE forums. Then as i was graduating highschool, God dropkicked me into a relationship with a close friend, then engaged, then married. In the upheaval, and with suddenly much more time to write, I found myself getting out of my hyperfixation with writing and more into drawing, realizing i could not make writing my career. I still write, but I can’t be like my teen self lol.
I guess all this to say, I started writing in my early teens, and haven’t fully stopped since, and I started writing for almost the exact same reasons as you, finding that I LOVED doing it, and love creating interesting worlds and characters. God brought me to this hobby, and whether it was just a phase to get me through my teen years (which weren’t too hard, but they were hard) or is leading to something greater down the road, I don’t know.
Any ideas you’re working on?
We crazy people are the normal ones.
Hi Zee! I’m Lydia. I love writing, reading, and music. Unfortunately, I cannot do art, but I greatly admire those who can. When did you start writing? I started when I was twelve because I also daydream a ton, and I couldn’t focus on school because of it. Writing helped me live a little more in ‘the real world’. Is there an author that inspires you or that you hope to write like one day? Ideally, I’d like to write like Brandon Sanderson, but I’m still a looong ways from that. What’s your favorite part of writing? Mine is characters; I tend to be rather inordinately fond of them and their interactions.
Nice to meet you!
Do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will be anxious about itself.
@scoutfinch190 Both of your stories sound so cool! And the fact that you’re making them into comics is awesome! What gave you inspiration to come up with them?
Currently I have one idea I’m working on, but it’s brand new and it’s more world-building than a fully fledged story. It’s a small, peaceful community of herders that live in a polar desert. They herd a fictional breed of camels similar to the Bactrian Camel ( known for its tolerance of cold and thicker coat) for their milk and coats. They mainly consume dairy products and fish (though the latter is more of a treat).
I also have a bit of a backstory for them, but it could be subject to change: They were originally part of a larger community of herders. However, when a corrupt leader took charge, he steered the once peaceful community towards violence and stealing from surrounding communities. A small group of the people were morally opposed to this, and decided to break off and migrate north. They originally had many different kinds of livestock, but found only their camels were equipped to survive the harsh conditions of the polar deserts.
Phew, that was longer than I thought. 😅
Anyways, where do you draw inspiration from? Do you have any books or authors that inspire you to write?
@abrielle Nice to meet you Lydia! The farthest back I can remember writing was in first grade, because we had to write in journals when we got to class. I remember always wishing I could write about whatever I wanted instead of following the prompt the teacher gave us😂. Do you remember what kinds of things you liked to write about when you started out?This may sound a little cliché but I’d like to be like Tolkien. Not so much his writing style (tbh I’ve only seen the movies) but hid ability to create immersive, realistic worlds. As for actual writing style, one person I admire is Andrew Peterson, author of the Wingfeather Saga. The way he wrote the main character’s emotions and thought processes just felt so…real, like they were the thoughts of a real person and not a character. That’s something I’d like to emulate.
I love writing characters too! Do you have any characters in particular you’re fond of? I also enjoy worldbuilding. I’m a big history buff, so I really enjoy making up cultures and countries and kingdoms for my characters to live in (or vice versa!)
Do you have any stories/ideas you’re working on at the moment?
Hi! I’m Emily. It’s great to meet you!
I daydream a lot and love drawing too. My profile picture is one I did of my characters, Daisy and Margot. I don’t usually draw them with manga/anime type eyes but at the time I was reading a manga.
I also love reading, music, doing crafts, and animals/nature. Do you know a lot about camels? Your idea sounds cool. Is there a particular part of history you’re most interested in or inspired by?
Nice to meet you Emily! I love your profile pic! Your characters are so cute! Did you make them for a story?
What style do you typically draw in? Do you have any favorite art supplies?
I wanted a unique animal for this civilization to herd. After some quick research I found out that camels are considered herd animals. Then I discovered that specific breed of camels after researching if they could survive in a cold climate (I didn’t just wanna drop them in a typical desert).
I love medieval history, the Victorian Era and ancient history. I really like learning about various cultures and what makes them unique. Actually, I came up with the idea for this fictional group while watching a history video.
What kinds of stories do you like reading? I enjoy crafting too, what kinds of crafts do you make?
Yes, they will be in multiple short stories. Daisy and Margot are two friends with very different personalities who decide to share an apartment during their senior year of college. My current WIP takes place the summer before that. Daisy is turning 21 and feeling quite anxious about it, but still trying to celebrate with a tea party. But of course some things go wrong, and there is no birthday cake. It’s not completely fleshed out either but I’ve written some parts of it. I write slow though.
My usual drawing style is similar to in the pic, but the eyes are more simplified. I don’t know how else to describe it. As for favorite supplies, I always make sure to have a dandelion crayon. I mostly just use a pencil and Crayola crayons. I also like markers and colored pencils, and I think I prefer mechanical pencils, although I own proper art pencils. When my classes start again in two weeks-I will be a college junior-I am taking a drawing class where I will get use out of them, and hopefully be able to properly make hands and feet by the end of it. I don’t actually know how to do hands and feet.
I read classics, middle-grade, nonfiction, historical fiction, graphic novels, manga, YA, and occasionally romance and fantasy. I like making collages, loom knitting, sewing, embroidery, building things, and making bookmarks.
The Victorian era is one of my favorite historical periods too, along with the Regency era, the American Revolution, and the 1960s. I like learning about other cultures and people’s lives, but I also love fashion and have a somewhat hippie-inspired style.
@marzipanlily That sounds really interesting! And yeah, I get it, I’m a slow writer too (and I procrastinate a lot). What inspired you to create them?
Is dandelion your favorite crayon color? I like mechanical pencils too, they’re a lot more convenient than normal pencils. Are you looking forward to your classes this year?
I hate drawing hands and feet. My hands have improved a little, but the feet I draw always look weird (at this point I don’t even bother trying to draw toes😅)
Have you done a lot of reading over the summer? Do you have any favorite books in particular?
I don’t completely know where my ideas come from, though my characters tend to have nerdy or quirky interests because I do.
Dandelion is definitely my favorite crayon color and flower. It’s also a discontinued crayon. But technically my favorite color is green.
I am looking forward to my classes but not looking forward to summer ending. I like being home.
Yes, I read a lot. Some of my favorite books are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Flora and Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo, the Anne of Green Gables books by LM Montgomery, the Alice books by Lewis Carroll, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte’s Web by EB White, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
Your world sounds pretty cool! I’m afraid I’m generally not very good at world building. When I started writing, I was mildly obsessed with winged beings, so I wrote some about that. Also elemental magic. I’d enjoyed stories involving teams of kids, all with different strengths, so I used that quite a bit. The result was a story with about a million characters and almost as many plots, which didn’t work so well, but hey, I had fun. Maybe at some point I’ll go back, fix it up, and finish it. What did you like to write, starting out?
I would LOVE to write like Tolkien: style, worldbuilding, and all. It’s just kind of like, ‘wow, where do I even start?’ If I could get to where I write on a level with Andrew Peterson, I think I’d be happy. Would you ever make writing your career? I’d like to be an author at some point, but I don’t know that I’d want to make it my full-time job. Maybe once I have a little more life experience.
Ooh, picking favorites is hard. I recently wrote a short story called the Last Lonely Lion, and I was very fond of the lion. He’s a writer and rather pathetically friendly. I think my all time favorite character would have to be Veera. She was originally a character that I added into the whole Marvel universe, and she embodies my bubbly, sarcastic, mischievous side (which is a very small side of me and rarely comes out. That’s probably why I like her so much.) I have a hard time envisioning her as anything other than a nine year old. The idea of her growing up makes me sad. There’s also Kianda, who is my token moody, deeply scarred character. Who are your favorites?
So, the story I want to be working on is called the Wind’s Apprentice. It was inspired by a number of dreams I had (that’s how a lot of my stories start) and as a result, I’ve had some plotting issues with it. The setting is a small kingdom which recently went through a revolution. The new king is having issues with a couple of his advisors (the Wind and the Loki) and his court may or may not be gearing up for a revolution (led by Goya, a nobleman with a passion for hunting). Which is practically its own plot, BUT my story follows a kid called Denari (the apprenticed wind) who is on a quest to find an Otherworldly Being called the Nim (which was accidently awakened by the Loki) before various other evil people (Goya) do. The Loki is trying to help Denari and hold the kingdom together, but Lokis are notorious for making messes out of things, so she winds up complicating matters. Obviously I need to work on a story synopsis. But first I would have to know where exactly the story is going . . .
Have you got favorite books/authors? Have you read anything good over the summer?
Do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will be anxious about itself.
I remember one of my earliest ones was about a group of girls who got the powers of the four elements ( I think I had just watched Avatar The Last Airbender for the first time lol) it was literally one chapter and I never finished it. Most of them involved characters with superpowers fighting a very cliche villain.
I’ve thought about becoming an author, but currently writing is more of a hobby than anything else. It’s kind of an extension of my art. I’ll draw a character and then start thinking about what his or her life is like, and go from there. Where do you normally start with your stories?
I actually trying to work on some characters I have / make new ones, but I’m going through a bit of a block at the moment so it’s kind of hard to pick a favorite (plus I’ve made a LOT of characters over the years, I can’t even remember them all).
Your story sounds really cool! What inspired you to write it?
I actually only recently read the Wingfeather Saga. I got the first two books in hardback, and then I listened to an audio version of the third because I was impatient😂. I love fantasy books, but I think my favorite genre is mystery fiction. One of my favorites of which is the Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie. I loved all the different characters and I was shocked by the ending, but it was so good. Do you have any favorite authors/books?
Agatha Christie is a lot of fun! I think one of my favorites by her is the Secret Adversary, though I haven’t read it in a while. I recently read Curtain: Poirot’s last case, and I can’t decide what I think about that. The last book in a series is always kind of sad. Some of my other favorite authors/books are Brandon Sanderson, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Amelia Peabody (mystery series), not to mention Lord of the Rings. Brandon Sanderson has some really fun young adult stuff: great characters, fun plot, etc. And then there’s his adult stuff, which is also awesome. He’s a great author, but he’s also kind of evil about killing his characters. I remember really loving the Wingfeather Saga when I read it; the third book especially is AMAZING. Do you have other mystery authors that you enjoy? I’m always on the look out for more books, especially ones that aren’t fantasy/sci-fi. I tend to read too much of that.
I like that way of looking at stories. I have a sister who draws, and that’s often how she comes up with stories (I think, anyways).
I think my current story is a pretty good example of how I come up with things. I started out with a couple characters and an itch to write. Then I realized that said characters would fit well in a world called Firneth (which came into being when the phrase “By all four Dragons and eighteen Winds!” popped into my head). That gave me a couple more characters and the beginnings of a plot. A vaguely remembered book blurb sparked a scene that resulted in a real problem to solve. A couple more scenes, a few more dreams, and a LOT of brainstorming later, I now have something that begins to resemble a story. I also often find books that look really interesting and turn out to be not at all good, and that inspires me to write my own version. And I have one story where the inspiration was, ‘let’s write a cliché YA book, but let’s do it well’.
Other than writing and drawing, what do you enjoy doing? I saw that you like crafting, what sorts of crafts do you do? I really like to embroider; playing with colors is my favorite.
Do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will be anxious about itself.
I don’t read nearly enough lol. I don’t really have specific authors so much as I have favorite books. I remember one series I really liked was called the City of Ember. It’s a dystopian series so I don’t know if you’d be interested in that. As far as I remember it never got too gritty or dark, and there are elements of mystery in it, especially in book one. I haven’t read it in a while so I don’t remember all the details, but I enjoyed it. I have been looking to read more, do you have any fantasy/ mystery books you’d recommend?
That’s really interesting! How long have you been working on this story? Have you decided what you’ll do when you finish it?
One of my favorite crafts to make are little dolls made from embroidery floss and pipe cleaners! I actually get a lot of character ideas from them (similar to when I draw) I make little mini ones that can fit in the palm of your hand too, and I’m hoping to start selling them as “comfort toys” for kids (As a kid and even now I’ve found that holding something little in my hand calms my stress). I also do a lot of volunteering at my church, and in particular I like teaching in the preschool area on Sundays😊.
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