Hot Chocolate Symbiosis

Also the last in-person show of the season, a coupon code, and musings on writing.

For a first-time event, Nerdy Wonderland was a smashing success! We have a few stumbling blocks to sort out before the next one, but overall, we had large crowds, great music, and cheerful spirits all around. We had so many wonderful vendors working with us, and while none of us had much time to actually interact with each other (a good problem to have at a show), it was still wonderful to get the time I had with them. I love the energy of the vendor community, the kind of vibrant camaraderie that comes with a group of people pursuing a challenging dream and also hauling a lot of heavy boxes in close proximity.

I have one more of these coming up next week, and then I am done for the year!

An Art I Have Done

After a full year of following the polar bear and eating all the leftover seal meat, the arctic fox shows gratitude with a treat of hot cocoa and ginger snaps. Yay symbiosis!

Mercantile Madness

Tomorrow is the last day to order apparel, mugs, and ornaments from my shop, and Wednesday is the last day for prints, totes, pencil cases and charms. After that we’re at the full mercy of the post office.

And they have no mercy.

Mostly ‘cause they’re too busy and work too hard, really, but still. Time is the enemy of us all.

Tomorrow is also the last day for 10% off your order with code ARCTICFOX so take advantage of that if you want cozy critters on a hoodie or a mug or a wall art!

Other Tales

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind here for the past… several months, but calmer seas are on the horizon. I’m looking forward to having a little bit of time to make plans for the new year and perhaps settle into some more experimental work. I’ve been feeling the itch for real media for a while now, and I get to spend some studio time with some of my artist friends next week. Our Elements show is my next big project focus now that everything else is settling.

The urge to write is also growing stronger. I have identified some snags in the current draft that require a little bit of side work to untangle, and my intention is to have that solved by January, when I’ll take a big swing at finishing it.

I did not go full bore for NaNo this year, partially because it was not a feasible option and partially to avoid burnout. I won it last year, but by the skin of my teeth with the final day being nearly 10K of words churned out to cross the finish line. I think the 50K challenge is a wonderful concept, especially since the fear of creating an imperfect draft is such a common barrier to entry for so many of us. But for me, the spirit of NaNo is to embrace your writing and let go of fears more than it’s about hitting a certain number of words. Since I’m a real trash-rat when it comes to my early drafts, perfectionism is no longer a concern for me until editing time (when I have to clean up all the garbage I merrily flung at the page), and I learned my lesson when the pursuit of wordcount last year led to writing burnout that lasted most of 2023. We all have different needs when it comes to our goals, creative or otherwise, so I think it’s important to examine any approach (be it self-inflicted, societal, or a challenge like NaNo) for how well it’s serving those needs and be prepared to pivot.

All that to say that I’ve dusted off an old tale, started redrafting it, and have discovered its fundamental (current) issue: I don’t know my protagonist deeply enough. It began as an attempt to create an otherworldly fairy tale, which meant that its initial form was both short and plot-driven, but as I expand it this becomes a hindrance. So this month, protag and I need to sit down and have some long conversations so that next month we can work out the tale together.

Instruments of Inspiration

This one’s for the storytellers out there:

Apparently written in honor of Critical Role, but I feel like this is 1000% relevant to any worldbuilders, writers, DMs, or daydreamers out there.