So I utilised Nai's incredible talent for aesthetic boards and asked her to make me some aesthetic pieces for Book Four to print out and have around as I plan.
This is one of my favourites she's done and hopefully given you a vibe for Book Four... ;D
Ohh, what a week!
So, my plan was to start expanding on the overall plans for the beginning, middle, and endings. This is usually how planning works for me is that I just gradually expanding them and things start to come together and can see where I can fit in the events I want and need to happen.
But what happened instead was the story was just…flowing! I began planning out the beginning, and I was gone! The story events were just popping up in perfectly natural places in the n...
2023-05-26 13:00:59 +0000 UTC View PostAva is unaccustomed to feeling small. Unaccustomed to feeling inferior in power.
But in the presence of this Anunnaki, Ava feels both.
Felix reaches a hand forward, and the air ripples and shimmers in front of where they’ve been forced to stop. The magic that resonates off of this winged giant…even Ava can feel it is ancient.
A nauseating knot begins to twist and ball in her stomach as she stares at the man.
“Your attempts to save the human are admirable, but the...
2023-05-24 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostAdam is unaccustomed to feeling small. Unaccustomed to feeling inferior in power.
But in the presence of this Anunnaki, Adam feels both.
Farah reaches a hand forward, and the air ripples and shimmers in front of where they’ve been forced to stop. The magic that resonates off of this winged giant…even Adam can feel it is ancient.
A nauseating knot begins to twist and ball in his stomach as he stares at the man.
“Your attempts to save the human are admirable, but t...
2023-05-24 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Not only is it perfect, but it’s my first Echolian (Echo World language) name for an antagonist, which is even more exciting! :D
Took a bit of working out with the Echolian ‘translator’ I have going on, but Nai translated as I read out meanings and words until the perfect one finally came to me!
2023-05-22 11:32:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Obviously everything spoilery has been blocked out, which is pretty much all of it, hehe! :D
But I wanted to give a look at how I begin planning the actual story itself.
...And it's really not pretty, lol!
But this is how it all begins 'cause you have to start somewhere.
At one of the writer's retreats I went to, there was a small lesson on planning. And the lecturer sa...
2023-05-21 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone, it's Nai here.
As you may know, Mishka had a bit of an emergency situation with her rabbits this week (which is still ongoing) and hasn't wanted to leave them. She plans with paper and pen anyway but it just meant she couldn't get online so she's asked me to give you all an update this week instead.
Even with the rabbit-situation, we've got LOADS done toward Book 4 planning! I started recording ALL of Mishka's coding variables, all the way back from Book 1 onto new s...
2023-05-19 13:22:00 +0000 UTC View PostWe've been looking at Patreon content for the year ahead and have some seriously fun stuff planned!
But when I was thinking of which Unseen Scenes I'd like to write, I realised there were so many for Book Three, hehe! So, as with the scenario specials, I thought I would throw it out to you guys to ask which scenes you think!
There's already been a suggestion for the auction scene from the LI pov, which I thought was a brilliant one!
So which scenes from Book Three wo...
2023-05-17 12:59:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Always gotta hit those emotional beats as best as possible…hehehe! ;D
(Mishka is having an unfortunate emergency with her rabbits so can’t get on Patreon at the moment, but she wanted me to post this for you all to enjoy as she’s still working on Book Four plans)
2023-05-16 11:08:47 +0000 UTC View PostIt was a shorter week again but just as productive!
We had social media days this week, so that’s all organized and ready for the rest of the month. The only thing left to do for that is the Book Three debrief and chat for the Monthly Bonus Content #2 on Patreon, but we want to make sure we have a lot of time for that because we’ve been excited to finally get to talk about it for soooo long!
I’ve also been working on some writing practice this week in my off time. Something ...
2023-05-12 13:21:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Nai knocks it out of the park with this awesome floorplan she managed to bring to life from my awful, unintelligible sketch plan, lol! :D
It feels good to finally be getting a pile of solid floorplans up together instead of just having them floating about in my imagination!
For those wondering why Douglas doesn't have a desk, it's because he mainly works at the front/reception desk. Other...
2023-05-10 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[GIF Description: Person being coy and making a 'shhh' sign with finger]
Oh guys, I was so close to spilling so much because I got so excited, lol! Thank you to that lovely patron for being so understanding when I quickly backtracked on that convo ;D
It doesn't bode well for keeping spoilers when I'm in the planning stage and already want to talk about it so much with everyone! ...
It was a short week with the bank holiday Monday but still a good one!
Tuesday I spent on bug fixes and things for book three and getting those sent to Hosted Games, including getting the flipped moon icon sorted! :D The moons should now all be correct!
Then I was back to planning and managed to sort something with the antagonist that had been keeping me stuck!
The issue with them that I was talking about before is now working but in a different and waaay better way! Before ...
2023-05-05 13:21:00 +0000 UTC View Post
I’d almost forgotten what sunshine looked like until the rain finally broke. It’s been a four-month deluge since the beginning of the year and to see anything other than thick, choking grey cloud is a blessing.
But now glorious Spring sunshine melts away the storm and spreads a spotlight of gold across my living room.
It also illuminates the dust that has lingered too long like an unt...
2023-05-03 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
I’d almost forgotten what sunshine looked like until the rain finally broke. It’s been a four-month deluge since the beginning of the year and to see anything other than thick, choking grey cloud is a blessing.
But now glorious Spring sunshine melts away the storm and spreads a spotlight of gold across my living room.
It also illuminates the dust that has lingered too long like an unt...
2023-05-03 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[GIF Description: Drew Barrymore, in some seriously amazing earrings, rubbing her arms saying, 'Chills'.]
I was actually shouting to Nai like, 'I have actual chills right now! This is perfect!!' Hehehe! :D
Guys, I was so seriously tempted to share it, but I think it would be too spoilery even out of context, lol!
But I've saved it to Book Seven's playlist because *chef'...
2023-05-02 11:26:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's an out of context sneak peek for something coming up in Book Four...hehehe ;D
2023-04-30 13:15:50 +0000 UTC View Post
So a lot of people have been interested in how I go about planning, so I thought I would share how I go about it in the Extra Glimpse posts.
The planning stages do actually change from book to book as I learn and improve and figure out how to make things go smoother for how I work, but this is how I’m approaching it for Book Four.
First up though for all books is to get out the notes I’ve been gathering for that specific book.
Here is a small selection of some for Book F...
2023-04-29 13:00:00 +0000 UTC View PostKind of a ‘ditto last week’ kind of update this week! 😃
Planning is very much a same-y task, so not much new to report except that I changed a couple of aspects happening in Book Four and now things are really beginning to take some very exciting twists, hehe!
There is only one thing about the antagonist that I’d really like to give them but I just can’t seem to make it fit. Planning is definitely the only place I can work on this, but even so I’m not sure I can make ...
2023-04-28 13:10:01 +0000 UTC View Post
The Big City is as the Big City always is: busy, polluted, busy, loud, busy.
Did I mention busy?
Pedestrians whack into my shoulder as we try to wrangle through the crowds spilling out of towering buildings like water gushing through a dam. I rub at my arm, throwing a glare at the passers-by but they’ve already moved on before they can get the heat of my anger.
Of course, Felix is...
2023-04-26 13:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
The Big City is as the Big City always is: busy, polluted, busy, loud, busy.
Did I mention busy?
Pedestrians whack into my shoulder as we try to wrangle through the crowds spilling out of towering buildings like water gushing through a dam. I rub at my arm, throwing a glare at the passers-by but they’ve already moved on before they can get the heat of my anger.
Of course, Farah is...
2023-04-26 13:00:00 +0000 UTC View PostNext month, for the Monthly Bonus Content #2, me and Nai are going to have a sit down and have a chat about Book Three now that it's out!
It'll be a fun time to finally just get to talk about the whole thing now that I've had time to let my brain process the release and you guys to get to play it, hehe! :D
And we would love it if you guys would want to get involved!
We'd love to hear your favourite moments, any fun questions you may have, romance moments that got you...
2023-04-24 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostI have this weird thing where I both love and hate planning, hehe! :D
I love it because I get to decide everything that's coming up and get hyped about the scenes I'm going to get to write (some of them I've been waiting over a decade to turn from notes into actual scenes, so I am intensely excited about that!).
On the other hand...because there's so much I wanna write I just want to be writing it now, lol!
But I definitely learned from Book Three that I can't rush ...
2023-04-21 13:13:01 +0000 UTC View Post
“You both understand the rules we have in place?” the instructor asks as she hands us our paintball guns.
I grip the surprisingly weighty piece of equipment and throw a look over at Adam.
His jaw is set as his nostrils flare.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…
As the instructor moves away, we turn to head into the grounds. It’s more like some bizarre art gallery than a forest, the trees splattered in a mix of colours and small drops of paint drippin...
2023-04-19 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
“You both understand the rules we have in place?” the instructor asks as she hands us our paintball guns.
I grip the surprisingly weighty piece of equipment and throw a look over at Ava.
Her jaw is set as her nostrils flare.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…
As the instructor moves away, we turn to head into the grounds. It’s more like some bizarre art gallery than a forest, the trees splattered in a mix of colours and small drops of paint dripping...
2023-04-19 12:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post
(GIF Description: Someone giving a proper smirky-smirk...)
*rubs hands together* Oh my, am I ever excited for what's gonna happen! I mean, the ball makes me happy enough, but I forgot about some of the other smaller stuff and...well, I'm already intensely excited to write them, hehe! :D
2023-04-17 11:16:01 +0000 UTC View PostAaaahhhhh!!! Book Three is out! People have played it! People are enjoying it!
*incoherent screaming*
I have been such a happy buzz all week! :D
But I did manage to get my brain to work past the internal ecstatic dancing in order to get a lot done too, hehe!
I wanted to make sure I was on top of any bug fixes that came through and get those back asap. There's a stat-based one I'm still working on checking out, hopefully will find the ...
2023-04-14 15:37:04 +0000 UTC View Post
The scent of lavender invades my nostrils, along with about fifty dog hairs. I crush my lips together to hold back a sneeze, tightening my grip on the mountain of things in my arms: a thick velvet dog bed, a huge bag of squeaking toys, at least five blankets, three different leashes, and two harnesses.
Oh, and a jar full of home-baked dog treats.
I never thought I could be jealous of an animal, but Dylan—the fire station’s Golden Retriever and sort-of mascot—lives a life of ...
2023-04-12 13:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
The scent of lavender invades my nostrils, along with about fifty dog hairs. I crush my lips together to hold back a sneeze, tightening my grip on the mountain of things in my arms: a thick velvet dog bed, a huge bag of squeaking toys, at least five blankets, three different leashes, and two harnesses.
Oh, and a jar full of home-baked dog treats.
I never thought I could be jealous of an animal, but Dylan—the fire station’s Golden Retriever and sort-of mascot—lives a life of ...
2023-04-12 13:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
This was literally me to Nai, hehe! :D
Thank you so much for all your kind, wonderful, and excited messages and comments! They are appreciated more than you can know! I am in such a state of extreme relief and joy to know that you're enjoying it and getting lost in Wayhaven once more!
Can't wait to begin the journey for Book Four now... ;D
2023-04-10 11:21:01 +0000 UTC View Post