#ScribesAndMakers 10.15 — How's your creativity going? Would you like help or critique?

To be fair, everything's been going really well for me lately. I'm currently working on a story and posting chapters on Mondays and Fridays for it. It's something for the month of October and beyond. Ooky spooky and so me, I have to say.

Other than that, I've been writing other things and posting them as I go along. I have some great friends who don't mind helping when I ask for it. We all do that for each other, so it's very helpful. I'm feeling great about it.

My creativity pops whenever this time of year arrives. It's always been that way.

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting

#ScribesAndMakers 10.16 — How do you involve native plants in your gardening?

I used to garden all the time. Multiple Sclerosis changed that for me. I miss it dearly. Maybe someday I'll get back into it.

#ScribesAndMakers 10.17 — If you play video games, what do you play them on?

Ooooooh! A prompt just for me! Fun fact, I have a full gaming desk setup, and I game on PC and Nintendo Switch.

#TheWitcher #TheWitcher3 #WritingCommunity #GamingCommunity #Gaming #GamingSetup

#ScribesAndMakers 10.18 — If you have published one or more books, do you read them after they have been published?

I do, and I have. In the world of writing and authors, we tend to write the things we can't find anywhere to read. We put those things out into the universe when we publish (or even just share) them. Of course, I've gone back and enjoyed my published stuff. It makes me feel proud. I've done the same with my stuff on Archive of Our Own as well, on another note. It reminds you of how far you've come, and where you're going.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 10.20 — How often do you go to physical bookstores? Do you have a favorite store?

Often, actually. There's a used bookstore in my own that I love visiting. That one's my favorite spot. I also enjoy going to the mall and popping by the bookstores there as well, and I always bring something home with me. There's nothing quite like having a real book in your hands. That's my favorite, even if I also avidly listen to audiobooks most days (while walking, exercising, or good house chores) and read ebooks as well.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 10.21 — Do you prefer fonts with or without serifs? Do you like different fonts for different purposes?

To be fair, and this is as I'm writing, I only ever use the Spectral font. That's my *only* preference. I'm easy.

Here's my blurb for example:

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #WritingCommunity #Worldbuilding #AmWriting

#ScribesAndMakers 10.22 — What’s your favorite horror novel?

Don't make me choose! I love horror.

It's a toss-up between these two beauties. Read Drood, seriously.

I'll leave you with this: "Drood" is a novel that delves into the last five years of Charles Dickens' life, focusing on his obsession with a figure named Drood. The novel is narrated by Wilkie Collins, Dickens' friend and fellow author, and it intertwines Dickens' personal and literary struggles with his obsession. The narrative is complex, blending fiction with biographical facts and exploring themes of obsession, jealousy, and the darker aspects of human nature. The book has been praised for its imaginative storytelling and Simmons' ability to weave historical details into a compelling narrative.

#WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity #Horror #CharlesDickens #DanSimmons #MaryShelley #Frankenstein #Drood

#ScribesAndMakers 12.1 — What creative projects do you hope to work on this month?

Fingers crossed! It'll be Wings of Quite Longing for the rest of the month, I think. I'm getting my writing in where I can, still trying to work on that story. It's my only focus at the moment.

#writingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.4 — Tell us about your audio recording experience(s). (Audiobook, podcast, music, recorded notes, etc.)

I actually have a podcast with 25-32k listeners, depending on the month. It's called #PandasDen, and I have my own hashtag for it on here. It's a wonderful community that I've built up over the years. I needed something to do during COVID, and this was it. I'll never stop now. It's my favorite pastime.

A tiny bit about it: Check out my show, PANDA'S DEN, a paranormal podcast about mediumship, where we share stories and have spirit box sessions with occasional (okay, more than occasional) funny moments. My girlfriend AKA @aperfectsong often joins me.

The blog for it: https://floofpaldi.blogspot.com/

My main profile (where you can also listen): https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/radiopandabear/

Here's my summary for the show: Do you enjoy exploring the realm of the paranormal? Welcome to our peculiar corner of the internet, a place where we perform live paranormal investigations and discuss mediumship and coexisting with the supernatural. If it's creepy or eerie, you're liable to find it here. Indulge your unearthly spirit and join us on a journey of spooky discovery at PANDA’S DEN, where the mysterious drop by for tea. This show is now available on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and wherever the spirits are listening! (I'm on 80+ platforms now.)

#writingCommunity #Podcast #PodcastLife #Podcaster #Podcasting

#ScribesAndMakers 12.5 — Do you have a special bookmark?

I actually do. It was my dad's, just something special to me, and I miss him tons. I lost him back in 2016, and it's just my way of keeping him close to me. My cousin Emily makes a lot of handmade gifts, thrifting things and improving on them or making things from scratch, and this bookmark was one of them.

#ScribesAndMakers 12.6 — If the internet permanently stopped functioning, would you still share your creative work? If so, how?

With my girlfriend. That's probably it.

This one was really easy for me.

#writingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.8 — Share a single line from a song you like. Ask people to identify the song.

Oh, this one's easy for me.

"You were the sweetest thing that I ever knew. But I don't care for sugar, honey, if I can't have you."

#ScribesAndMakers 12.10 — Have you ever seen a theatre production where you were impressed by the props?

Oh, definitely. My cousin worked on Broadway and recently retired. I was so impressed by every show that he did, from Mary Poppins to Cirque du Soleil to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. All sorts of things. (Mind you, I'm a theater and Broadway nerd as well.) For me, the most impressive one just has to be The Lion King. I was ten years old, and he brought me backstage to meet all the performers and see the props afterward. It was the best time, and I think experiencing that kickstarted my love for the business. The props (and god, the costumes too) were the most impressive things I've ever seen.

#Theater #Theatre #LionKing #TheLionKing #Broadway

#ScribesAndMakers 12.10 — Have you ever seen a theatre production where you were impressed by the props?

Addendum to my post: I want to talk about a theater production that had almost zero props. Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker blew my mind with Constellations. It was probably one of the best plays I've *ever* seen. I adore those two. What a story, and what a rather heartbreaking end. Check it out!

A bit of background: Constellations is a two-hander play by Nick Payne that explores the romantic relationship between Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper. The play is set in a multiverse, where every possible future exists, and the choices made by the characters can lead to different outcomes. Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker play the lead roles, with the play's structure involving multiple versions of the same scenes, each with slight variations. The play delves into themes of love, science, and the infinite possibilities of a relationship, making it a thought-provoking and engaging experience for audiences.

#PeterCapaldi #ZoeWanamaker #Constellations

#ScribesAndMakers 12.15 — How's your creativity going so far? Do you need help or critique?

Everything's going well, although I've been forced to take a bit of a break this month. I've only posted a few chapters for my current serial WIP. (Which is also how I got behind on my writing prompt tags as well.) The holiday season is always insane, and you can sprinkle in the madness of my nana having a broken foot, so I'm instead doing all the work myself. But I *have* done a bit of writing and things on that front are going well, all by some miracle. I always turn to my girlfriend and a few friends when I need a bit of help. I'm thankful for them.

#writingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.16 — Create a poll describing three creative projects you've worked on and one you haven't. Ask people to guess the one you haven't.

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting

#ScribesAndMakers 12.17 — Reveal the answer to yesterday's poll.

Here's the thing: I talk about Wings of Quiet Longing (current novel), The City of Opulence (another novel), and Panda's Den (my podcast with 32k listeners) all the time. It's hard to shut me up. 🤣

Veil of Ash and Thorns isn't a novel of mine. I made the name up yesterday on the spot. But it *is* a good title, especially one for a dark romantasy novel, and I might just use it someday!

#WwritingCommunity #AmWriting

#ScribesAndMakers 12.18 — Do you listen to music as an activity in itself, or is it more in the background?

Music is an integral part of who I am. As I'm writing this, I have a music mix that I made for a story of mine playing. I always have music (or podcasts) on. It's both things: background noise *and* an activity for me.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.19 — How often do you have time (or make time) to just sit and think? Not about a project or a problem, but just idle thinking.

Having anxiety and AuDHD makes this a bit difficult for me, along with a busy life, but I try. There's a lot to be said for relaxing, idle thinking, and letting your mind takeover (in a *good* way), and just letting yourself be. It's how I get ideas for my stories, to be fair.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.20 — What do you do to discourage or prevent insects and animals from eating your garden?

Animal-friendly sprays and home remedies for that sort of thing. You can only do so much. I miss my herb garden, though. Nowadays, I only have a flower garden. I miss having fruits, veggies, and herbs like I did at my old house.

#ScribesAndMakers 12.21 — If you had no other responsibilities or distractions, do you think you could write a complete novel in a weekend?

Of course not. Give me a month, however, and I could do it. Give me time, peace, and proper hydration and snackies, and then maybe I could get it done. Suggesting a novel could be written in a night (and by me, no less) is pure insanity.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.22 — Do you see art in everyday objects?

Always. Every single day. My grandparents were world-traveled photographers whose work would be in Nat Geo (and other) magazines. I have the mind for it, too. And things like that always make me imagine scenarios for stories, oddly enough. I'm a daydreamer, I can't help it.

#writingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.26 — What animal appears most often in your creative work?

I have two answers for this one: kitties and wolves.

That says far more about me than I ever could with words, probably.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.27 — Is there a number that you find aesthetically pleasing?

Such a random question but I love it. My OCD popped up and told me to answer this one with 888.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.28 — Can you describe the flavor of one of your favorite foods?

For me, it's anything that's spicy AF. (That answer was provided by my girlfriend, so thank you for that! LOL.)

#WwritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 12.29 — How many roads must a person walk down?

We're all so vastly different. The answer is simple: As many as it takes to finally arrive at your destination, and the answers will be varied and unique to everyone. Thought-provoking, isn't it?

#ScribesAndMakers 1.1 — Does the change to a new calendar year affect your creativity in any way?

Not really, honestly. It's just another day on January 1st, but I do set new goals for myself. That goes for both reading *and* writing as well.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 1.2 — Vivid?

Let's talk about vivid verbs. They enrich our writing for readers. "Vivid verbs" are active words that convey a clear, concise, and evocative action, and are strong enough to stand alone without additional description (or adverbs). Characters doing, wanting, going, destroying, creating, etc. It's easy to fall back on broad, boring verbs that paint the characters' actions in wide, clunky strokes. However, that generality holds our readers at a distance from the story. For example, "shuffle" and "saunter" are two vivid verbs that describe the act of walking, each with different connotations and imagery, that we can use instead of saying "walked slowly" or "walked lazily." I could go on, but I'll refrain. I love being nerdy about this kind of stuff.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 1.3 — Write instructions from the perspective of someone who has never done the thing they're giving instructions for.

I'll post this funny thing I showed my podcast followers once...

To make a demon yours, you can follow these steps:

1. Take the situation seriously and consider if you're serious about summoning a demon.
2. Move into a home with a dark past.
3. Get into the occult.
4. Start using a Ouija board.
5. Cultivate an obsession with death.
6. Keep your expectations in check.
7. Seek out haunted items.
8. Become as ungodly as possible.

Hopefully, things go well! Let me know how it works. 🤣

#Funny #WritingCommunity #PandasDen #Podcast #PodcastLife #Podcaster

#ScribesAndMakers 1.4 — Share a mondegreen (misheard lyric) you like.

While most people don't belt out ancient English poetry in the shower, they have misconstrued Jimi Hendrix's sexual orientation on the iconic hit "Purple Haze" with this one: 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy... Among many other offenses. The reason why I mention this is because I'm a *huge* Hendrix fan and "Purple Haze" is one of my favorite songs.

#ScribesAndMakers 1.5 — Make a story or art based on the misheard lyric you shared yesterday.

The misheard lyric: 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy...

I gotta be honest here, as a romance author this is the exact scenario you'll find in a lot of my stories. Let's talk about my WIP right now. I'll leave a little something down below. It's from an upcoming chapter.

(This is just an unedited / unfinished piece.)

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 1.6 — How long does it usually take you to decide if you like a piece of visual art?

For me, it's instant. I either like it or I don't. And just because *I* might not fancy it, doesn't mean someone else won't. Art is subjective. That's the beauty in it.

#WritingCommunity #Art

#ScribesAndMakers 1.8 — How long does it usually take you to decide if you like a piece of music?

Probably right after it's finished playing. If I play it again, then you *know* I probably like it and I'm trying to decide how much I do or if it's just a passing fancy.

#ScribesAndMakers 1.9 — Is there a difference in how long it takes you to decide if you like different mediums? Why do you think that is?

Alright, I'm gonna make a joke-not-joke here. I have a paranormal podcast AKA #PandasDen. *I'm* a medium. I can communicate with spirits. It takes me less than ten minutes to feel out whether someone else is a medium or not, if they're lying for attention or not, etc. You can *always* tell.

But more to the point, in reference to writing, films, photography, and art, it always takes time. Pictures are easier to digest, art takes longer, and novels take even longer. Nothing is ever the same when it comes to taking things in.

#ScribesAndMakers 1.11 — Is your creativity ever inspired by dreams you've had? If so, can you give an example.

That's usually the case with me. Dreams inspire me. I have very vivid ones. I watch a lot of TCM and older films or television, so sometimes I'll even dream in black and white. I'm also a fan of musicals and am myself a musician, so I'll occasionally dream in musical or Broadway format as well. But I do have very intricate, interesting dreams. Plots or characters for some of my stories might come from them. My current WIP, which I talk about quite a bit, actually originated from a dream. There's a good example.

#WritingCommunity

#ScribesAndMakers 1.17 — What's an animated movie you love?

Oh, gosh. Can I list three? Because I can't just narrow that down to one. Let's go with Spirited Away (2001), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and Monsters, Inc. (2001).

#ScribesAndMakers 1.18 — Have you ever experienced interactive art? If so, can you tell us about it?

Not really, no. But I *am* looking forward to reading everyone's responses to this prompt. That'll be fun.

#ScribesAndMakers 1.20 — When it comes to theatre, do you prefer tragedy or comedy?

Tragedy, always. Comedy is fun, and I do love it, but there's something special about tragedies. I say this as someone who is a massive opera lover as well.

#ScribesAndMakers 1.21 — Share an author quote you find meaningful.

It'll always be something from Mary Shelley when it comes to me.

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye."

This reflects Shelley's belief in the importance of purpose and focus in life, and I can heavily relate. It's something I should remind myself of more often as well.

#WritingCommunity #MaryShelley

#ScribesAndMakers 1.25 — You're going on a creative retreat. What's the most important thing you need to bring with you?

Books for breaks, packed clothes and stuff, CBD, laptop, notebook(s), lots of chargers, and a few pairs of my bluetooth earbuds, etc. You gotta be prepared!

#WritingCommunity