My Art from Inktober 2023 (Part Three)

Previous parts here and here. 

Hi everyone, 

I have been very busy recently, and because of that I forgot to blog. So, I am going to break the silence with the last part of my Inktober series for last year. I had intended to post it earlier, however I forgot to take the last photos. 

 Here's the official prompt list: 

#21 Chains. I drew Oak with chain-like jewelry on her neck and arm. 

#22 Scratchy. I drew a cat since they are known to scratch things. 

#23 Celestial. Arisias gets a part of her powers from the goddess of the moon, Salissah. So, because of this, I felt like drawing her with the night sky behind her. 

#24 Shallow. I took this to mean shallow water and drew two ducks I had taken a picture of near water. 

Here's the photo. 

#25 Dangerous. I decided to draw a witch's secret hideaway. 

#24 Remove. I decided to draw a Halloween drawing of carving a pumpkin.  

#25 Beast. I decided to draw a sea monster. 

Due to the fact that I forgot to write down the prompts, I forgot which days each of these were for:

 However, the prompts are Sparkle, Massive and Rush, so you can try to determine which is which, since I'm not entirely sure. 

#31 Fire. And finally fire. I watched The Wicker Man (1973) for the first time last Halloween, and felt like drawing the Wickerman burning. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Which drawing is your favorite? Now that I'm back, what kinds of blog posts would you like to see from me in the future? 

-Quinley

Using Polls to Create Art #8

                                                    Previous parts: #1, #2, #3, #4 ,#5, #6 and  #7. 

Hello everyone, 

I'm back with another installment of using polls to create art! 

To summarize what this series is about, I post a poll asking what I should draw. People vote, and whichever choice ends up winning, I draw. Unless otherwise stated, every drawing was a majority vote.  Also I should add, some of the drawings this time around are redraws of Pixton comics I made when I was a child (I was about twelve or thirteen I think?) I had voters vote on which of them I should redraw. While the others are the usual drawings you'd see in this series. 

Here's the drawing that came out of the poll in the previous post in the series. 

Felix Moore from Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass ended up winning. So I drew him as a merman. 

I had a lot of fun drawing details in the drawing like the suit and tail. 

I also made a video showing my process of drawing it. 

I did a poll where I redrew a painting in my style. The painting that the drawing was based on was this one. I thought it made sense for Ophelia to be using the crystal ball, given that she likes that type of magic. 

I had the voters decide on which of my characters I made in Pixton I should redraw in my style. 

Lieutenant Williams ended up winning. She is a half Klingon half human. 

Here is what she looked like in the Pixton style: 

I wrote the comic she was from years and years ago, and there were a ton of spelling errors in it.

But, I find it nice to revisit old stories and characters-- especially because they can show how different 

my stories are today than they were back then. 

 

Speaking of old stories and characters, I had the voters decide between having me redraw this Pixton comic  and another one.  The second one won, which is Edward's and Willow's wedding. I decided in the redraw not to draw them in the same pose but instead draw them in different poses. In the comic as a whole I would use real photos as the background while the characters would be Pixton characters. 

 Looking back at it now, the backstory of how they fell in love is really not romantic. The comic itself retold the story of The Little Mermaid (leaning towards the Disney version, not so much the Hans Christian Anderson one) but with dryads and wood cutters. And in this version Willow literately caused the shipwreck and then when she saw how handsome (and in pain) Edward was, she changed her mind. She didn't do this for the several wood cutters before 🤔-- 1,712,302 of them to be exact, I'm not joking: that was the number I wrote in the comic, minus 1. 😆

I don't know what child-me was thinking! 😂 Especially since Willow never once tells him that she was the dryad that did that at all. 

This is a drawing of Elm. I had the voters vote on what I should draw her wearing out of several options for outfits. This outfit ended up winning. I really like how the outfit looks. However, I feel her arms are a little too short proportion wise. But other than that I like the drawing. 

This is a character from the same fanfic that I wrote years ago. I had another poll, about which character I should draw in my style, and she won. She is called the EEH (Emergency Engineering Hologram). I was inspired by the Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager when creating her. I wondered why there were no holograms for emergencies involving engineering. (That we can see in the show). 

In the (Pixton) comic she is an enemy of the doctor on her ship. They don't have a particularly good relationship. And she was activated when most of the crew on the ship was kidnapped by aliens. So, she plays a similar role that The Doctor in Voyager plays.

This actually turned out to be a drawing that came out of a poll, and I somehow forgot that I had drawn it for that reason. This drawing was actually included in this post, though I combined it with a drawing that didn't come out of a poll. 

Anyway, I had the pollers vote on which character I should draw, and what they should be doing. And Oak doing archery won. 

Now for a new poll: 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Which drawing is your favorite? And would you like to have a wedding out in the woods? 

Or did you tell any funny stories when you were little? 

-Quinley 

The Jolly Genre Jubilee Tag + The HonsTEA Tag

So, I decided to do another double tag post. Because both these tags involve writing or have questions about it, I thought it made sense to include them in the same post.

For the first tag: The Jolly Genre Jubilee Tag, I was tagged by McKayla at Tales of a Triple Threat. Thank you, McKayla. :D 

The Rules-

-Thank the person who tagged you

-Leave a link back to the creator 

-Answer the questions honestly, and include at least one gif of a pelican 

-Tag 3+ friends to do this tag on their blog 

(Gif from Giphy) 

I misread the rule at first and for some reason thought you wanted to find a gif of a seagull (and was going to reference "Seagulls Stop It Now"). Then I realized after I had found a really cute seagull gif that you actually wanted one of a pelican....

                                                       So, anyway let's begin: 

What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?

I have two genres I write in a lot: Fantasy and Gothic.

 

I have been writing Fantasy for a very long time. My first novels were in this genre. Specifically, the sub-genre of Fantasy I tend to write the most is High Fantasy. I love spending time creating different worlds, species, and magic systems. 

I started writing Gothic more recently, and I am enjoying it very much. I am writing my first Gothic novel right now, titled Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass. 

What genre would you NEVER get caught writing.....EVER?

(Felix is against the genre of Gothic (even though he is in a Gothic novel)...So, I felt this was fitting for this question)

I think YA fiction. Not that I have anything against it, but right now I can't imagine myself writing a story in that genre. Partly because I tend to write stories with older protagonists (or younger protagonists). However, one day I could write a story with young adult main characters, but at the moment I don't have plans to. 

I also don't want to write a book that is romance only. I usually like books that have a subplot of romance, but don't have the book centered completely on that.

What fictional genre feels most like home to you?

It's a mix of High Fantasy and Gothic for me. I like them both for different reasons, and I find them comforting for different reasons. 

I like High Fantasy because I can escape into different worlds of my own imagination, and I can imagine what it would be like to have magic or be another creature (that isn't human). 

What I find comforting about Gothic literature is that I can make myself scared in a fun way, and not scared or stressed in a real way. This is important to me with the world being so unpredictable right now.

If you could transform your life into any genre of your choosing, what would it be?

(Elm (left) and Oak (right) who are characters from a Fantasy story of mine)

High Fantasy for sure! I want to live in a world where I am a shapeshifter or an elf, where magic is everywhere, and where adventures await. It just seems super fun and something I would really like to do. (At this point, this answer probably isn't surprising to you.)

What genre does your real life resemble at the moment?

Interestingly, my life is like a Gothic novel at the moment. There is a lot of fear regarding the unknown, and everything is a little bit unpredictable, so of course it would fall into the gothic genre.  

(Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89724.We_Have_Always_Lived_in_the_Castle?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=3jautJsjTN&rank=1)

 I would say in terms of Gothic stories We Have Always Lived in the Castle is what it closely resembles.  I would have preferred it to be like The Picture of Dorian Gray or Frankenstein. But nope, my life happens to be like We Have Always Lived in the Castle. 

What's a genre you're interested in writing, even though you've never written it before?

Science fiction, I like Star Trek so I've always wanted to write a novel in that genre, however, I haven't gotten around to writing one yet. 

What genre is your most recent plot bunny and where did it come from?

I have two plot bunnies that have been hanging around. They are...

The third book in the Lady Annabelle Mystery Series. I had an idea for a third book in my head for a while, and now I finally know what is going to happen in it. It is a Fantasy/Murder Mystery. The novel was inspired by a mixture of different songs, though I had a bit of an idea in my head for what should happen before inspiration struck. 

The second is The Haunted Sketchbook, which is Gothic and Historical Fiction. It (like Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass) was inspired by a nightmare. And I plan to write it once I finish Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass. I also plan to delve more into the details of the story in later posts. 

How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?

Be prepared, the list is long...

Fantasy, murder mysteries/crime fiction, fan fiction (in comic form), super hero (also in comic form), gothic, historical fiction, romance (as a subplot), contemporary, humor/satire, retellings, poetry, a little bit of science fiction (if we count my numerous fanfics of star trek), ghost stories, spiritual (All Is Not Lost For All Begin Again is in that genre) and so many more. 

I tag... 

Elena 

Maya

Skye

Lanie  

And anyone who wants to do it. 

the questions (for copy and pasting purposes): 

1. What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?

2. What genre would you NEVER get caught writing.....EVER?

3. What fictional genre feels most like home to you?

4. If you could transform your life into any genre of your choosing, what would it be?

5. What genre does your real life resemble at the moment?

6. What's a genre you're interested in writing, even though you've never written it before?

7. What genre is your most recent plot bunny and where did it come from?

8. How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?

For the Second Tag: The HonsTEA Tag, I was tagged by McKayla at Tales From a Triple Threat and by Elizabeth from Autumn Ink. Thank you, McKayla and Elizabeth. :) The tag was created by Nie at From Nie.  

                                                                         The badge: 

                                                                     The rules- 

- no lies allowed. if an answer is too shameful to expose you may substitute the answer with a gif/image of someone drinking tea. 

- there are optional bonus additions to questions but these are not for the faint of heart. if you complete the tag having answered every question + the bonus additions (no gifs used), you are dubbed a certified tea chugger, and you deserve a badge to show the world that you are not afraid of a steaming hot cup of TRUTH. tag at least one other person (a tea party with just one is not very fun. trust me.) untagged persons are more than welcome to fill it out as well (nothing cooler than crashing a tea party). 

     what is a 'bad' (generally disliked) movie that you actually love?

(Image from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Beasts%3A_The_Crimes_of_Grindelwald#/media/File:Fantastic_Beasts_-_The_Crimes_of_Grindelwald_Poster.png)

This is generally disliked movie because the lore of Harry Potter was altered and distorted. Since I had only read the first five books of Harry Potter, it didn't bother me or affect my enjoyment of the film.  In fact, I viewed the movies as a series unrelated to Harry Potter franchise. (I also enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film, which is why I wanted to see the second). 

In regards to the issues involving the characters and lore, I didn't even know who Nagini was until I looked the character up later, so  I was unaware of the controversy about what Rowling did to the character. My first thought was that she was a new character, who happened to be able to turn into a snake, not that she was going to be Voldemort's (evil) pet later...😬  But if you think about it hard, there are so many things wrong with Rowling's choice to do that with Nagini....

(Image from Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/the-niffler-is-back-as-you-saw-in-the-trailer-and-the-niffler-may-have-babies-eddie-redmayne--459719074460137904/)

But ignoring those elements, I honestly only watched (and rewatched) the movie for Newt Scamander (who is one of my favorite fictional characters), the (baby) Nifflers, and the other beasts. There were some things about the movie that did bother me, but it is very fun to watch nonetheless. But I should say, I don't agree with or support Rowling's recent controversial behavior. I just like the Fantastic Beast movie series.

                             what is your most shocking reading habit?

     Eating snacks while reading. However, I only do this with books I own, and I make sure to wipe off my hands before turning a page. Annotating could also be considered a shocking habit. In academic settings it is accepted, but not everyone approves of writing in a book. 

                              tell us the number one lie you write in your posts.

        I...don't have an answer for that. Not that it is too revealing to share what lie I could have had. But the only lie (which wasn't really a lie) I can think of, is me saying "it reminds me of something that happened to me last summer" in this post as opposed to saying "it reminds me of my surgery that happened last summer." So not really a lie. 🤷 Just me being overly ambiguous about what happened that summer. (I wonder if the readers who read that post when it first came out had wild ideas as to what actually happened when they read it because I was so ambiguous about it, just curious...) 

(Ophelia drinking tea to wake up in the morning)

                          So I shall have to post a drawing of someone drinking tea...

tell us the worst character name you've ever thought up. {bonus: share a character name you find ridiculous in a book/movie}

(Lauralas and George...Totally not Legolas and Gimli)

This isn't so much the worst name as a purposeful play on the name Legolas Greenleaf. But it still sounds silly. It's Lauralas Greenfield. The character, was a comic relief character within a group of comic relief characters in my first (finished) novel, Tess Short (book one). They were created both to be a parody of the Fellowship of the Ring and to be comic relief from the stressful action. 

And answer to the bonus question. This is not a bad name, but, I always (even though I hadn't read or watched Game of Thrones) found the name "Jon Snow" to be a little odd, because it's so ordinary. Every time I heard it (from people who liked the show) I always thought it was spelled "John Snow." So there is nothing wrong with the name, it just seems out of place in a Fantasy setting. 

                         what is the real reason you procrastinate writing your work in progress?

         Generally because I have schoolwork or an (academic) deadline I have to complete. It isn't really procrastination, just a need to get the stuff that is more important done first. 

Also sometimes I have other non-writing related projects I'm working on, like videos I film of myself acting (Shakespearian acting, improv, etc.), or animation projects (for example an animated short film), or even writing a song. So once again, it's not really procrastination when it comes to working on those, but, it is sometimes the reason why I am not writing my current novel at the moment. 

                                             what is a genre of music you secretly love?

(Elm (left) and Sebastian (right) performing a song together) 

Everyone on this blog knows I enjoy this music style, but I do not (usually) tell this people who aren't on my blog this. So, this isn't a secret or a surprise to you, but to the rest of the world it is... 

So I like a lot of folk music with Celtic and/or medieval influences. My favorite music tends to be inspired by mythology, folklore, or a fantasy story of some kind. Since it is hard to look up those exact words on a Google Search to find the music I am talking about, I am going to give you examples: 

And that is not to say that I am ashamed that I listen to it, I am happy that I found a music style that I love, but I have gotten some weird reactions from people when I tell them what music I listen to and that it isn't mainstream music. 

if you're a plotter, what do you really think of pansters? and if you're a panster, what do you really think of plotters?

Honestly, I tried pantsing before and failed at it, so I am very amazed and in awe of people who can do that because I cannot. I get really stuck if I do not plan ahead for what is to happen next. Though, I am usually very good at improvising on stage, on paper it's much, much harder. 

share at least three lines of dialogue from one of your first writing projects {bonus: give us the good stuff. your most gruesome butchering of the English language)

I will be sharing two for the first question, from my first ever novels:  One that was just called "my novel" and was never finished and another Tess Short (Book One), which was my first completed novel (first draft-wise not editing wise). Since I have really two first novels, I thought I'd share excerpts from both. Here is the opening (unedited prologue) for Tess Short (Book One): 

Mr.short was considered a normal Hobbit which means not going out on adventures with elves , fairies or dwarfs or any creatures of any sort. Until he did , which I may say is a story for anther day. 

“I don’t understand why he would want to go on a adventure” said Mr.Largefoot. 

“Adventures are a waste of time also” he added. 

“ and You miss a lot of meals…” added Ms.hairyfoot. folding her laundry into a pile. “But I can’t see why he would run away with that elf like that” 

I do actually want to rewrite this novel, given that I really like the characters from it and want to make it less of a...Hobbit rip off. I'm not sure when I will rewrite it, though. Sometime would be nice; maybe in the future. 

And then the novel which I simply called "My Novel" (which was unfinished). I stopped part of the way through (because I had writer's block), but it was the story Oak was originally from. Once again this is unedited: 

the mist was around the rocks of the beach you could hear the soft sound of a flute playing. but out of the peace and quite a dark looking ship came in. the flute playing stopped, the girl who was the holding the flute got up from were she was sitting, 

“What is that doing here?” Delphi said. 

she could hear voices inside, she climbed onto the ship, “Now were should I take over first??” a man who seemed to be wearing a crown, but she couldn’t make it out. 

...The king was not very stealthy in regards to taking over the kingdom...At all. 🤦 (I'm pretty sure he rolled a natural 1 on stealth).  Also question (to my younger writer self): "If Delphi is half siren and there are probably other sirens around, how did the king not get lured to his death?" I mean, if he did get lured to his death, all the characters' problems would be solved...easily. 

                                                            * * * * 

And for the bonus question, even though I shared two, I felt spelling-wise this was hilarious. This is from The Case of Confusion, the novel that didn't end up working but introduced me to the characters who ended up being in my current novel (The Mystery of the Body Thief):

"I thought we had solved it!!” said Phillip. 

“Well..How could I be sure, and it wasn’t me it was Time” said Annabelle. 

“Now your blaming the most famous dective in the world!!” said Phillip.

“Actually I think he is only famous in this kingdom not very much anywhere else” 

“Well still your blaming a famous Dective!!” protested Phillip.

I spelled "detective" wrong twice. So, anyway that is all the snippets I will be sharing from my past novels for now. 

                        tell us the title & artist of the last song you listened to. 

The last song I listened to was: "No One" by Miracle of Sound ft. Karliene . 

                   which beloved book/movie character do you dislike & why?

                   I have a few book characters I really dislike, but I will go with this one...

(Image from Twitter, https://twitter.com/HorstPhoto/status/540959859043500032)

  Anna Karenina. I really wanted to like the book, because I liked other classic Russian books like Crime and Punishment. But I could not enjoy Anna Karenina, because I loathed the title character (and her adulterous-horse-racing boyfriend, Vronsky) with a burning passion. And I just couldn't sympathize with her at all...I somehow could sympathize with Raskolnikov, who is a murderer, but not her. 

                       tell us the title & topic of a post you have left in draft. 

                                                 "There is no 'correct' way to be creative" 

   This was me basically writing a rant about "set down rules" for creativity, and how there is no one way to do something creative. I may actually revise that post and post it sometime in the future, though in its current state, I can't really post it.  

what is a book you pretend you've read/would like to read but know you never will? {bonus: share a time when claiming you've read a classic/well known book didn't end well}

I do not have an answer for this one because...I tend to read a lot of classic books and I know I am going to eventually read one in the future. I didn't think I would ever read Dracula (when I was younger) and I am currently reading it, so...I can't really make plans for what I won't ever read in the future....

Also I've never really claimed to read a book I hadn't, I've had strong opinions about books even if I hadn't read them (but had read a summary), but never pretended to have read them. 

(Matilda drinking tea)

So I guess, I'll have to post an image of someone drinking tea....Since I didn't quite exactly answer the question. 

tell us the title & topic of the most embarrassing post you've ever written. {bonus: include. the. link.}

I don't really find my old posts embarrassing so much as funny (sometimes). I do look back at my older posts just to see how I viewed different things when I was younger.

(A drawing of a nameless evil villainess which was included in the post) 

 I wrote a post the first year I ever did NaNoWriMo called November Novel writing!! (and other fall things). Not only did I talk about the writing I was doing in it (though never talking about what I was writing, just that I was writing), but I posted a drawing and I also included a short book review in it. In that post I say (I highlighted the repetition): 

"Inkheart by cornelia funke it's very good so far. the story is very interesting and complex. The characters are very interesting and have very interesting characteristics. I also love that the characters talk about books."

I didn't really describe why the characters were interesting, I just repeated that they and the story were interesting over and over again. Also,  I find this line to be so funny (once again, I highlighted the repetition): 

"mostly I have been writing and writing, and more writing." 

I for some reason find this funny. I mean it's not wrong: I was doing a lot of writing. I just wish I had told people what I was writing. Though, I suppose to say it now. I was writing the first attempt at The Lady Annabelle Mystery Series, which I called The Case of Confusion. That attempt didn't really end up working, but in the end I created The Mystery of the Body Thief, which did end up working. 

(The drawing of the nameless villain has nothing to do with the story I was writing. I should add, I just included it in the original post...because).  

I tag: 

Mary Kate

Gauri 

Maith

Annika 

And anyone who wants to do it. 

the questions (for copy and pasting purposes): 

1. what is a 'bad' (generally disliked) movie that you actually love?

2. what is your most shocking reading habit?

3. tell us the number one lie you write in your posts.

4. tell us the worst character name you've ever thought up. {bonus: share a character name you find ridiculous in a book/movie}

5. what is the real reason you procrastinate writing your work in progress?

6. what is a genre of music you secretly love?

7. if you're a plotter, what do you really think of pansters? and if you're a panster, what do you really think of plotters?

8. share at least three lines of dialogue from one of your first writing projects {bonus: give us the good stuff. your most gruesome butchering of the English language)

9.  tell us the title & artist of the last song you listened to. 

10.  which beloved book/movie character do you dislike & why?

11. tell us the title & topic of a post you have left in draft. 

12. what is a book you pretend you've read/would like to read but know you never will? {bonus: share a time when claiming you've read a classic/well known book didn't end well}

13. tell us the title & topic of the most embarrassing post you've ever written. {bonus: include. the. link.}

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is your favorite genre to write (or read)? And do you have a genre of music you secretly love? 

-Quinley 

Miscellaneous Drawings #2

                                                     Click here to read the first part 

                                                                Hello everyone, 

I thought I would share some drawings that I drew recently: 

                        

Here is a portrait of my character, Elm. I decided it would be neat to have her wear jewelry, though she usually wears only a few pieces of jewelry if she wears any. I imagine she would dress up like this for a concert or a performance. 

I drew this while I was reading Jane Eyre for a book club, called  Sundays with Jane Eyre. 

I drew this on paper originally and then digitized it. 

This is a portrait of my character, Oak. I like how her expression turned out in the end. 

Here is a drawing of the Greek goddess, Artemis. This is concept art for a short film I am working on. 

I drew this for a prompt (I did other prompts from this series too) which was to draw your character(s) at Hogwarts. For Elm, I decided that Hufflepuff best suited her in terms of houses, and I enjoyed trying to make her look younger in terms of age. Though this wasn't a prompt from the list, I may end up drawing some of my characters in a similar fashion, but with Camp Half Blood instead of Hogwarts next. 

Finally, here is a drawing of Lady Annabelle in the 3D Disney animation style. I did this because I thought it would be interesting to see how it would turn out, and I like the end result. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Which drawing is your favorite? Have you read Jane Eyre? If not, do you want to? 

-Quinley 

Never Have I Ever: Book Edition + The Bookworm's Tag

Since these two tags seem very similar to each other, I decided to do a double tag post. 

For the first tag: Never Have I Ever: Book Edition, I was tagged by Annika at Annika Larraine, thank you so much, Annika, this tag looks so fun. 😄

The rules- 

 -Link back to the original creator: Madame Writer

-Link back to the person who tagged you

 -Answer all prompts

-Add one more prompt of your own

-Tag at least five people

-Don’t lie!

-Have fun!

The questions-

Never have I ever: Read a Later book in the series first.

Actually I have, a couple times. I did it either without realizing it or because the book in the series was the one I bought, and I wanted to see if it I liked before I read the first book. 

Never have I ever: Burned a book.

Never, and never want to...Poor books! Plus, there are so many negative connotations behind burning books. So I don't know why anyone would think it would be a good thing to do. (I mean it's usually related to censorship, and I really don't like censorship). 

Never have I ever: gone into a shop to buy one book but came out with many.

Yes! That happens a lot. 

Never have I ever: loved a book when I was younger but hated it when I was older. 

I haven't really had this happen as much. I have had books that I don't like as much now that I'm older, but I've never outright hated a book. 

                      Never have I ever: read a book I knew I’d hate.

(Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/41865.Twilight)

Yes, I've done this with... Twilight. A lot of people around me liked it. I knew I wouldn't really like it if I read it. I tried reading it but never finished it. I couldn't relate to Bella or Edward, and I didn't want either of them to get together. I also really didn't like Meyer's version of the vampire. Give me a vampire that isn't super strong and sparkly but is scary instead!

Never have I ever: wrote a fan fiction about my favorite book.

Yes I have actually. It was in comic form (made on Pixton), but it was still a fanfic. 

Basically it was a fanfic of Percy Jackson but with my original characters: 

Here are a few of the characters I made.
(Also please excuse the spelling errors. I made this comic before I started editing my writing). 

While I wouldn't call Percy Jackson one of my all time favorite books, it was at least a book series I really like, though there are some critiques I do have of it now. 

Never have I ever: dressed up as my favorite literary character.

I have multiple times, usually for Halloween, though more recently I dressed up as Sherlock Holmes for a monologue (that I filmed and posted). And I dressed up as Victor Frankenstein for a comedy sketch scene. 

Never have I ever: hated a book by an author I love.

Yes, it is unfortunate when it happens. 

Never have I ever: skim read a book.

Accidentally I have, but yes. Usually after I do that, I go back reread and annotate. 

Never have I ever: pretended to read a book I haven't.

I don't think I have. 

I know I shouldn't do this, but sometimes I have strong opinions about a book even though I haven't read it. I can get into trouble in conversations with people who like the book...I should probably read the books before I critique them. 

Never have I ever: read a book without the dust cover.

Yes I have, a couple times. 

Never have I ever: had a book boyfriend/girlfriend.

Yes, I think the reason why I did it was because everyone else my age had or has a boyfriend. (I actually don't want a boyfriend, at all.) I found that I felt of left out of conversations with friends. So, I would just say, "Legolas is my boyfriend" or "Raoul from The Phantom of the Opera is my boyfriend," just so I could feel included in the conversation. Side note, you have no idea how many silly arguments arise out of saying a fictional character is your boyfriend, partly because someone else then wants the fictional character as their boyfriend. 

Never have I ever: picked up a book based on the cover alone.

A couple times, some with good outcomes others with not so good outcomes...

One bad outcome in particular was Matilda Bone. I thought the book seemed like it may be good based on the cover...And then I read it, and it turned out not to be. 

Never have I ever: read the end of the book before the beginning.

No, I try never to do that. However, I do sometimes have to read summaries of books (classic books) in order not to feel lost when reading. 

Never have I ever: read a history or anthropology book for fun.

All the time, and while this isn't a book, I am listening to a history podcast about Chinese history for fun. 

Never have I ever: participated in a readathon.

No, but I want to. But I am a slow reader, so I'm not sure I could. 

Never have I ever: bought multiple books in a series before reading it.

I have, actually. I have a lot of Heroes of Olympus books on my shelf that I still need to read...

Never have I ever: written in a book.

Yes, I annotate in them, that's one of the ways I stay focused while reading. 

Never have I ever: filled up an entire bookshelf and have to have stacks of books balanced precariously throughout different rooms.

Yes...That happens a lot, more in my bedroom, and less in different rooms around the house. 

Never have I ever: loved a book most people don't like. (Annika's question) 

  

Yes, but it depends on which friend group I am in. I have been in groups who love the said book, and I have been in groups who loathe the said book with a burning passion. 

One incident in particular happened with a book I really love, Frankenstein. I was in a group who loved the book, and then I was in a group who had to read it for school, so didn't like it at all. 

And my question: Never Have I Ever: Liked the movie adaptation of a book more than the original book. 

I tag: 

Elizabeth 

Sadie 

Skye 

Victoria 

MiddleEarthMusician 

Bailey

The questions + my own question (for copy and pasting purposes):

• Never have I ever: Read a Later book in the series first.
• Never have I ever: Burned a book.
• Never have I ever: gone into a shop to buy one book but came out with many.
• Never have I ever: loved a book when I was younger but hated it when I was older. 
•  Never have I ever: read a book I knew I’d hate.
• Never have I ever: wrote a fan fiction about my favorite book.
• Never have I ever: dressed up as my favorite literary character.
• Never have I ever: hated a book by an author I love.
• Never have I ever: pretended to read a book I haven't.
• Never have I ever: skim read a book.
• Never have I ever: read a book without the dust cover.
• Never have I ever: had a book boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Never have I ever: picked up a book based on the cover alone.
• Never have I ever: read the end of the book before the beginning.
• Never have I ever: read a history or anthropology book for fun.
• Never have I ever: participated in a readathon.
• Never have I ever: bought multiple books in a series before reading it.
• Never have I ever: written in a book.
• Never have I ever: filled up an entire bookshelf and have to have stacks of books balanced precariously throughout different rooms.
• My question: Never Have I Ever: Liked the movie adaptation of a book more than the original book. 

And here is the second tag: I was tagged by Victoria at Soli Deo Gloria. Thank you so much, Victoria! 

                                                                    The Logo: 

The Rules

Thank and link to the blogger who nominated you. 

Include the tag graphic in your post! 

Answer the ten questions the blogger asked. 

Nominate five to 10 bloggers. 

Ask your nominees ten book-related questions!

Don't feel obligated by these rules. 

(Most importantly) Have fun! 

The questions: 

Which book have you read that you wish you had written?

That's a hard question. You see, I don't exactly wish I had written someone else's book (because I feel like that would be stealing). I wish that I was around the time when, for example, epic poetry was being written, so I could write an epic poem, not someone else's epic poem, but my own epic poem. 

And I've also wished I could write like Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving and Mary Shelley at different points. But I've never wanted to have written their work. (Unless in writing their work, I could add elements/tropes that show up in my writing? But on the other hand...Would that really benefit their fiction by doing that...?? It helps mine and strengthens mine, but would it work for theirs??) 

Anyway, despite my long ramble about that, I'm just going to choose two books off the top of my head to answer this question with: Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray are books I would have wanted to have written. 

What is your favorite classic?

Usually I would answer this with a Gothic book from the 18th or 19th century, but I am going to answer it differently this time... 

(Images from Goodreads, here and here) 

So, two of my favorite (classic) epic poems are The Journey to the West and The Odyssey. I started (and am still reading) The Journey to the West. I really like the religious elements (mainly Buddhist religious elements, since the protagonists are Buddhist monks, but there are mentions of other religions too). And I also like Sun Wukong. He is one of the main reasons I really like this book. 

For the Odyssey, I really enjoy it, because I love Greek mythology, and I like how the gods influence the plot and help or stop Odysseus in getting home.

What is one book you want to see made into a movie?

So, I have several books that I want to see made into movies (really, books I would like to make into movies myself). Most of them are classics, but there is a book I wish they would make into a movie, which is... 

      (Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/613866.Igraine_the_Brave?                                                  ac=1&from_search=true&qid=EIZ7XQHJun&rank=1) 

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke. A movie was made of Inkheart, so I really want there to be a movie for Igraine the Brave. However, I want to be the one to make the movie, since for a screenwriting class I took, I decided to turn the book Igraine the Brave into a script for a movie. 

If you had to burn any book on your bookshelf which one would it be? (I know, I'm so mean.) XD

I am thoroughly against the idea of burning books, because it is often linked to censorship (which is very harmful).  I know I've said that before, but it's important...Also, why are these questions so obsessed with book burning?? 

But...Let's say I had to burn a book for whatever reason because something horrible would happen if I didn't...

                                                                       (Images from Goodreads, here and here). 

I would burn either Matilda Bone or Tuck Everlasting. Both of these books I despised (and I am not over extracting), since I really disliked the protagonists in both these books and wasn't rooting for them. 

In Winnie's case, I was begging her to leave the Tucks (and to stop flirting with a boy who is older than her). And in Matilda's case I was groaning about her being so judgmental and prejudiced. 

Anyway, if I met either of these characters I would not be friends with them. 

Which book inspired your love for reading?

(Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5907.The_Hobbit_or_There_and_Back_Again)

So, the first novel that I read after I learned to read was The Hobbit, which then inspired me to read Lord of the Rings, and then after that inspired me to read other long books (like The Odyssey).

Would you rather spend a day with the author of your favorite book or spend three hours with the main character in your favorite book?

I would spend three hours with the main character from my favorite book, though spending time with the author would be fun too. I feel like getting to meet the main character would be so neat. 

What is one book you have re-read before?

(Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35031085-frankenstein?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AW4g6jfpO8&rank=1)

So, I tend to reread a lot of books. As it turns out, if I like a book I will likely reread it more than once. But I will go with Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I have reread it at least twice, since it is one of my many favorite books. (Actually, I probably have read it three times, but I am not entirely sure...) 

Which book brings back the most childhood memories?

Okay, so there are several books that bring back childhood memories for me. (I could make a long list of all the books.) But I am going to go with a different answer than I would normally for this and say... 

(Images from Goodreads, here and here) 

Holly the Christmas Fairy and The Faraway Tree. I loved both these books. I loved the character of Holly in Holly the Christmas Fairy. (They should really write more books with her. I'd read them.) And in The Faraway Tree, I really enjoyed the adventures the children had in the different worlds that come to the  tree. 

What is your favorite romance trope?

I don't tend to like romance alone as a genre. That is, I wouldn't usually seek out books that are just romance (though there are exceptions to that), so I prefer it as a subplot in a story. 

But...my favorite has to be the trope of Forbidden Love. For some reason it shows up a lot in my writing, and I have no idea why. But given that I like writing it, I also like reading it...depending on how well it is done of course. 

Audiobooks or no audiobooks?

(Technically Arcasia (the blog's mascot) could not listen to an audiobook, since those things don't exist in her world. (Unless you count people performing epic poems, but that isn't the same.) But since I have no recognizable characters from the modern world, I decided to just go with it). 

Audiobooks for sure. This is because I like the idea of someone telling a story to me. It's just so relaxing. So, when I'm tired, I find them easier to read than normal books. 

I tag: 

Galatea at Blooming Elephant 

Gauri at Brighter Alleys 

Elena at Life is a Beautiful Ride  

Hailey at The Girl Behind the Camera 

McKayla at Tales of a Triple Threat 

Artemis Crescent at Artemis Crescent 

Annika at Annika Larraine 

My questions:

1. What's your favorite sub-genre of Fantasy? And why? 

2.  What is your favorite book series? And why? 

3. Who is your favorite fictional character and who is your least favorite fictional character?

4. Would you rather get stuck in the world of your favorite book and not be able to return to the real world or you're in the real world but you're stuck permanently in the body of your favorite character? 

5. What's your favorite genre of books to read? And what's your favorite book from that genre? 

6. What's your favorite Fantasy trope? And why is it your favorite trope? 

7. Do you have a favorite myth or fairy tale? If so what is it? 

8. What is your favorite novel? And what is the opening line of that novel? 

9. What types of bookmarks do you use? Random pieces of paper, hand-made bookmarks, or something else? 

10. Do you write annotations in your books? Why or why not? 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Have you ever written a fanfic about your favorite book/book series? And do you have a favorite romance trope? 

-Quinley