The Delight of Graphic Novels

To begin my 2023 reading list, I read a few graphic novels, and to be honest, they bring me so much joy. Novels and short stories are my first love, but in recent months, I found new love with graphic novels and manga. If I want a quick and easy read, I’ll pick up a graphic novel. For the new year, I want to give myself more time to read some more. If ye have some recommendations for me, let me know what your favorite graphic novels are. Here are the graphic novels I started 2023 with:

Everything is Ok by Debbie Tuang

Everything Is OK is the story of Debbie Tung’s struggle with anxiety and her experience with depression. It’s a graphic memoir and I read it all in one sitting. Simple but beautiful portraits of her experiences with anxiety and depression. This book hit me right in the feels and made me feel seen. Debbie utilizes color in moments it was needed such as the break in her anxiety and the colorful moments in her life. I loved certain panels so much and related to them so much that I showed it to people I care it. I showed them that this was how I felt most days. So I thank Debbie Tuang for a great first read of 2023. A beautiful graphic novel, 5 out of 5 stars

The Boy, the mole, the fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

A sweet read after the deeply relatable Debbie Tuang’s Everything is Ok. I loved the beautiful paint-stroked drawings, and the aesthetic was remarkable. I never heard of this book, until they announced the BBC’s short film. Technically this book is more based on the movie adaptation, but it still left an impression on me. With my purchase, my copy of the book had a beautiful bookmark accompanying it. So Im happy with the purchase. It would be a gorgeous coffee table book for friends to pick it up and have a quick read. It rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

The Demon in the Woods by Leigh Bardugo

I picked up this book solely for Shadow and Bone. I liked the first Leigh Bardugo book and I liked the Darkling character. I wanted to try my hand at more graphic novels so I picked it up. The art style did its job, had a couple of beautiful panels and it gave good insight into the Darlings story. It has fun and okay journey to be on, so I give this graphic novel a 3 out of 5 stars.

Truth time, I started reading graphic novels so I could add to my read list. I want to read 50 books by the end of 2023 and with my inability to read fast, this was a pretty good strategy. However, from just these few picks I’ve read, I love this new change in media I decided to read. They are faster but some of them resonate with me more than regular novels. I adore the certain art styles that the authors bring and the stories they tell through that medium. I tell stories through words, that’s my forte. However, I appreciate and love this form of storytelling and I can’t wait to see what other graphic novels I pick up this year. Hope you enjoyed this post and see you in the next one.

Telling a story – What is the Point?

A thought came into my head recently.

“Why do I write?”

My answer always was, because I love it. I want to make this my dream come true. A job I can live for and be passionate about. So I work at it. I write and I write and I write. Then I don’t write and feel bad for not writing (an everyday struggle for writers). But what is the passion that drives me towards this journey? Throughout the years, writing was a form of therapy. I never thought of the function of writing. Ultimately, you write to tell stories. Whether it be your own or someone else’s, pen meets paper and a story evolves from this act.

What story do I have to tell?

In the last couple of months, I lived in this existential crisis over my writing. I’m not talking about the fear of not making it or that I’ll waste my energy on a hobby that won’t give me financial gain. For me, my purpose for writing keeps me up at night. I work on the stories and the characters. I attempt to craft a style that suits me as an author. But I write these literary moments onto paper and I wonder, what is the point? What is the point of these characters? What am I trying to say with this story I am creating?

With these questions boiling in my head, I couldn’t write. I fear not being original enough but I also don’t care about being original. I imagine these stories in my head, but once they hit my computer screen, I wonder if they mean anything. What is the point of all of this?

Until recently, I remembered that there is no point. All that matters is what is on the page. I breathe life into these characters with each keystroke and like that famous image, they won’t stop talking until they are written down. My purpose for writing was for pleasure. However, with this existential dread, I remember the craftsmanship of it all. As writers, we craft stories that are either worth telling or just so we can silence our brains.

I have come to love the art of writing. I love to learn new techniques from fellow writers. They inspire me to try new things and make me love the medium more. With each new edit, I add something new to my style, and the fact that I have a style baffles me. I educate myself on the use of descriptions and imagery. What images do I want to be associated with my work? What themes do I want to touch upon? I struggle with character dialogue so I take my time with it and listen to new tips with each new edit. Editing remains the most arduous task of writing, but I’ve grown to fall in love with it. I shape my writing and craft it into this piece of art. The story doesn’t have to be new, but the way you write can be. Something as simple as a scene where it’s just two people talking in a greenhouse can limit you but also enhance your story in many ways that you never thought possibe. That is the beauty of writing. Learn and fine tune your craft. Dont get bogged down by your ultimate meaning in your work. As you write and edit, the central message or theme or the point will reveal itself.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I shall see ye all in the next one.

Interview with a Writer #3

I haven’t done these in a while. I think my last Interview with a Writer post, was at the very start of my blog. So I’m very happy to be back with this series and to have a very exciting guest on this post.

My guest author for this post is Sean Armstrong. He was born in Staffordshire, England in 1985. When he took his GCSEs in Burslem, he took courses such as Food Safety, First Aid and excelled in skills such as Maths and English. In 2006 he participated in the Prince’s Trust twelve-week program based on team working skills as well as basic skills. In 2015, Sean gained a Business Administration qualification Level Two in City and Guilds as well as a CLAIT Word Level one. He also gained a Level Two NVQ in Children’s Care Learning and Development. His writing journey began in 2019 when after a breakup, he wanted to take on a new challenge and started writing two manuscripts for his current series, The Green Girl.

For the following two years, Sean saw himself continuing with the series so he wrote a further two more books. Currently, he is writing books five and six hoping to complete the series. Sean has mild cerebral palsy and learning difficulties but it hasn’t had any bearing on his ability as a writer. Sean has a wide range of hobbies and interests ranging from photography, food, and drinks, traveling, film and documentaries, watching live performances, walking, taking an interest in politics as well as socializing with friends and family. I am honored to introduce Sean Armstrong and that he would take the time to do an interview with me. Here is that interview:

1. How long have you been writing

I first started writing in 2017 when I wrote fan fiction however, I first started writing my first two manuscripts for my Green Girl Series in 2019 after a relationship breakup.

2. I see that you have dabbled in other pursuits such as Business and Children’s Care Learning. I am curious to know, what drove you to start this new adventure in writing books. Do you recall where your interest in writing originated?

After completing both of these courses I could find work so I decided that I wanted to challenge myself and that was when I started writing.

3. Do you have a specific writing style?

My style tends to involve fast-paced action.

4. Have you tried your hand at poetry as I can see you are primarily a novel writer? Have you ever written or attempted to write a short story or poetry? And if not, would you ever dabble into that form of writing? 

Yes, that would really interest me.

5. What books have influenced your life and your writing?

The Lord of the Rings, I Robot The Illustrated Man, and The War of the Worlds

6. What authors/poets do you idolize or enjoy?

Ray Bradbury, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Arthur C Clark, Neil Gaiman

7. Do you have a process that you go through when you are writing such as locking yourself in your room etc?

Normally locking myself on my own in my room. 

8. In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing?

Thinking of new ideas to make the story fresh.

9. What inspired the idea for the Green girl and the Serum?

I had the idea from a number of different sources. The first was The film Unbreakable where the main character doesn’t realize that he is a superhero this made me think about the idea for the Green Girl.  Another inspiration was the Metal Gear Solid game series I loved the twists of the plot as the story developed.

10. I see that Green girl and the Serum is in the YA genre. Do you like writing for a younger audience? What got you to write in that genre of fiction? Yes, I find it easier sometimes to write for a younger audience. 

11. Can we expect more adventures from Stacey the green girl ( more books after this one)?

I have written another three books and am currently writing books five and six completing the series. 

12. What books are you reading at the moment?

The Void Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton

13. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Everyone has the ability to write a decent story just keep going and also keep challenging yourself. 

I am grateful for this interview I had with Sean Armstrong. It was a real pleasure talking to him about writing and books. I hope to do more of these down the line because I create connections with people who have the same interests and aspirations as you. I love to hear from published authors their stories of how they got published and my favorite question is what advice would you give to aspiring writers?! Thank you, Sean Armstrong, for your time and your answers. If you want to check out his latest book, The Green Girl and the Serum, or want to find out more about him, follow the links below to his socials and his Goodreads page. Hope you enjoyed this post and see you in the next one.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59027743-the-green-girl-and-the-serum?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=YFQknxJEH2&rank=1

Twitter handle: @SeanArmstrong85

https://www.facebook.com/sean.armstrong.7315720/

Edinburgh – A writer’s dream

Recently, I went on a wonderful trip to Edinburgh, Scotland with my boyfriend. I was terrified and excited all at once. It was my boyfriend’s first time abroad and it was my first time traveling since COVID. So I was scared of the restrictions and how bad Covid might be over there. But I was excited because it was my first abroad trip with my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for over a year now and I wanted to treat him to a holiday. So we chose Edinburgh. The reason for it was because we decided on the holiday last minute. Our workplace was closing for the month and we had a full week off together. So we booked a short trip to Edinburgh because of the price and it was the easiest choice for the short notice.

The travel to Edinburgh was tiring. We booked a flight for half six in the morning so we had to take a bus at half 1 in the morning. Three hours bus ride and an hour flight away, we arrived at Edinburgh airport. We took the 45-minute bus trip to the city. It was really early in the morning so our first stop was breakfast in McDonald’s. I can never escape that place. But their breakfast was so nice. Everything was fresh, not too greasy. In Scotland, they call the bacon and cheese toasties, flatbread. I prefer the flatbread because it was thicker and more filling than our toasties at home. Since we arrived in the city at around half 8 or 9, we had to wait to till 3 to check in to our hotel. So we started walking on Princes Street to look at all the shops. Beautiful weather right off the bat. I dragged my tired boyfriend to Waterstones because I had to. Quite a few amazing choices and we dragged ourselves to the cafe upstairs.

A lovely place to chill for about an hour. But after overstaying our welcome, we moved along to the local park on Prince’s Street. We went to the section of green that was beside the National Museum of Scotland. Best place to chill. The sun beat down on us as we chilled. My boyfriend snoozed a bit as I listened to my audiobook. My current listen is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The main thing we did throughout this holiday was to go to this park and chill in the sun. Nothing exciting but relaxing nonetheless. After we chilled for a couple of hours, we headed to our hotel. We stayed at a very modern and quirky hotel called Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge. I highly recommend this hotel. It has a rooftop bar, you get complimentary cocktails when you check in, and the beds have a sensory light under them. If you get up or hang your foot on the edge of the bed, it lights up. You can see I was highly amused by this!

Once we chilled in the hotel, we headed out for some food. We had huge trouble trying to find a place for food. Surely on a Tuesday night, it wouldn’t be that busy. Every restaurant we went past, was packed. So we had to resign after an hour or two of searching for a restaurant. My advice for anyone going out for dinner in Edinburgh is to go earlier in the day. We learned our lesson on the first day so for the duration of our stay, we got our dinner at around 5 o clock in the afternoon and then hibernated in the hotel for the night. Also on our excursion for food on the first night, my boyfriend and I walked about the famous, Elephant House cafe. Unfortunately, it had a fire recently so it’s closed until further notice. Heartbreaking!

The one thing I couldn’t get over in this city was the architecture and the way the streets were laid out. The cobbled streets and upward hills. A very Gothic hue and mystical element surrounded the city. I was at home in this place.

From every turn and up an alley, you never know what kind of beauty you are going to find.

For the first couple of days, my boyfriend and I just went shopping and relaxed in the sun. He convinced me to get another suitcase so that he and I could do a bit of shopping. Mostly, I bought books (no surprise there), he bought some clothes and things for his family. We could feel our batteries recharging in this place. Everyone is so friendly over there too. You never know who you meet or what you find. For example, we had our breakfast on our second day in a random cafe called Cafe near our hotel. (Yeah I know. A very original name for a cafe) It was a super small establishment run by two really friendly Scottish men. They were very chatty, and accomodating and the place felt very inviting. At the end of our breakfast, one of the men gave my boyfriend and me two slices of shortbread for free and he thanked us for choosing their place for breakfast. We came across so many good-natured people in Edinburgh. When our third day in Edinburgh rolled around, we decided to do some sightseeing and went to Edinburgh castle.

Bring me back to my castle in the sky!

See my goofball x

I made him do it.

It was a beautiful experience to share with my boyfriend. I saw the castle years ago when I was a small girl. So to watch him get excited to look at all the tall walls of the castle and the beautiful view of the city below was so cute. We could see the spot we sat at the day before looking up at the castle. I couldn’t describe to you how surreal and perfect that view was. No photo could compare. If ever you find yourself in Edinburgh, visit the castle and take a look at the view.

The food in Edinburgh was amazing. We got beautiful ice cream in Artisan Gelato on Cockburn Street (the best ice cream I’ve ever had), and fish and chips in Berties on Victoria Street. We shopped in Waterstones, a fair trade shop called One World and found nerdy items in the Enchanted Galaxy. On the last day in Edinburgh, we spent it doing the last little bits of shopping and heading to the airport early.

This trip was the most beautiful experience I ever had. I call Edinburgh a writer’s dream. because you can’t help but feel inspired there. Everywhere I went, I saw someone reading. The black hues of the Gothic buildings can’t help but grapple your imagination. A shame I didn’t carry a pen and paper, but I did purchase a beautiful notebook on my travel. So I’ll always carry Edinburgh around with me, and I’ll pen any wonderful ideas I have. I hated that we had to leave, but the holiday was fun while it lasted. I intend to visit again at some point but on a more writer-orientated holiday.

Why do I write?

I’ve thought about this question a lot. I’ve watched many documentaries and videos on authors or poets I admired. I even started doing a series on my blog where I interviewed writer friends of mine and one of the main questions I asked was, “Why do you write?”

I never thought the question would be thrown back at me. I guess I never really thought about why. I just write because it’s fun. But I have gotten older. My writing has taken all these different turns. The books and stuff I want to write have morphed into something I didn’t expect. The good, the bad, the ugly, the awe-inspiring, and the heartbreaking moments on paper. To me, writing was my therapy.

@DraFairies3 on DeviantArt

I used the tool of fantasy to mask my reality, which wasn’t as pretty. I would come up with characters that would always be stronger than me. Characters I would always look up to. People that would speak their mind, stand up for what they believe in and fight for their passions. But that is a fairytale. A writer or reader subscribes to that idea of a fantasy that they would never live. So when I constructed my own fantasies where I control the outcome, it gave me some power. However, when I write for myself, about me and my experiences, that’s when I take that power for myself.

As I wrote more for myself, the need for it as my therapy dissipated. And the more I consumed other forms of literature, I wanted to use my writing for something else. During my Master’s degree, I attended one of my classes and the discussion for that day was Truth in Fiction. What could fiction teach us about the real world? Can there be truth found in fiction? We read a book by Louise Erdrich called The Round House and I was floored.

The book relied on its fictional status to touch on a real-life issue. A heartbreaking story of a mother’s rape and the book follows the point of view of her 13-year-old son. The story is fictional but the events of his mother’s rape are very real. How the investigation is treated and Erdrich had the story told in a different perspective when she focused on the Native American family. When I read this, I saw the truth she sought to tell through the story she made up. I saw the power her book held with very few words.

Books, poems, and any literary form had this power to affect people. But most of all, they can tell a truth that no other medium can. As human beings, we like to tell stories. It is how we were always able to connect. I pick up a book and I connect with these people I never will meet. These pages teach me stories and lessons without living them in real life. I think that is so powerful. That any possible word I write could teach someone something or connect with someone in that way.

I only wrote what I knew and how I felt. But now, writing has become a new form of discovery for me. A discovery of some sort of truth I never knew. I want to use this tool I possess to discover new things. Maybe some things about myself I never knew or about the world. What does it mean to be human? What would be my take on the concept of love or toxic friendships? Or it could be as simple as me writing a poem on what I ate for breakfast that day! Writing is so wonderful and fulfilling as a passion. I love it and I will continue doing it. It has been over twenty years since I started writing and I will never stop. Let’s see where it takes me.

I got asked this question for a segment with the magazine Unapologetic on their Instagram. Check out all their socials and their website. It’s an amazing magazine that is making waves and giving voices to new writers out there. I’ll leave their links and my video down below. I’m so happy to take part and you should check them out.

https://www.unapologeticmag.net/

https://twitter.com/Unapologetic111?s=20

https://www.instagram.com/unapologetic_mag/

Hi everyone! Meet Amy. Amy takes through her reasons to write and how the personal can influence the global. pic.twitter.com/TlXK51tHLK

— Unapologetic Magazine (@Unapologetic111) February 23, 2022