spooky

*slowly descending into madness while I add more and more details to my novel* (also I post art and stuff) (I am 235 years old and have been dead for 28 years, please be gentle with me)

[spooky-oh]

Novel update because why not

It's been a hot minute because I'm not a regular on social media, but I am happy to announce that, after a several-month break from writing do to just being too damn busy with other projects, I've started out the year strong and have just surpassed 100k words, some of which is terrible and definitely won't make it into the final draft, some of which I'm very proud of, and a lot in the middle. What matters is that it exists.

I've definitely expanded the world a LOT and added (honestly probably too many) plot details. My original finished draft of Book 1 was around 70k words, and I've already flown way past that and still have several chapters left to write.

It's been a back-and-forth process despite having everything plotted out, but I'm figuring out what works and what doesn't as I go. My goal for 2026 was to finish Book 1 Draft 1, and at this point I'm very confident I will :)

The biggest difference is I've been writing entirely for myself. I've stopped worrying about if other people will like my story or not. Who cares? This is for me. I want to read it. Maybe I'll post it somewhere eventually, but for now, I am my only audience and I am having a BLAST

[spooky-oh]

Recent Valinn art

My art has changed and improved so drastically since my very first Valinn sketches. Absolutely bonkers. I'm now able to draw my character so much closer to how I picture them in my head.

[spooky-oh]

Dump of some relatively less old Valinn art

The OG gang included Caze, Bodhi, Arden, Avi, and Ever, and hooo boy have they changed drastically but also not that much?

Caze's Very First concept was a demigod, which is like kind of still true, but also entirely incorrect. Like he's a mage and the origin of mages is sketchy at best, but now only one character is confirmed to be a "god" and it's not Caze.

Bodhi started out as a morally grey smuggler working for both sides of the war. That's...technically still true? He's an adrenaline junkie who smuggles for the thrill of it, but his morals are much less grey these days. Also there's no war. Sort of.

Arden was originally a slightly unhinged rebel leader (she was ready to murder at all times) and now she's a slightly unhinged scientist (no more murder but definitely irresponsible)

tbh Avi is more or less the same. He's always been an inventor/mechanic/engineer. His character design has definitely changed the most though. (He DID used to be endgame with Caze, and that has long since been scrapped.) (Don't worry, it's still a very gay story)

Ever no longer exists lol

[spooky-oh]

Dump of some old Valinn art

These are some EARLY concepts. Tragically we have lost the swords. Arden no longer has a prosthetic arm, but another character does. This iteration of Bones (white hair) has not existed for years at this point.

[spooky-oh]

I’ve recently done a full revamp of my novel—working title Valinn—that I started in 2018 and I have THE ENTIRE PLOT planned out now, front to end, book 1 to book 3 (it was only supposed to be 2 books but alas).

My problem has always been that I plot and write the first part of whatever project I’m working on, and then I don’t know where to go from there. I don’t know how the pieces eventually fit together, and I get stuck. SO this time around, I decided I am not allowed to start writing, not a SINGLE WORD, until the ENTIRE plot is finished.

It took about 3 months to collect all my notes from various places, sort and organize them into something cohesive, and solidify the world building and character arcs. That’s 7 years of notes across 6 journals and approximately 10 documents. I have an entire journal filled with world building notes and character details. I have the plot—bulleted out chapter-by-chapter—printed and hand-bound. Book 1 has been partially written, fully written, and now is in the process of being completely overhauled and rewritten again, this time with an ending in mind.

And wouldn’t you know it, this process is yielding results. I am FLYING through my (first?) draft at light speed, like 15K words a week on top of my full time job.

Anyway, I’m just incredibly proud of all the progress I’ve made on this project that has lived mostly in my head for the last 7 years, and I just wanted to yell about it on the internet.

[seleneelune-deactivated20251014]

Ahh this is so truee

[sneef-to-a-snorf-fight]

ground control to crazy frog

[luna-azzurra]

Emotional Walls Your Character Has Built (And What Might Finally Break Them)

(How your character defends their soft core and what could shatter it) Because protection becomes prison real fast.

✶ Sarcasm as armor. (Break it with someone who laughs gently, not mockingly.) ✶ Hyper-independence. (Break it with someone who shows up even when they’re told not to.) ✶ Stoicism. (Break it with a safe space to fall apart.) ✶ Flirting to avoid intimacy. (Break it with real vulnerability they didn’t see coming.) ✶ Ghosting everyone. (Break it with someone who won’t take silence as an answer.) ✶ Lying for convenience. (Break it with someone who sees through them but stays anyway.) ✶ Avoiding touch. (Break it with accidental, gentle contact that feels like home.) ✶ Oversharing meaningless things to hide real depth. (Break it with someone who asks the second question.) ✶ Overworking. (Break it with forced stillness and the terrifying sound of their own thoughts.) ✶ Pretending not to care. (Break it with a loss they can’t fake their way through.) ✶ Avoiding mirrors. (Break it with a quiet compliment that hits too hard.) ✶ Turning every conversation into a joke. (Break it with someone who doesn’t laugh.) ✶ Being everyone’s helper. (Break it when someone asks what they need, and waits for an answer.) ✶ Constantly saying “I’m fine.” (Break it when they finally scream that they’re not.) ✶ Running. Always running. (Break it with someone who doesn’t chase, but doesn’t leave, either.) ✶ Intellectualizing every feeling. (Break it with raw, messy emotion they can’t logic away.) ✶ Trying to be the strong one. (Break it when someone sees the weight they’re carrying, and offers to help.) ✶ Hiding behind success. (Break it when they succeed and still feel empty.) ✶ Avoiding conflict at all costs. (Break it when silence causes more pain than the truth.) ✶ Focusing on everyone else’s healing but their own. (Break it when they hit emotional burnout.)

[luna-azzurra]

Flaws and Quirks in Male Characters That I’m BEGGING Writers to Explore

✧ Dudes who are bad at sports. Yes, Chad, not every male character needs to throw a perfect spiral in high school. Let him get hit in the face with a dodgeball. Let him (please) suck.

✧ The “pretty boy” who's not vain, just vibing. Like he knows he looks like he walked out of a Renaissance painting but has the self-esteem of a lost ferret.

✧ Shy, awkward boys who don’t magically become suave by Chapter 6. No, he’s still weird at parties and says “you too” when the waiter says “enjoy your meal.”

✧ Flirtatious guys who are actually super respectful. He's flirty but not a walking lawsuit. Shocker. He’s playful, not predatory.

✧ Male friendships that aren't emotionally constipated. Yes, two guys can say “I love you, bro” and not immediately punch each other to cancel it out.

✧ The soft-spoken leader. He doesn’t need to scream orders or have a “gruff, commanding voice.” He just talks, and people shut up and listen because he’s competent.

✧ Dudes with weird hobbies. like, your guy MC collect antique spoons or have a YouTube channel rating old vacuums. Why not. It’s his passion.

✧ Guys who are clingy and insecure in relationships. Not abusive, just genuinely terrified of being left on read for too long. He's trying his best, ok?

[ms-mazarin]

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

[fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment]

In addition to a little pizzazz in the dialogue tags, these are also super useful as part of the narration, or summing up/paraphrasing something that has been said, or even in a character’s dialogue as they describe how someone was talking!

[morganwriteblr]

Snarled growled hissed my BELOVEDS

[sourdough-seal]

hyperfixation please stay with me long enough to complete the project. hyperfixation do not fade. hyperfixation finish what you started for the love of god

[nondelphic]

"just write a little every day" ok but what if i write nothing for 3 weeks and then suddenly type like i’m being hunted by god

[spooky-oh]

Bird pirate

[spooky-oh]

I’ve played this game more times than I care to count. Highly recommend if you’re into dialogue choice driven games. Also the music is the perfect mix of spooky and chill

[spooky-oh]

Apparently I’m in a redraw kind of mood these days. No thoughts. Just vibes.

[spooky-oh]

Time for the somewhat annual redraw of my very first digital drawing (2018). Second is 2019, and most recent is 2023. I love how my anatomy and lighting has improved so much and then the way I draw fish is exactly the same. In fact most of them are in the exact same positions.

[spooky-oh]

Have I ever actually finished Naruto? No. But I wanted to draw fan art and no one can stop me