#time's shroud

[marnz]

captain swash prequel 🥰

ahhh thanks so much for asking about this!

I really wanted to explore a couple concepts in the Swash prequel. what if the best swordsman in the kingdom was a grizzled butch? what if the experience of war means she's now extremely messy interpersonally and does reckless stuff? what's her mental health like? why does Swash not become heir to the throne? what makes her get out of it--and does she do it subconsciously or was it a conscious decision?

also most importantly: what if swash meets a traumatized little kid and teaches them how to make themself safe? and what does this mean for perpetuating or not perpetuating cycles of trauma and violence? it's fun because in the time's shroud novel/series, which is set almost 20 years later, she's the main character's guardian, she's married, and much more put together, where as in this prequel she's an absolute wreck. it's also fun because she's much more of a Good Guy in the time's shroud series but in this...charcoal gray is the color of House Swash for a reason 🥰

thanks for asking! 💜

[marnz]

tabs i currently have open due to the novel:

ten hour creaky pirate ship in thunder storm soundtrack - i love the ambience!

cargo handbook page on beeswax - this is really helpful to know how stuff is stored and shipped

another tab on the collection and storage of beeswax

breakbulk cargo - this is a type of cargo that isn’t in shipping containers and it’s super interesting for historical and labor reasons

this masterpost of info on ships/boats

calendar of salmon fishing seasons in seattle

wiki page on nuclear meltdown

list of body language correlating to emotions - my absolute FAV, i ALWAYS have this open

if you see this and you’re working on writing or art: what tabs do you have open/what kind of research do you do for your projects? please share! 

[marnz]

ugh i was feeling so bad about my new draft and just unable to write so i had my partner read the first few paragraphs of it to get his thoughts and he told me it was amazing and purposeful and focused and some of the best writing he had ever read and requested i keep going....🥺

[marnz]

Ada Limón on Resilience, Writing to Keep Going, and “Lucky Wreck”

An interview with Ada Limón, whose first book of poetry, “Lucky Wreck,” is being republished in celebration of its 15th anniversary.

“I think I’m still interested in that idea of how we can praise and recognize grief. How can we have that capacity to hold all those things at once – to hold that small good thing and to hold the terrible truth? And I think this book was philosophically a paradigm shift for me because it kind of showed that this is going to be how I live my life. And recognizing that capacity is essential to living in a way that feels authentic with who I am, that it’s not a surrender to the sadness even though sometimes you have to do that.

I didn’t want to give up on bearing witness because it was too hard. It felt important that you have bear witness, you have to name it. You have to pay attention to it, but you also don’t have to live there. You also don’t have to wallow. And it felt like there was also a little bit of forgiveness in that, which was that part of you when someone else’s suffering feels like all you should do is suffer with them and lay on the floor and give up and just suffer because they’re suffering. I think this book was a moment when I realized that’s actually not what that suffering person wants you to do. It doesn’t honor those people that died in those towers. It doesn’t honor those people who are sick and at appointments and can’t go do what they want to be doing.

So then actually the process of praising and the process of noticing and the process of attention to the good things and the process of loving and the process of noticing the music of the world – I think that is as important and as necessary as witnessing and naming and holding the grief and sorrow that comes with being alive.”

[marnz]

Times Shroud :3

In a country that worships water spirits, Luka training to become the Water Guardian, the only person capable of physically interacting and communicating with the spirits. He manifested 7 years ago and ever since then someone has been trying to kill him. 

Not only does he have to figure out how to ascend to a full water guardian while staying alive and trying to figure out who is trying to kill him and why, he’s also a bit busy: his foster moms are getting married, his best friend is determined to redeem her House at any cost necessary, his masked bodyguard’s identity is still a mystery, and Luka still hasn’t met the man rumored to be his future husband. On top of all of that he’s starting to get the distinct sense people are not telling him some crucial things...Oh well!

if you like:

pining

historical events kicking off a period of sociopolitical upheaval and economic change

polyamory because of love triangles

political marriage

salmon

a main character that is very direct being forced to deal with a country that is Not Direct In Any Way

pivotal conversations taking place during dances that emphasize sexual tension

memory as a national narrative vs memory as a personal narrative vs other lies we tell ourselves

clothes

magic powered by emotions and relationships 

how capitalism and colonialism are the same beast

fantasy synthpop 

dogs and horses

you will like time’s shroud!!!!!! 

edit: this is an ask from @markcat but it looks broken on my dashboard, yikes

[marnz]

just talking to myself nothing to see here

so much of my novel is about the following questions, and i want to write them down somewhere

who is allowed to control and define national memory and why?

how do we move on from our past?

who confers power and why? what confers power and why?

how do we stop war and build connections? 

if vulnerability & kindness are key to building connections and community, is it still worth it even if you get hurt in the process?

what are you prepared to give in order to change?

what are you prepared to give for a cause?

is sacrifice an unrealistic and romantic notion, or is it legitimate? 

how can we incorporate sacrifice into a narrative and make it compelling and satisfying?

if you knew what was going to happen, would you try to change it or would you try to enable it? why?

what is the key to living with trauma? 

is the answer to run from trauma or to confront it? is there a middle ground?

so much of life is about our personal narratives. our memory depends on these narratives. what does it take to confront that your personal narrative is untrue? 

what does it take to change your personal narratives?

how do we stop our personal narratives from becoming a self fulfilling prophecy?

every time we access a memory it changes. would having an accurate record of memory be healing or damaging?

we focus a lot on the personal agony of memory. where/how can we focus on the personal joy?