Also To Add (in Reference To The Text Below The Cut) As Soon As This Is Out, Page Or The Full Thing I'm

Also to add (in reference to the text below the cut) as soon as this is out, page or the full thing I'm going on break. I've been extremely happy but logging on and being expected of + this taking a lot out of me is slowly killing me via poison,

Artillery Iron Maw.

I know I haven’t been posting much art. I know I’m going ~500 words a day on this novelette and I know I just saw one of my favs casually mention they did 10k in 2 days but I am so happy. These past few days I’ve been in a state of bliss. I’m so close to being done. I’ll be putting my thoughts on all of this in the acknowledgements page but ohhh this lady ..

I finally got this out in text form! Give it a read, will you?

✦ Rosemetal — A Developmental Essay & Guide to Not Throwing Yourself in Development Hell

Psst, want some sci-fantasy wedding crashing? Read it here!

Hey. Hi. You there. You've been procrastinating on a creative project, haven't you? Oh no, don't you run away now. I have something to hell you.

Not too long ago, I wrote and put out my novelette. And I feel amazing.

It's something that you wouldn't understand unless I give you some context. I've never really been a finisher for projects that require a lot of attention. This isn't a recent thing, either. In fact, two months ago I was packing up all of my books and notes in order to move, and in there I find so. many. beginnings. So many of them! I see a few comic panels, a few paragraphs, some game concepts. It excites me. Then, I turn the page and...nothing. Whatever thought process I had, the sketches were not enough to invoke that.

If you've been procrastinating, this is probably where your attention is properly caught. Okay, so, what did I do? How did I do it? How did I break the curse?

I took the exciting idea I had at the time, found the most realistic way I could tackle it, cut it down to size, set goals, and got to work.

Actually, let me break this down for you.

[ 1 ] I have an idea!

Yeah, you do! That's great. This is usually the calm before the storm in these types of things.

My advice is do something you're crazy about. Trust me. It doesn't matter what your project is, really. You need to work on it. Work is still work. It can be fun work, or it can be gruelling work. If it's not an idea you're crazy about, it'll become gruelling fast.

[ 2 ] Wait, tackling?

Yes, tackling. Trust me, if I could've, I would've been the authour of multiple book series and the developer of many award winning games. But this is where your downfall is.

If you don't properly appraise yourself—what you can actually do with your current time, funds, and overall ability—you overshoot your mark. You aim to make the next Warrior Cats or that VN with 100 different endings depending on every choice. And you get to work...and you flop. Your attention doesn't hold. The workload before you is too massive. You don't have it in you. You turn away, maybe forget it within a week or two. It's fine, it happens, but here we're trying to figure out how to stop it.

Rosemetal might've done better as a comic or a game, something with little word and more visual media. I'll admit that. But also I'll admit I am terrible at making comics and even worse at making games. I know how they work! In theory. Theory only. My work is pretty, but I knew I couldn't keep up with the 'pretty' demands of a comic, and I would give up the second it came down to actually making all the assets, let alone coding it. I'm great at rendering, and good at writing too. The solution? Make a descriptive writing with an art pack and chapter art thrown in. There! Done!

This is me outlining my strengths and weaknesses and playing into them. Do that for yourself.

[ 3 ] Cutting down???

You need to do this.

If you suffer from this problem, I guarantee you need to do this.

Think seriously. Don't sugarcoat: how many series have you wanted to write? How many games have you wanted to make? How many songs? How many sculptures?

Now how many have you actually made?

Grandiose ideas are enchanting. I'd say you can't dream too big, but you can overshoot when it comes to making that dream a reality. Again, this has to do with what you can tackle.

Take that idea. That long series you wanted to make, yeah? Something that would rival the bible in pages? And think about how you can make it as short as possible.

Cherry pick the most important things. The specific thinsg you want to get across. You can build bridges from there. Type them out, or visualise them in a drawing, whichever suits you best. How many chapters do you want? How many significant scenes?

When you're done, look at it. Is the picture clearer? is that cool idea you once had showing itself to you in a plot you can follow? If so, great! If not, do a little more visualising. Take breaks, it doesn't have to happen all at once. What matters is you're going somewhere.

Have faith. Drink water. Get a snack. Laugh and smile, it's good for you.

[ 4 ] Okay! And what about goals?

How many words can you type in a day? How long does it take you to do art? How much of x do you want done by y?

Don't let yourself slump into just doing whatever work when you feel like and then not taking that into account. You do that, and you'll fuck it over. You won't keep track of how much you're getting done, and it'll feel like somedays theres nothing and then somedays theres a half coded game in front of you. You do this, the risk margin of you not finishing your project grows.

You should set goals. "I, Y/N, do solemnly swear to at least sketch out 2 game assets a day". Something like that. Make them bullet points in that journal you always use, put them on sticky notes. Link the goals to a treat. You've really been wanting that uh, acupunture appointment, yeah? Well you can book it after you hit that 5k words, and you can throw in a little extra if you do it before Monday! Incentivise yourself. Hype yourself up.

[ 5 ] Work.

Go on, chop chop! Get to it! Start writing / drawing / etc! It won't do it itself!

Get friends to help motivate you. Have those treats just out of reach. If you need meds, take them as you should.

But above all? Know your limit.

I know it sounds a little strange, I mean, your limits are likely why you've struggled so much. But if you try to push yourself, you're more likely to frustate yourself than to actually get work done. Your strain your dominant hand. Your eyesight gets blurry. You're uncoordinated. That's your body telling you to calm the hell down. You should listen. If you don't, it'll cost you.

[ 6 ] I uh. Don't have a sixth point

It's true! I'm sorry! Just review these points over and over. Don't be afraid to ask people who've made something for advice. Fear and sloth are terrible vices, don't let them get you!

— Pyrrh

WAIT I JUST REALISED

✦ ✶ ✷ THE PRIESTESS

Borne in the unforgiving frost of Saint's time, what the Priestess seeks is known to her and her alone. Two pairs of wings allow her to soar considerable distances out of harm's way, and her large, albiet older frame is a good deterrent when paired with her threat display. One thing is certain; she may be no killing machine, but she will not be made a victim—not when there is work yet to be done.

AWOOORRR AND THE REVIEWS ARE COMING IN

Artillery Iron Maw.

I know I haven’t been posting much art. I know I’m going ~500 words a day on this novelette and I know I just saw one of my favs casually mention they did 10k in 2 days but I am so happy. These past few days I’ve been in a state of bliss. I’m so close to being done. I’ll be putting my thoughts on all of this in the acknowledgements page but ohhh this lady ..

[RINGING DINNER BELL OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD]

BLACKSOMMAR FINALLY. FINALLY HAS OFFICAL CONTENT

♱ Rosemetal ♱

Releases August 1st!

It’s the day of Honoured Tooth Artillery’s wedding, something she’d been looking forward to since whelphood. But when it's crashed by a horrific experiment that looks all too much like herself and she is assumed dead, it's up to her alone to find out what exactly her fiancé has been up to.

ROSEMETAL is a work of fiction based in the world of Blacksommar, but can be read without trawling through lore. It contains violence, body horror, and sci-fantasy elements.

8.2k+ words, 4 spot illustrations, comes with a gallery including developmental art & misc. illustrations! .PDF + .EPUB available :)

PREORDER— 5$ ON ITCH.IO