rynling | 2026 Writing Log, Part Ten

- I did a final edit + line edit of the stories in my Ruins zine to get everything ready for layout.

- And then I did the layout! As soon as I get the art for the back cover, the zine should be ready to send to the printer. I still need to format a web version to post on Itch.io, but hopefully that shouldn’t take too long.

- I got started on “The Deadlands,” my story for The Reins of History, an upcoming Final Fantasy XII zine. I’m still being very slow with everything I write, but I have plenty of time. I’m also (very slowly) playing the game itself on my Switch Lite and thoroughly enjoying myself.

- I did the (hopefully) final edit on “A Minor Footnote,” my story for the Sephiroth-centric Gloriosa zine. It’s a good story, I think! The spot illustration created by Tuzpique is very cool as well.

- Last week’s post on my book review blog (here) is about Strange Buildings, a collection of eleven illustrated horror-mystery stories about weird architecture followed by a lengthy exposition on how all these mysterious places are connected. I flew through this this book as quickly as I could turn the pages, and I think it’s fair to say I liked it. Then again: this hole was made for me.

- This week’s post on my book review blog (here) is about Yokohama Station SF, a short speculative fiction novel set in a future where Yokohama Station is driven to self-replicate by an unchecked A.I. directive and now covers the entirety of Japan’s main island. The author, Yuba Isukari, was strongly inspired by the manga of Tsutomu Nihei, who famously draws enormously sprawling sci-fi structures. If you’re into uncanny architecture and speculative worldbuilding, I think you’ll like this one. I love this book, and I love its three-volume manga adaptation; but obviously, again: this was written for me specifically.

- This is wild, but I received a request from the Library of Congress to catalog two of my zines, Strange Things Happen in Philadelphia and In Praise of Moss: An Argument for Sustainable Disability Positivity. So I sent the print copies on over and filled out the paperwork to make digital versions available through the library’s website.

- A Legend of Zelda fan artist + professional 2D animator who goes by Emiisley on Instagram (here) created a sketch of one of my OCs, Ceres (from my WIP fantasy novel The Demon King). This was an incredible surprise! They posted the sketch on Instagram (here), and I shared it on Tumblr (here). I fibbed a bit and said this was a commission, but Emii’s commissions are indeed open (here), and they do fantastic work.

- I commissioned Diosmaden, a former Legend of Zelda fan artist who now draws a very cool high fantasy webcomic called Heart of the Storm, to draw a human version of Ms. Hornet from Silksong. I love that Hornet is an actual mature woman, and this artist is one of the few people I could trust to pull off that characterization properly. This is yet another thing where the audience is specifically me, but I shared the illustration on Tumblr (here) for the enjoyment of my fellow fans of good taste.

- I inked and colored my sketch page of fluffy fat tanuki and posted it on Tumblr (here).

- Someone left an extremely kind comment on an old Breath of the Wild story, and this inspired me to draw an illustration of a thoroughly traumatized Princess Zelda. It’s on Tumblr (here). I’m proud of the linework and lighting on this one, especially since I went from rough sketch to finished illustration in three days flat. I wonder if perhaps I was channeling my own sense of horror at the world right now haha.

It’s been a rough two weeks. Due to current events, everything feels bleak and hopeless at the moment. Much love to everyone out there making art, despite everything. Despite everything. Despite everything!!