Rynling R&D

once upon a bang
https://bsky.app/profile/fairytalebang.bsky.social/post/3lclbxs2cic2j

Introducing our first all-fandoms bang! Create brand-new works incorporating elements from fairytales & folklore.

I think I will, actually.

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I want to draw a twelve-page nonfiction minicomic about Koroks.

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One of my resolutions for 2025 is to draw Ganondorf in this iconic outfit from the classic 1982 movie The Thing. Which Kurt Russell totally did wear btw.

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ETA: Also he'll be wearing these boots:
https://cursedtrekedits.tumblr.com/post/739341698854944768/this-is-for-everyone-who-was-upset-that-i-didnt

Books Read: 125
Graphic Novels Read: 52
Japanese Manga Read: 45
Video Games Finished: 33
Zines Reviewed on Etsy: 84
Illustrations and Comics Posted: 48
Illustrations and Comics Commissioned: 27
Posts on Gingko Books: 49
Posts on Digital Fantasy Diary: 68

2023 was a difficult year bookended and punctuated by painful rejections.

Everything that I could do on my own, I did with flying colors. I’m proud of what I accomplished, from publishing my first full-length short story collection to publishing my first minicomic zine. Despite the gradual collapse of various social media platforms, I still experienced small gains in followers and engagement. I sold almost four hundred copies of my zines on Etsy this year, as well as another hundred copies at various in-person small press events. Hundreds of copies were downloaded from my new page on Itchio as well. I published a good two dozen articles and reviews on various websites, almost all of which were linked to and promoted by larger websites. I’ve enjoyed some really positive and successful collaborations with artists, and I’ve seen gradual but substantial improvements in my own writing and art.

Every time I needed support or acceptance from a gatekeeper, however, the door was slammed in my face. The social anxiety I’ve experienced as a result has been painful and debilitating. I’m not sure how to handle this moving forward, but I guess there’s nothing to do except to keep trying. Best of luck to all of us in the coming year!

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And finally, someone needs to take Elden Ring away from me. I should probably stage an intervention for myself early next year.

In 2021…

I read 125 books.
I read 64 graphic novels.
I read 34 manga in English.
I read 33 manga in Japanese.
I read 86 zines and dōjinshi.
I watched 15 movies.
I finished 22 video games.

I also posted 78 comics and illustrations to social media.

One of my resolutions for 2021 was to chill out and not consume so much media, and I succeeded. My resolution for 2020 was to stop buying magazines, and my resolution for 2022 is to stop buying so many physical books.

My art resolution for 2021 was to post two pieces to social media every week, but I ended up posting about three pieces every two weeks. This year I’d like to stop worrying about keeping a steady posting schedule. I’ll post what I want when it’s done regardless of the algorithm. I also want to reallocate the time I spend on social media to focus more on appreciating the work of a small group of supportive mutuals.

I managed to complete all of my resolutions for 2021, but I don’t feel like I achieved anything. It’s a strange state of mind. On one hand, I made incredible progress with my writing and visual art. On the other hand, almost all of the feedback I received was negative.

I knew it would be like this, and I have now joined the ranks of published authors who could literally wallpaper their bathrooms with rejections. Unfortunately, knowing that rejection is normal doesn’t make it easier.

You’d think receiving dozens of rejections this year would make me bitter about other people’s success, but it turns out that it actually makes me really happy to see my friends beating the odds and getting their work out there. Honestly, the success of my friends is what’s been keeping me going this year.

Still, given that success on social media in particular seems mostly random, I’m going to stop investing so much time into it. Instead I’d like to take a long holiday from the internet to focus on my creative work, and I’m looking forward to taking a deep dive into fantasy during 2022.

This is a friendly reminder to myself not to self-isolate during the holidays! I always get depressed around this time of year, mainly because of the lack of sunlight. I’ve also noticed that a lot of people take long breaks after October and November drawing and writing challenges, which means that social media is always super quiet at the end of the year.

I therefore want to schedule time during the day to be online, even if that time is spent passively liking and sharing art. I know a lot of people turn to social media as a distraction from the stress caused by holidays, and I hope that me keeping a steady schedule of posting chill art and memes can be at least a small comfort to someone who might need it.

I’m planning on taking a break soon, though. One of my resolutions for the upcoming year is to take a big step back from social media and devote more of my energy and attention to working on larger and more complicated projects that will take more time to complete. In order not to feel compelled to be constantly productive, I need to shake myself out of the social media mindset. I’ve got a queue of “content” scheduled for December, but after that I need to get off Twitter and get gud.

One of my writing goals for the fall was to write notes and leave comments for all the fic I've bookmarked on AO3. I also set a goal for myself to leave one comment a day on fic I haven't bookmarked.

With one exception (which I've been saving as a treat to myself), I managed to accomplish this goal in September. I read fic while jogging on the treadmill every morning and typed comments before I got in the shower. Some of these comments were full paragraphs that I wrote on my laptop and edited before posting, but most were brief, one-line "I loved this, thanks for sharing" messages of appreciation and encouragement. I like reading fic, and I like writing comments, so it was good times all around.

Unfortunately, I ran out of batteries. I haven't gotten comments on any of my own stories since early August, so I guess I was drawing from a store of energy that hasn't been replenished. There's nothing much to be done about this save to hang tight and chill out for a bit.

Still, I wish there were some sort of forum where you could go and say something like, "Hey, here's a link to my AO3 profile, I need some encouragement and support today and even a kudo would mean the world to me." I remember that there used to be comms like this on LiveJournal... I wonder if it might be possible to recreate something like this via Discord?

ETA: Feel free to drop links in the comments if you need some support too! I'm always looking for readings recs.

- I want to make a list of the stories I’ve bookmarked on AO3 so that I can make sure I’ve properly annotated and commented on everything. I’ve been very shy about leaving comments for the past three years, and I’d like to try to work on that.

- Last month I wrote something like a Halloween story for Ocarina of Time, and I’d like to commission a friend to illustrate it so that I can post it in October.

- I want to try to participate in Yuletide this year. I already have my requests written, and I am excited.

- Finally, I’m working on a new original novel. I’d like to have the first six chapters finished and polished by the end of the year, and I’d like to create visual designs for the two main characters.