July: Camp NaNo & Shirt Designs

I didn’t think I’d manage it, considering I only started Camp NaNoWriMo midway through July, but I finished my July goal for once! 😎 I don’t know why, whether it’s because it’s in the middle of the year and during vacation time, but I haven’t managed to finish July Camp in years. (I know I halved my original goal to make it easier for myself, but shh. 🤫)

Camp NaNoWriMo goal: 5,002 / 5,000 words

I’ve also rediscovered my fountain pen and developed a new interest in fountain pen inks! 🖋 Got myself some new inks:

3 5ml bottles of fountain pen ink from Ferris Wheel Press

and also a new glass pen! I saw that flamingo head and couldn’t resist. 😂

Glass pen in the shape of an orange flamingo

It’s also a great way to test new inks… which I shouldn’t buy more of, but probably will. 😅 I already have my eye on several other different colours of ink — especially the shimmery ones! Thanks to my new obsession with fountain pens, I’ve also been writing more scenes and story outlines by hand.

As my writing craft book for the month, I started reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel (or listening to the audiobook at work) and it’s made me begin doubting what I have so far for my third draft of Something Better. 😬 I just spent a few hours thinking things through and jotting down some ideas (and crossing them out again) and don’t feel like I’ve gotten anywhere.

Fountain pen lying on a stack of papers and a notebook

In the end, I came to the conclusion that maybe I need to stop overthinking it and just write. 😅 I keep getting stuck somehow, maybe because I’m putting too much stress on myself about how it needs to be perfect or I need to take it seriously… Sigh. I’ve already decided two weeks back that I want to write out of order again, but I haven’t done that yet. I’ve been working on a scene where Aksel and Emi are hanging out alone for the first time (cooking!) and it’s going well so far, so fingers crossed that I stay on track!

And what was the “secret project” I’ve been working on? (So secret I only mentioned it once on this blog 😂) I designed and printed a shirt! Well, two variations of the same design, to be exact. Here’s a video on it:

There’s also a reel on Instagram. The two dolphins featured are characters that I keep meaning to put into the sequel for The Rapihi Chronicles, if I ever get around to writing it. The pink dolphin is called Corndog and the blue one is Cornbread. And yes, the chicks and fishes pictured are also relevant to their characters.

It’s been a fun experience! I got to work on Illustrator for the vectors, which is something I’ve been wanting to do more of lately. I originally created another design at first, but was told by shop after shop that they don’t print it in smaller quantities (I don’t need 20-30 pieces of something I’m making for fun 😬) because it requires a special printing method called dye sublimation. Either that, or they can’t print it properly and I’ll have to compromise by having 1-3cm gaps. I still plan to print it, though, so I’ll ask around a little more before deciding what to do.

I’ve also already come up with a new design idea for yet another shirt, so I’ll be working on that in the coming month. 😆 (I hope. I keep coming up with new things to work on and then end up leaving past ideas on the wayside. I still haven’t forgotten that I want to revamp the layout of this website…)

Well, that’s it for now, I think! I’ve been playing The Sims 4 again and, while I haven’t gotten the newest expansion pack (High School Years) yet, I will. There’s another game I’d like to play on the Switch — Digimon Survive, which is apparently a darker take on Digimon, and that excites me — so I might get it this weekend, even though I still have other games I’d like to finish on the Switch. 😅 So many games, so little time to play — because if I play, I can’t write or draw or do whatever else it is I want to do… Opportunity cost, yikes.

Oh, and I actually also kind of want to compose a new song. But we’ll see. This is one thing I definitely keep putting off because it’s not really my area of expertise. 😆

All writings, stories, and illustrations – unless otherwise stated – copyright © 2021 Kassie N (dear-llama). All rights reserved.

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