Some of you may already be aware of this, but I figured I should make a proper and official announcement:
White Bear Red Rose will soon be removed from AO3 to be self-published.
I have wanted to publish a book since I was a little girl and this is the first time in my life that I ever felt so utterly gripped by a story that it feels like it might burst out of me if I don't write it down. I have never been able to get past chapter three of any novel I've tried to write in the past. Twenty-eight chapters of WBRR later - I knew I had something special on my hands.
And I knew I owed it to that little girl dreaming of being an author to get it out into the world.
I can't thank the readers who have stuck this far with WBRR enough - you guys have been such an inspiration for me to keep writing, knowing that there was even just one person out there who was interested in this "what if" story of mine. I'm truly sorry that WBRR will no longer be freely availble for you to read, but I do hope you will keep your eyes peeled for it if you're interesed in purchasing an ebook or paperback version of it in the future - I'm aiming for a summer 2025 release! I will post updates on my WordPress blog and public socials if you'd like to follow along.
That being said, I didn't want to blindsight you guys, so WBRR will remain up on AO3 until 31 October 2024, after which it will be removed. If you do download it to keep, please be mindful that the published version will be edited from its form on AO3 and of course please do not repost this story anywhere else. The AO3 version is yours to enjoy, but strictly for private use only. As for things I've posted on Tumblr, there will be some content removed from here as well, depending on how much of a "spoiler" they are.
And yes, I do intend on continuing the story with Book Two (Mary's Reign) and Book Three (Elizabeth's Reign), but, naturally, these will be directly published rather than going on AO3 first.
Thank you all again for joining me on this journey!
Random crossover Q:
-If Shadow and Wario were somehow forced to be apartment roommates for two weeks, do you think they could manage it or not?
Absolutely not, Shadow would kill that man within the first day. It wouldn't even be a fart that makes him snap, I think Shadow would see him eat one whole clove of raw garlic and decide he absolutely needed Wario, mind, body, and soul, wiped off the face of the planet.
Every 21st century piece of writing advice: Make us CARE about the character from page 1! Make us empathize with them! Make them interesting and different but still relatable and likable!
Every piece of classic literature: Hi. It's me. The bland everyman whose only purpose is to tell you this story. I have no actual personality. Here's the story of the time I encountered the worst people I ever met in my life. But first, ten pages of description about the place in which I met them.
“i’m sad and idk how to feel better”
“i don’t know what to draw”
“i always mess up”
“BUT I SUCK”
I share my story with you again today, filled with hope that you will continue to support us as you did before. Unfortunately, my previous campaign and my Tumblr accounts were shut down, which hindered our efforts to gather support for our families.
For four months, I have tirelessly appealed for help. Despite the challenges, some individuals provided small but valuable donations. Thank you to everyone who shared my campaign or story and to those whose messages of support showed their humanity.
Today, I ask for your support once more. You were our backbone over the past year and a half, and I trust you will continue to be so.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart
1. Reuniting with My Family:
I want to travel to reunite with my 10-month-old daughter, whom I haven’t seen since the day she was born, and to be with my wife. This will cost me a lot, and I currently have nothing to cover these expenses.
2.Helping My Brother Mohammad Rebuild His Project:
My brother Mohammad wants to rebuild his small project to start a new life. He is injured and unable to work, so this project is his only way to earn a living.
3.Supporting My Brother’s Pregnant Wife:
Mohammad’s wife is in her last month of pregnancy and could give birth at any moment. She needs some financial support to cover the costs of childbirth and care for the baby.
4.Rebuilding Our Shelter:
We are displaced in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. After the ceasefire, we will need to return to our homes, but the Israeli occupation prevents us from taking our tents from the south to the north. This means we will need to build new tents to provide shelter for our families.
I hope this message reaches compassionate people who can support us in these difficult times.
Do you have any Fun Facts today? Maybe something literary?
You know what? I think I can manage that. Everyone knows about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But there's another guy who gets skipped out on, and was super-influential on Lewis.
Today You Learned about Roger Lancelyn Green!
Our boy Robert here was an undergraduate at Oxford when he met Jack Lewis, who was his teacher. After graduating and becoming an Oxford scholar in his own right, he remained very good friends with Lewis and a member of the Inklings. He actually traveled with Lewis and his wife, Joy, on vacation to Greece, shortly before Joy's death in 1960.
If you read histories of the Inklings, you may notice that Tolkien didn't seem to like drafts of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that much. Well, Lewis's friend Lancelyn Green did, and encouraged him to keep working and eventually publish it.
[Wikipedia also says he came up with the title 'Chronicles of Narnia', but there's no citation on that sentence, so take it with a grain of salt.]
Roger has his own literary career, too. He wrote several books for children, retelling myths and folklore, from Greek myths, to Norse myths, to Arthurian stories. And these books are all still widely available! He's also the author of several literary biographies of people like Andrew Lang (compiler of fairy tale books), Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland), J.M. Barrie (author of Peter Pan), and of course, C.S. Lewis himself.
It's actually pretty cool that we have a biography of C.S. Lewis by a guy who was close friends with him, I think!
Also, he was the father of literature scholar Richard Lancelyn Green, but that guy, I think, deserves his own Fun Fact for another time.
Sean O'Connell still has the best weigh-in stare downs
choking on water is the worst because how do you stop choking? drink something? well ive got some bad news for you
On the topic of tv shows, if anyone ever wants recommendations for Korean thrillers with solid characterisation and plot, i have watched so many in last couple of years. Including police procedural, sci fi, horror, urban fantasy, courtroom, gangster etc. seriously some of the best shows ive seen and streets ahead in quality than any english speaking shows ive seen in years.
stuff from that time when my psyche depended on youtube slideshow love stories about shadow cheating on sonic with knuckles