Ancestors

Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-01 at 07:43

What are your writing goals for 2025?

Publish the 2nd chapter of Esther and Erie ☺️
Seek for a publisher (complicated since I’ve already contacted most)
Try to participate to contests and magazines
Participate to more conventions (already 3 are booked, I would like to find 2 more if possible)

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-01

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-02 at 07:52

Have you ever made up something in a story which has come true in real life?

Not that I am aware of (luckily, since it’s an horror story involving possessions by dark beings and manipulation by narcissists)

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-02

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-03 at 11:51

What form do your stories take? Flash, short, novella, novel or other?

I do comics, published in issues. Depending on if one considers the issue or the whole story, I would say it’s short or (graphic) novel (obviously it can’t be based on word count)

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-03

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-04 at 07:36

As ~~a writer~~ an author, what do you get from social media?

A few opportunities for commissions. Thanks for all people who have trusted me 🙏
Readers 🙇‍♂️ Half of the buyers come from SN and mostly from Mastodon
These games ☺️ and all the people who suggest questions, give so diverse and inspiring answers and comment from time to time my own ones

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-04

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-05 at 17:32

Has your writing process changed over time?

No since I’ve migrated to digital, I’ve use the same process, but it’s not so old (6 years)

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-05

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-06 at 07:00

What's your current writing project? How's it going?

In parallel to draw the Chapter Two, I’m currently working on a file for a comics magazine. Each issue has a theme and for the issue I work on, theme is Love. My idea is a story about the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere but with a twist: it will Arthur and Lancelot the lovers.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-06

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-07 at 07:09

What are your biggest hopes for the writing world in 2025?

It’s a Christmas wish, let’s be crazy: that people stops consuming industrial products created by marketing services using AIs and prefers stories crafted by local artists

https://mamot.fr/@nautilebleu/113708697325557735

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-07

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-08 at 06:34

Do you agree with Samuel Johnson, who said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money"?

So I am a blockhead 🙈

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-08

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-09 at 07:06

Do you borrow settings, plots or characters from other works (without plagiarism)?

The story is an homage of Victorian horror stories

Most of my characters are a mix of real people and fictional characters. Even characters like Dr Moreau or Dr Joyce (Freud in my universe) have been adapted to match the plot

The setting is London renamed as Great Albion. This name and several others are reference to Paul Shapera steampunk opera “The dolls of the New Albion”

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-09

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-10 at 11:08

Do you use dream sequences in your work? How do you feel about them?

Yes, dreams — well, nightmares’d be a better description — are an essential part of the story. They rythme the narrative, showing Esther illness’ progress.

They have a specific graphic treatment and each ends up with Esther awakening, like in Nemo in Slumberland

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-09

[Illustrations: pages 4-5 of Chapter One, Esther first nightmare]

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-11 at 06:34

Do you write or imagine a backstory for your secondary characters, or do they pop into existence as required?

Most of time, they have a fairly detailed backstory. Even if the story isn’t centered around them, they can have some arcs and it’s easier for me to know how they should feel/react when I know from where they come from

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-11

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-12 at 08:16

Do characters use words not in the language you write in? Italics for this, or not?

Not for now, but I’ve already handled Erie foreign accent: I wanted to use another font but can’t find something that matches with Limejuice, so her texts are in pale green and some letters are replaced by variants (A by Å, I by Ì, C by Ç). To keep it readable, I didn’t replace E by variants since we use many in French (É, È, Ê, Ë).

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-12

[Illustrations: page 13 of Chapter One]

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-13 at 07:57

What's your favourite trope? Do you lean into it for your work or shy away?

I’m not sure I have a favourite. There’s some I dislike like The Chosen or The Quest. Esther and Erie is Damsel in Distress without Prince Charming/Forbidden Love/Opposites attract/Forced proximity/Good vs. Evil

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-13

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-14 at 06:42

Are you a pantser or a plotter? Have you always been this way? What brought you here?

I’m software developer for my daily job, so I’m all about planning everything.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-14

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-15 at 06:50

Would you ever hide your politics to avoid alienating some readers?

Hiding (or trying to hide) politic views is already a politic choice.

Esther and Erie isn’t written as a pamphlet, I rather seek to tell a good story, and I wouldn’t push my political views at the expense of the quality of the plot.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-15

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-16 at 06:16

How would you describe the way you create your stories to a non-writer?

Quoting Josh Homme: “I think that what I’ve always loved is the fact that it has taken me years to really develop something and something that does sound different […] What I love is the search and so I would never ruin that search for any one else […] I think what is important is that it should not be so easy for anybody. As I understand it, it’s the work and the quest that makes it so good.”

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-16

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-17 at 12:16

What are your biggest fears for the writing world in 2025?

Following yesterday’s answer, creating art is a personal journey that has to take time and should not be easy. As more and more people rely on AI, getting immediately what they looking for, it’s in great danger that no one understands that anymore, meaning the disappearing of imagination in long term.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-17

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-18 at 06:41

Would you serve as a judge for a literary award?

It’s unlikely that it will ever happen. Not that I’m against the idea but in France, being member of a literary jury implies to be part of the academic circles.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-18

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-19 at 07:44

Did you find a way through the maze of traditional publishing to get your book published? What's your secret?

No 🙈 If someone in the confidence wants to share the secret with me 😊

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-19

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-20 at 07:57

Do any of your stories take place on the sea? In what way?

On the sea, not directly, although we know Esther and Erie have crossed the ocean. Maybe I’ll tell this story on a future Inktober, during which the two would more discover each other.

During Chapter Two, they will go by the sea.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-20

[Illustrations: WIP of the 1st panel from Pages 14-15]

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-21 at 07:16

What differences do you find in your process if you write both short and long-form?

My long form is a succession of short issues, so there’s no difference in process

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-21

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-22 at 08:42

What made you start writing?

For a long time, I refused to write my own stories, thinking that I should focus on drawing. When I dreamed about Esther and Erie, I started to think that I should reconsider my decision and finally told their story for Inktober 2019. Later, during the Covid lockdown, I decided that I had to push further and publish it.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-22

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-23 at 07:12

Do you think it's vital for a fiction writer to have empathy?

Gabriel Matzneff is a teenage sexual predator who has been describing his fantasies and misdeeds in his novels for over 60 years. He has received honors from the French literary academic world and was able to live without hiding until Vanessa Springora's book came out.

So no, it’s not vital to have empathy to be a (successful) writer 😑

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-23

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-24 at 06:16

How long is the longest story you've ever written? Can you link to it?

The 21st pages of Esther and Erie are already available:

on ko-fi (French digital and paper editions, English digital edition) https://ko-fi.com/nautilebleu/shop
on Amazon (English digital and paper editions) https://mybook.to/EstherNErieChapter01

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-24

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-25 at 06:26

Do you have a worked-out magical system (or advanced technology in sci-fi)? Or do you make it up as you go?

As a developer, I can’t imagine my magical system being flawed. That’s why it’s quite simple and plausible (as magic can be). As a former biological student (specialised in parasitism), I make it relying on real biological bases.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-25

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-26 at 07:18

If people tell you they've always wanted to write, what do you say to them?

Just do it! ✔️

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-26

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Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-27 at 07:47

What unpaid marketing sites have you found helpful?

🤷

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-27

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Toot

Written by Art of Goulwen R on 2025-01-28 at 11:57

Would anything stop you from ~~writing~~ drawing, or do you have the bug for life?

Drawing is how I cope with this mad world, so I can’t imagine living without my daily dose of drawing. But obviously if I become blind or tetraplegic, I would have to stop.

[#]writerscoffeeclub 2025-01-28

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