A Cute Little Design That I Made Of A Momma Opossum And Her Babies! 🥰💖 If You Would Like This As

RATATOUILLE — 2007, dir. Brad Bird

if you make an OC that you are genuinely insane over, like you are obsessed with this freak and can't stop thinking about them, then it will rub off on other people. the virus spreads

@toothpaste-dragon

Oh my goodness you are brilliant, I never even thought of what Mr. Pizza would look like, but I love both of those options so much. What if it's a Beauty and the Beast situation where Mr. Pizza is a rubberhose, 1920's slice of pizza, but by the power of True Love he has a transformation into a chiseled, slightly pizza reminiscent man?

A fun conversation that I had with my dear friend @toothpaste-dragon! ALSO, HAPPY TWENTIETH COMIC! 🥳🥳🥳 I hope you enjoyed this week's installment of 'Slices of Gremlin'! I am going to continue updating every Tuesday, and if you would like to support the comic and get early access, you can sign up to be a member of the 'Little Creature Club' on Ko-Fi!

Maria and her little alien brother sketchbook dump from the last few weeks

Minor spoilers for Sonic 3 ig

Using motifs to create thematic depth.

Motifs are one of the most powerful tools a writer has for weaving deeper meaning into a story.

What Is a Motif?

A motif is a repeated element in your story that highlights a theme. While similar to symbols, motifs are more dynamic and can evolve as your characters and story progress.

Symbol: A single red rose representing love. Motif: Flowers appearing throughout the story to represent different aspects of relationships—love, decay, growth, and loss.

Why Use Motifs?

They deepen your story’s meaning. Motifs give your readers something to latch onto, creating a sense of unity.

They enhance immersion. Repeated elements help ground readers in your world.

Tips for Crafting Effective Motifs

1. Choose a Motif That Fits Your Story’s Themes

Ask yourself: What’s the central idea of my story? Your motif should subtly reinforce that idea.

Theme: Resilience in the face of hardship. Motif: Cracked glass—a recurring image of something that’s damaged but still functional, reflecting the characters’ inner strength.

2. Use Motifs to Reflect Character Growth

A well-designed motif can evolve alongside your characters, reflecting their arcs.

In the beginning, a character always wears a watch to represent their obsession with time and control. By the end, they stop wearing the watch, symbolizing their acceptance of life’s unpredictability.

3. Keep It Subtle (But Consistent)

A motif shouldn’t feel like a flashing neon sign. It should quietly enhance the story without overpowering it.

If your motif is rain, don’t make every scene a thunderstorm. Use it sparingly—maybe it rains during moments of emotional turmoil or reflection, creating a subconscious link for the reader.

4. Use Recurrence to Build Meaning

The more your motif appears, the more it will resonate with readers. The key is repetition with variation.

In a story about family bonds, food could serve as a motif.

Early on: A tense family dinner where no one speaks. Later: A shared meal where characters open up and reconnect.

5. Connect Motifs to Emotion

Motifs are most effective when they evoke a visceral reaction in the reader.

Motif: A recurring song. First appearance: A father sings it to his child. Later: The same child hums it as an adult, remembering their father’s love. Final scene: The song plays during the child’s wedding, tying past and present together.

Examples of Motifs in Action

Motif: Mirrors

Theme: Self-perception vs. reality. A character avoids mirrors at first, unable to face their reflection. They slowly start using mirrors to confront their flaws. The final moment shows them standing confidently before a mirror, accepting themselves.

Motif: Keys

Theme: Freedom and control. A character collects keys, searching for one that unlocks their past. They find an old, rusted key, which leads them to uncover family secrets. The motif shifts to symbolize freedom when they lock a door behind them, leaving their past behind.

Motif: Birds

Theme: Longing for freedom. Early scenes show a bird trapped in a cage, reflecting the protagonist’s feelings. Later, the bird is released, symbolizing a turning point in the character’s journey.

Motif: The Ocean

Theme: Emotional depth and uncertainty. Calm waters reflect peace in the protagonist’s life. Stormy seas mirror moments of inner conflict.

Practical Exercise

1. Identify your story’s central theme.

2. Brainstorm objects, actions, or images that resonate with that theme.

3. Introduce the motif subtly early on.

4. Repeat it with variation, tying it to key emotional moments.

5. Bring it full circle by the end, letting the motif reinforce the resolution.

A fun little dose of make believe, featuring a cameo from the little fairy stand-in of my friend @toothpaste-dragon! I hope you enjoyed this week's installment of 'Slices of Gremlin'! I am going to continue updating every Tuesday, and if you would like to support the comic and get early access, you can sign up to be a member of the 'Little Creature Club' on Ko-Fi!

truly some people have no genre savviness whatsoever. A girl came back from the dead the other day and fresh out of the grave she laughed and laughed and lay down on the grass nearby to watch the sky, dirt still under her nails. I asked her if she’s sad about anything and she asked me why she should be. I asked her if she’s perhaps worried she’s a shadow of who she used to be and she said that if she is a shadow she is a joyous one, and anyway whoever she was she is her, now, and that’s enough. I inquired about revenge, about unfinished business, about what had filled her with the incessant need to claw her way out from beneath but she just said she’s here to live. I told her about ghosts, about zombies, tried to explain to her how her options lie between horror and tragedy but she just said if those are the stories meant for her then she’ll make another one. I said “isn’t it terribly lonely how in your triumph over death nobody was here to greet you?” and she just looked at me funny and said “what do you mean? The whole world was here, waiting”. Some people, I tell you.

here’s what I learned in 2024, having been chronically, painfully ill most of the year:

it’s not bad to have New Year’s Resolutions. I myself have a bunch. however.

if you’re feeling like the only way out of your current situation is to scrabble and struggle desperately and Try Harder and Try Harder, that will only get you so far.

you have built-in limitations and there are powers & circumstances outside your sphere of control which will foil your plans.

but do you know Whose plans are never foiled? do you know Who is the power outside all spheres?

I have learned when I ask God to “help me get everything done that I need to get done today,” to make sure I am asking for what I really need to get done, and not what I think I need to get done.

I always get done what I needed to get done that day according to God’s will. even when that turns out to be nothing but praying that I will.

don’t burn yourself out depending on your own scrappy willpower to get somewhere or achieve something. and don’t waste energy despairing about your limitations. God has already decreed the direction in which your life will go, and how quickly it will go there. He knows what you truly need and will provide it without fail.

Awww, thank you for the tag and the hugs, @thecalvinistkatreblogs! You are so kind! <3 I send you hugs, too!! :)

I also send hugs to @toothpaste-dragon @hermenoodle @gollygeedash @kbthebearcat and @theladyheroine!!

There's no pressure at all to continue the chain!! : 3 Reblog only if you want to, and you have any mutuals that you'd like to send a virtual hug. <3

Hug time! Pass this around and hug whoever you think is an amazing mutual 🎉🌹

@emoscot @laismoura-art @scentedcandleibex and the person who sent this ask!

I found a new character to love 🥺🥺 Fink...

I miss her when she sleeps, too.