I'm Stressed So Again A Little Snufkin.

team slumber parties

Thanks for the tag, @kbthebearcat! 😁 I love the soundtrack of Yoshi games too! 👀👏 Here are 10 songs from my Spotify 'on repeat'...

1. End of the Line by The Traveling Wilburys

2. Dust Bowl Dance by Mumford & Sons

3. Goodbye Cruel World by James Darren

4. Rhinestone Eyes by Gorillaz

5. Another Run Around the Sun by Slumbernaut

6. Everyone Adores You (At Least I Do) by Matt Maltese

7. Doctor by Jack Stauber

8. Nobody's Soldier by Hozier

9. Whole Day Off by Oingo Boingo

10. Starlight by Electric Light Orchestra

What can we conclude from my assortment here? 😂 Well, it's that I love angsty cowboy music and weirdcore stuff, I guess. I'm not sure who to tag so I'll say any of my mutuals! C:

thank you @sneaky-ramen for tagging me <3

these are the rules: you gotta shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and then post the first 10 songs, then tag 10 friends so they do the same!

1. DENIAL IS A RIVER by Doechii

2. Party Poison by My Chemical Romance

3. Grace by Florence + The Machine

4. Montreal by Penelope Scott

5. The Steps by HAIM

6. BULLFROG by Doechii

7. To Noise Making (Sing) by Hozier

8. Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers

9. Free Now by Gracie Abrams

10. Sweet Hibiscus Tea by Penelope Scott

tagging @xhinateax @vacicezprvnilavice @namesx @myveusrokko @moss-and-crows @killthefangirl @martinkaklim and anyone who'd like to do this <3

see, to write a Christian work, no matter how far down into the darkness you go, you've got to see the glimmer of light. it has to be there, even if it's ignored or not followed for however long.

Tag Game

thanks for tagging me, @knight5tar! 😁

Last song 🎧: I really love End of the Line by Traveling Wilburys lately, so I've been listening to that one a lot! (Thanks to the Sonic 3 movie for sticking it in my mind lol)

Favorite Color 🎨 : Purple (specifically light purple)!

Last Book 📕: I've been reading The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton (I got it from the library)! It has some really good principles in it, and I've been enjoying it, even though I don't fully agree with the author's philosophy

Last Movie 🍿: Howl's Moving Castle!

Last TV show 📺 : I hadn't realized that it had been so long since I had watched a TV series, I had to go back in my journal app to see that it was September when I binge-watched some episodes of The Addams Family

Sweet/Spicy/flavory 🍔 : I like sweet and savory, and I think I can go one way or the other depending on my mood, but I don't like spicy!

Current obsession 🌀 : I've been having a lot of fun playing through Sonic Frontiers!

Last thing I searched 🔎 : I'm not sure honestly, haha!

Looking forward to 👀 : Hmm... I would say scrapbooking with a good friend next week! We have made a goal to get together at the end of every month this year and make a scrapbook spread for the month, so I'm hopeful we will get to finish our goal!

10 peeps to tag and/or get to know better: I'm not sure who to tag, so anyone who sees this post and is a mutual of mine can do this if they would like!

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 little comparison of little gremlin to adult gremlin! 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!

I'm watching through Sonic Prime for the first time, and I love him, oogh ;O; I have a soft spot for the robot characters in Sonic, strangely enough, lol -- I also love Metal Sonic and Omega.

he thinks he's sooooo cute

Here are day six and day nine for Inktober! "TREK" and "SUN"! 👀 I skipped day seven and day eight. I'm trying to have fun with this challenge and not sweat it if I don't complete all of the days.

His long floppy ears 😭💖

The cuties. I love them🩵😸

they need to make a pocket dimension you can hide in where time doesn't pass and everything is soft