What Is Chibi?

I mentioned in the Summer 2017 blog post that I’m creating Chibi-style sketches for a few of my characters from Kingdom of Bats and Dwelling in Darkness.

You might be someone who immediately knows what I’m talking about; or you might be asking yourself, “What is Chibi?”

The Japanese word actually means something along the lines of “little;” apparently, it’s an endearing term when applied to a child, and a bit of an insult when applied to an adult (not too surprising).

But the Western world has taken the word ‘Chibi’ as a direct reference to Japanese-style artwork in which the characters are given enlarged heads and simplified bodies in order to make them look more child-like or cute. (Think Powerpuff Girls.)

It’s a style I’ve played around with a little in my personal art sessions, and I decided it’d be a fun venue for creating pictures of some of my favourite characters from my two animal-themed books.

When these pictures are done, I’ll start posting them to FaceBook, Twitter, and Pinterest. So be on the lookout for lemurs, a bat, and a swallow all coming soon!

A Librarian Part 2

A librarian’s work is never done.

Back in the blog post A Librarian, I mentioned that I’m now running the library at my church.

I’ve learned a few things about the people in my church just from working in the library.

One, the children love reading; which is a mixture between the blessing of “Yay, children who get excited about books!” and the curse of eternally untidy children’s book shelves.

And two, the adults love to donate books, often in large amounts; which is a mixture between the blessing of “Wow, we have a very giving congregation!” and the curse of piles of books to sort through and prepare for entry into the collection.

All in all, the work isn’t bad, but a more gargantuan task than I expected it would be. Though at the end of the day, how gargantuan it is depends on just how organized you want to keep things. Do you care if the children’s books are facing every which direction on the shelf? That fiction titles aren’t organized by the author’s last name? That we have two or three copies of the same DVD? That someone left the lid off on the hot chocolate powder by the sink and now the ants are devouring it?

If nothing else, running the library has thus far been a fun learning experience, both about the people in our church and about myself.

A Librarian

I am now a librarian.

Being a librarian is a source of temptation.

The temptation to read every intriguing book you meet in your workday.

Recently, the woman who ran our church library wished to retire from the position, and asked the church whether someone else would to step up and take on the role.

My husband nudged me. “You’d be a perfect fit for that.”

After taking the position of church librarian, I’ve heard this comment a few more times: “That’s a perfect fit for you!” And I suppose they’re not wrong: I already have new books added, shelves re-arranged, and an increased list of ‘want to reads.’

On the writing side of things, I’ve been focusing more on the short stories in the works. I’m enjoying playing around with the characters and world concepts of Kingdom of Bats and Dwelling in Darkness, weaving new tales for their universe.

I have other fun ideas buzzing in my mind; some which should come into play at the launch party for The Quest. Keep your eyes on FaceBook and Twitter for updates on when that’ll be, and for a couple treats! You can also subscribe here to get updates sent to your inbox.

Happy reading!

Wingless Butterfly

Did you know there’s such thing as a wingless butterfly?

No, I’m not talking about a butterfly that had its wings torn off.

On the cold islands of the Southern Ocean, the winds’ force is nearly constant, rushing over the tree-less grasslands, harsh cliff-faces, rolling hills, and stony mountains.

Some birds have adapted wings perfectly shaped to take advantage of the gusts – so perfectly, they have trouble flying when the wind dies down. These birds are also fine-tuned for a life at sea, and can swim and dive and spend long periods of time soaring over the open ocean.

However, for a tiny creature like an insect, getting caught in the wind and carried out to sea is a death sentence. No point in having wide, air-capturing wings to tempt the wind’s malice. So nearly all the bugs on these islands have either no wings, or tiny wings designed only to give them some extra umph when they leap.

And here is where we find butterfly species that have conquered the islands by accepting the loss of their most admired trait: rather than the large, highly-decorated wings we expect from the butterfly family, their wings are non-existent or tiny grey flecks.

This is what brings me to my ‘existential’ query:

Is a butterfly still a butterfly without its wings?

What makes a butterfly a butterfly if not its wings? Scientists can give you their answer – but what is yours?

What about for me? If I never write another story, will I still be me?

What about for you? What do people define you by? Would you still be you without it?