Let the Writing Commence!

 Let's get to the Patreon 'Thanks You's' first and foremost, because I've got a lot to go over and I'm not sure how long this is going to run on. I should probably do more bite-sized updates more often, but we'll see going forward.

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So let's talk. First I'll cover health stuff briefly because, quite frankly it's been a little better than usual. The less time I spend on that the less chance I'll jinx it. So let's move on.

Current workload as it stands looks like this; 8 commissions, and five Personal projects that are currently on my queue board. I've also got the next chapter of tFV and a Tales from the Bellhunterverse thing on the writing board. So I'll start with the writing and work backward.

I wanted to start work on the chapter about mid-April, but I took a detour thinking it would be best to re-read my previous stories and take notes on stuff introduced in them on the fly in order to better prevent accidental retconns in the future. As I've stated before, when I write a long story, half of it is pre-planned in an outline. This covers characterization, major plot arcs, key events, b-plot and little undercurrent background stories, and so on. But the other half is made up of stuff that just comes to me as I write it. Ada punching Ana in aLAW is a good example of a major hook that came to me out of nowhere, but there are also a lot of little characterization moments or allusions to life experiences that I don't have in my series bible. Thankfully my accidental contradictions haven't been so bad in Rehab or aLAW, but there's definite evidence of stuff put in that hadn't counted on a sequel or series.

One major one coming up in the next chapter I'm writing starts talking about Vernon, Dawn, Nick, and Judy's double date. And that's largely due to timeline conflicts. The double date is supposed to be late October or November, Dawn's book has come out but Gus doesn't have his new store yet. So essentially I'm going to move forward with what fits the story and correct the old fic in the future. Anyway, long story short, that note-taking took longer than I thought, and I probably took twice as many notes as needed, so it'll have to be cut back. Still, I did all of Rehab, and about a little over half of aLAW before I decided I should just jump in and keep taking notes as I go. What's important is I have the notes for Clover's back story, and more than enough of Dawn's to navigate the next chapter. So I'm gonna get writing asap!

Now, onto commissions. I'm about eight comms deep currently. Trying to work through about once a week, while intermittently injecting my own projects in. Commissions are still open, but that's the line size ahead of you. On top of that, I don't really take payments until someone's commission is next in the queue as I don't want folks to be stuck waiting long-term should something medical-related come up and throw a massive wrench in everything. So that handles commissions, let's press on to personal work.

Comparatively, there are not as many personal projects on the docket as there are commissions...but that hard docket is also subject entirely to the whims of inspiration. For instance, I was sketching Queen Orianna last week, and now I've got a nearly finished and colorized piece featuring her and my OC plowing. (Expect that eventually.) There's also a Dawn Daki Pillow design I want to work on over the summer that's for personal use. (Depending on interest, otherwise, I gotta find a company to partner with to make a public release happen.) And Dierdre's sheet is still on the docket, as well as perhaps one for my Moose Girl, Shaundi, who's only seen sketches at this point. If you want to keep tabs on the projects I have listed on the queues, I'll link them underneath.

Personal Art Plans

https://trello.com/b/6IgMcWPz

Story Progress

https://trello.com/b/wKNUeHQt

Commission Queue

https://trello.com/b/QRDyCOOZ

Last leg, let's move on to Merch! As shared previously, the next sticker set on the docket is Husian Typhlosion, Which is going to be a set featuring my Husian Typhlosion gals Ashe And Synder. One just Ashe, One Just Synder, and one featuring both. And some clean versions...so six variants minimum. However, the next set, well...I was looking at my etsy stats, and my top sellers are my OC gals, and Keenie and Deerie. So I'm planning to revisit Helluva series while it's hot. Initially, I was thinking it was time to Draw Millie or Loona, but then I remembered they'd both get summer pins and standees and shit at the Vizie store anyway. So I decided to shift my attention back to sinning Cherubs. This time around I'm giving Deerie the Summer Sticker, and when Fall rolls around I'll give Keenie a Fall sticker. A fun inversion of what I've already offered. But that still leaves about 2 months of summer unaccounted for, and a serious question I wanted to ask you all.

One of the ideas I had for summer was doing a Summer Collin sticker pin-up as well. One with him in a speedo and him...well...without. How would you guys feel about that? Would you guys be interested in some saucy male stickers to go along with the female ones moving forward in the future? Just leave comments, I can't be assed with a poll. If not, maybe I'll move on to another lady cherub like Rachel, or just Millie. Anyway, comment below.

But we aren't done yet! That's right! There's a second layer of merch to discuss. That's right, starting in June I'm going to be learning and acquiring the materials to make acrylic products. This will include standees and keychains, more than likely starting with keychains until I get more confident with the materials. The first real planned project I have is turning that Dawn Head sticker into a keychain line as well, but after that it's sort of wide open as I decide who's going to get standee pinups. Also, probably will start editing some of my old pics to offer as Glossy prints. So I'll set up a poll at some point regarding some older pieces that are fan favorites to be turned into prints. Of course, you're welcome to leave your suggestions below as well. I'll say this much. The motorcycle Val one has been long overdue for a print.

Jesus, writing all that out, it already seems daunting, and a bit of wishful thinking, so please look at this as a sort of...soft time frame. I'm always terrible at correctly predicting my timetables, even casting aside my fluctuations in health, I always take a bit longer on jobs than I anticipate. Always take more time at errands than I think I will, and so on. Probably because of a combo of being scatterbrained, and becoming fixated on adjusting minute details on stuff no one cares about. Case and point, the backdrop of that Legosi Family pic was supposed to be 'simple', but I got carried away and basically gave away extra work for free.

Anyway, that's all for the May Update! Thanks for reading, and again leave feedback below. And if you haven't already those outside of my Patreon, please check out my etsy store! It will not disappoint!

Thanks again to my backers! And thank you to my fans who've followed along on my weird art and fic journey thus far!

-Wasty

My Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WastedTimesArtShoppe?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

My Gumroad Store

https://wastedtimeee.gumroad.com/

My Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/wastedtimeee

Glitz and Chips AU; Gazelle

 

WT: I spent a lot of time pondering this one over, exploring the ideas for Gazelle you proposed when all of the sudden an idea hit me like a ton of bricks that felt so right, I had to go with it.

Basically, my idea is that "Gazelle" Would in fact be a sentient AI that was designed by Clawhauser to help run their whole 'underground shadow organization' that Nick and Judy are inducted into. This version of Gazelle is built to manage their base and operations and help them with missions and scanning and infiltrating surface channels. At first, this version of Gazelle is very...robotic...(Think the dancing app voice from the movie). She lacks Gazelle's general warmness and the smooth butteriness of her tone. However, she was designed by the genius Clawhauser to learn and grow, and as she does she develops a personality, that warm demeanor we all know and love, and develops a penchant for singing while she 'works'.

As she becomes more of a 'mammal' she becomes the 'face' of the underground, creating music videos and propaganda rallying against the corrupt companies and ZPD that have a stranglehold over the innocent citizens' lives. By the time Nick and Judy join they are floored when they discover that Gazelle is a machine, as by that point she's so convincingly mammalian she had the entire ZPD and companies with a vested interest in putting down any counter-narratives marking her as the ring leader of the rebellion.

By this point, Clawhauser has developed a bit of a crush on his own creation, but with Gazelle's own growing personality, independence, and increasing fascination with 'actual flesh and blood' mammals, she finds herself growing increasingly chummy with Finnick, the resident mechanic, implant and bionics expert. This would cause a sort of love triangle thing to crop up, which in turn leads to a mission requiring both Finn and Clawhauser to go completely sideways, and nearly compromise and erase who Gazelle is in the process. After the close shave, Clawhauser elects to stand back and allow Gazelle and Finn to pursue a relationship, and the close call, essentially a near-death experience for Gazelle, pushes Clawhauser to invest heavily in back-ups and safeguards to ensure her consciousness is protected, eventually going so far as to line up a job that gets his claws on a top of the line synth mold, which with a little work between him and Finnick, is able to provide Gazelle with a physical form at last.

So here's "Glitz and Chips' Gazelle, AI turned Synth. The machine with a heart of gold, and a voice to match.

Ask Bogo: A Doe Wife?

 

Bogo: *Presses a hoof to his forehead* FINE! Fine...yes, my mate is a doe...

Joyce: You make it sound like you're embarrassed to introduce me...

Bogo: *Huffs* I want to protect you, you and our calfs...

Joyce: *Glares at her mate* Oh? And I can't handle myself?

Bogo: *Slightly flustered* I-well...*Coughs* I just...I'm not embarrassed my Forest Lily...I just... This is a very public forum these mammals are asking from and...I wanted to protect our family's right to privacy.

Joyce: Relax Boogie...I understand. I'm not upset *Lisa wraps an arm around her mate's waist and hugs him from the side* But you can be a little overprotective sometimes,  you know that?

Bogo: *Huffs* I have made a number of enemies in my time at the ZPD...it's not an unrealistic fear that they may try to hurt you or the calf's to get to me.

Joyce: Well it's not like I'll be reading off my address, workplace and hours, and social security number. *Giggles*

Bogo: *Sighs* I suppose...

Joyce: *Ribs Bogo playfully.* So are you going to introduce me or what, big guy?

Bogo: *Blushes slightly* *Cough* Right, *Ahem* I'd like to introduce you to Joyce Bogo my mate. 

Joyce: *Smirks* A pleasure to meet Dawn and Vernon's audience...As my mate said, I'm Joyce Bogo. I'm a Doe, a mother to three wonderful adopted children, *Flashes Bogo a sly smirk* And one very protective mate.

Bogo: *Coughs* Yes...well...

Joyce: I'm also a soccer coach, or football coach if you prefer. I started doing it for our calfs, but really enjoyed it, so I still do it part-time. But my primary job is 'self-defense' instructor.

Bogo: So between the two of us...I'd think twice about trying anything...

Joyce: We also have life firearms in the house...so, keep that in mind as well...

Bogo: She's better with a pistol than I am. *Chuckles*

Joyce: I still can't best Clawhauser though, his shooting is immaculate *Giggles*