Why I took a break & plans for the near future.

Hi guys!

So, it's been a while since I posted anything on the blog.

For the negative news:

  Basically last month was really difficult to get through. I was overcome by depression -it wasn't anything serious, but I was overwhelmed by all sorts of negative emotions- and I wasn't feeling up to doing anything that required much effort. I didn't even care to do things that I usually really enjoy doing. I had planned to do my best and write as much as possible on the blog, but I lacked the inspiration and solidity that were necessary to do so. Hence the long break that ensued.

  At the moment, I'm not feeling very stable emotionally, as I'm still having mood swings every once in a while and I'm beginning to feel the pressure of having to study for the upcoming exam period. I really want to try my best to enjoy the Christmas holidays this year, to relax and become happier and do the things that I love doing.

  Unfortunately I'm not sure if blogging has a place among these things. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy it, but it's not something I'm particularly good at and it's a very difficult activity because it takes a lot of time and effort for me to be able to post only a few times a month. The reason I started this blog was to practice writing, cultivate my creativity and imagination and sharpen my research skills. It turned out to be a fun hobby and I thought to myself that if I could get to entertain or help some of you along the way, I would be satisfied with what I'm doing.

  But, I never wanted to commit to it to the point where I would feel obliged to keep doing this whether I feel like it or not. I'm really grateful that I got some attention -and to be fair, I worked very hard on the blog before deciding to take a break- and it would mean a lot to me if you continue to read my posts every once in a while. But I want to apologise in advance for not having a consistent schedule and not taking this as seriously as most bloggers out there do. I think I should write when I feel like it, because if I don't I just won't be able to do my best.

I'm sure I will be posting something for you during the holidays, especially if I have a fun & festive idea, but I don't want to promise you anything.

And for the positive news:

  Another big reason why I didn't concern myself much with the blog this month was because I invested a lot of time (and money) into sketching and drawing. I bought the Intuos Comic graphics tablet by Wacom, which is basically a device that allows you to draw digitally on your computer. If you are interested in learning more about the graphics tablet I could write a small review on it and maybe post a few pictures of my art work (which is nothing special so don't get excited).

  At the moment, I want to work on my sketching and drawing skills (and writing skills) as much as possible because in the near future I'm planning to collaborate with my boyfriend in the creation of one or several otome games. An otome game is basically an anime-style, story based, interactive fiction game with a female main character. The heroine follows a progressive story-line and makes choices of action that influence the ending. The main goal of the game is to develop a romantic relationship between the heroine and one of the several male/female characters of varying personality types that appear in the game.

You can find out more about otome games here.

  For those who are familiar with manga/anime and have a basic idea of what an otome game is, or have already played a game that belongs to this genre, I would really appreciate your input on a few things. I should inform you that most of the games that I imagine myself making will have a whole lot of fantasy, adventure and drama whether they take place in modern or medieval times. I should suppose that this is sufficient information, as I want to reveal as little as possible.

  So, first of all, what do you look forward to seeing in an otome game that you haven't seen anywhere so far? And, what type of characters would you like to be able to pursue in the game? Are there any specific events that you can think of taking place in a game of the fantasy/adventure genre?

  Warning: Be warned that making a game takes A LOT of time and massive amounts of work and effort, so I don't even know if its possible for me and my boyfriend to be able to make one, given that we have a tough schedule ahead of us. Or when it will be possible, for that matter. But it is definitely a big dream of mine and I will do all that I can to see that it comes true. :)

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Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below, as I'd be really happy to read it and reply, even if you post it a long time from now.

Thank you for reading!❤

Love,

Stephanie