Month-End Roundup: September 2022

Hello, bonjour, how are you? This month slowed down a whole lot, unfortunately. I was looking forward to a month of enforced self-care, and what I got instead was one of the nastiest colds I've ever had. Seriously. I caught it at work and I couldn't shake it. At time of writing, I still have…

Fanfiction & Elitism in Writing

CW: Discussion of abuse, sexual harassment, racism, classism, harsh language. I also use an image with a drawn depiction of a snake. The Internet has changed writing forever. I don't think there's much argument to that. Gone are the days of spending every spare moment at the library, of looking for other writers in newsletters…

Month-End Roundup: August 2022

Hello, bonjour, how are you. August sure did happen, didn't it? It continues to be hot as hell in Saskatchewan and most of my plants are well and truly dead now. It's pretty damn sad, if you ask me, but I've accepted it. I'm in the middle of a depressive episode and looking at my…

Canadian Crime Stories, Episode Four: The Great Maple Syrup Heist

Canadian Crime Stories has talked about some real dark things since I started doing it. I've talked about torture, sexual violence, murder and prejudice. I've talked about crimes that seem so cinematic that they seemed unreal. I've talked about crimes that are a giant stain on Canada's legal system. I've talked about some of the…

Month-End Roundup: July 2022

Hello, hello, hello! The weather in Saskatchewan continues to suck. Half of my plants are in the process of dying, mostly the flowers, and I feel like there's something really poetic in that. Like I had them and nurtured them for a few months and how they're dying, because it's expected that they do. Like…

Month-End Roundup: June 2022

Hello, hello, hello! It's hotter than hell here in good old Saskatchewan. And, like a good Saskie, I'm going to tell you about the weather. We've had very little rain and that's been a pain. It's dry as a bone in some parts, and I've had to water my ever-expanding garden of potted plants (I've…

Month-End Roundup: May 2022

Hello hello hello! May was sure...a month. They all seem to blur together right now. I'm stressed, depressed and under-dressed. School has eaten my brain, I caught a cold, I still work with the best kids on the planet, and time is continuing. Saskatchewan is finally starting to warm up and I'm looking forward to…

For Whom The Pencil Scribbles: On Writing IRL People

I recently saw Spiderman: No Way Home at the theatres. Yes, I know, the movie has been out for months, but it was worth the wait and it's my favourite Marvel movie so far. And, as has now been made tradition, my friends and I sat through to the end of the credits, waiting on…

Dear Miura-Sensei.

Dear Miura-Sensei. It's been one year since you left this Earth, and somehow it continued to turn. I was surprised too, in the days after you left us, that darkness didn't swallow the sun. There was no eclipse; there was no ending, no sacrifices. There was only waking up and remembering that a story ended…

Excerpt Theatre: What Big Teeth

CW: Gore, violence, murder, cannibalism PROLOGUE Serrai Prince Serrai shook under the floorboards of his family's summer cabin, the blood of his sister dripping down through the knots in the food into the cellar. Fat red drops slid down his hair, down his body, soaking into the dirt floor beneath him until the ground was…

Month End Roundup: April 2022

Haven't done one of these in a....*checks notes* year and change. Wow. But, I'd like to get back to doing this. Why? For one, compared to my longer posts it takes way, way less time to write a round-up and that's a good way to remind y'all that I exist in between my longer form…

On Anger: A Personal Examination.

Content warning: discussions of suicide and self harm, mental illness, mentions of crocodiles, just...Berserk, Star Wars spoilers (that are like 30 years old but whatever), X-men spoilers, discussion of transphopbia/queerphobia Let's talk about anger. First, let's talk about where I've been. I don't want to get into details, because a) I'm not interested in doxing…

Backpack Chronicles: After All This Time (After People You May Know)

Preface: I initially didn’t want to talk about trauma more than I had to on this blog. I feel one of the mistakes I made previously was focusing on this, but my writing comes from this place. It comes from the darkness and anger, but also the hope and resilience. If I want people to…

BayFormers: A Retrospective (Deep Dive)

It was the summer of 2007. It was hot and arid, like so many Saskatchewan summers. The lack of wind made everything feel stagnant as if the air itself was drying out in the sun. I was a young critter of 13 years old, too young to work, but too old for children’s summer programming.…

Pride Month: A Bisexual Examination of #OwnVoices

CW: Mentions of mental health, sexual assault, prejudice/homophobia Hello there, my deers and queers. Emphasis on the queers, because June has come around again, and here in North America, it's Pride Month. At the time of writing, I am unsure if we're allowed to celebrate anywhere but our own homes, but I am still excited…

A Tribute to Kentaro Miura.

The news of Miura Kentaro's death reached the Western world yesterday. If you're not aware of who he is, you're probably at least a little aware of his most famous work, Berserk. If you've been a deer or a queer or a friendo around here for a while, then you've definitely heard of Berserk, because…

Creative City Centre Spotlight

Hey deers and queers! I'm posting outside my schedule to share this video with you. I was chosen by Creative City Centre, an organization in my hometown, as a featured artist for their spoken word spotlight. I know, pretty exciting right? Well, once you're done watching me, you should check out the rest of the…

My Poetry Processes (Poetry Month Post)

I call my writing tiny pieces of beautiful darkness, poetry included. What this means to me is that I do not shy away from dark subjects, painful subjects, or personal subjects. This is on full display in my poetry. I wanted to write a dry, step-by-step piece on writing poetry, but that's not really my…

Announcement

Hi there friendos, dears and queers. You're probably wondering why I've called you all here on this dark and stormy night (it's always a dark and stormy night on the internet). Well, it is because I have something to reveal. Am I going to reveal a terrible crime? Am I going to expose some awful…

Five Ways I’m Unlearning Toxic Mindsets (An El-Listicle)

Hi there friendos, dears and queers. I’ve seen some of my pals around the blogging world talk about toxic mindsets they’re trying to overcome, and I also see some of my friends on twitter talk about it too. The reality is that, living in a capitalist society based on competition and individualism, we all absorb…

It’s okay to not be okay: Top Five Portrayals of Trauma

Hello friendos, dears, and queers. I’ve talked a lot about my own struggles with mental health. While I don’t want to make this blog about that, because while it is a part of me it is not who I am, I try to be vulnerable to show that there is nothing to be ashamed of…

Another Sense of an Ending.

For Elizabeth. Theme taken from Another Sense of An Ending by Sam Gwynn Part One: The shitty, sentimental sort; Some static-tattered last report When a writer dies, it’s not just them who dies. It’s the worlds they created, the worlds they were in the process of creating, and the worlds that they were going to…

Month-End Roundup: February 2021

Hey there, folkx. The second month of 2021 has come and gone, and while it was slightly better than January for me it is still taking me some time to remember to write “2021” on things instead of “2020”. I’m sorry that this post is late, I had a bunch of assignments due around the…

Confessions of a Gatekeeper: An Examination of Fandom

When one has been in fandom for as long as I have (and no, that’s not a brag, it’s really sad and I take no pride in it) one should expect to encounter a few things. Haters, or flamers as they were once known. Art theft. Gate-keeping, or the act of someone taking it upon…

El-Listicle: My Top 5 Overrated “Classic” Novels

Oh boy. Hello, folkx. It’s a frigid winter day in Saskatchewan, and I need to keep warm. I could put on thicker socks, or warmer clothing, or turn the oven on and let it run, or I could use the flames of my hatred for warmth and roast the shit out of some over-rated classic…

El-Listicle: My Top 5 Favourite Classic Novels

Hi there, folkx. Let’s talk about books. Yeah, I know, so original. I’m the 6000th writer to talk about books on the internet and I’m probably the least qualified out of all of them to talk books, but here we are. And classic books? Also original. People have been talking about these books for hundreds…

7 Valentine’s Gifts for COVID 19 (And Bonus Writing Advice)

*Slams hand on the table* Let’s talk writers. Let’s talk Valentine’s Day. I was going back and forth on what I was going to for this post. It’s a holiday. I love holidays. I love the day after holidays, when I can buy cheap candy and eat it until I throw up. I love conversation…

Quickie: Month-End Roundup, January 2021

The first month of 2021 has come and come, folkx, and it was not the glorious revolution I expected it to be. It came with a bang and ended with a whimper, as I sit on my couch with a stubborn stomach virus. I, unsurprisingly, did not begin the year by shedding off my unhealthiness…

Chained to Hell: A Trauma Centric Analysis of Kurapika (The Deep Dive)

CONTENT WARNING: FRANK DISCUSSIONS OF GENOCIDE, TORTURE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. AND HUNTER X HUNTER SPOILERS. aND THIRTSY-ASS GIFS. Is justice ever the same thing as revenge? Is revenge ever righteous? When does righteous revenge become sadistic, pointless violence? Is there ever a good reason to torture or murder? Most of us…

Top Five Anime Villains

Hello friendos and dears! Everyone loves a villain. Some people hate to admit it, but it’s true. We love to see people do the messed-up things we consider doing on a regular basis. We love to see someone wear stylish clothes and give long stupid monologues about their own greatness. Anime is no different. Anime…

Top Five Anime Heroes

Heya, friendos and dears! We’re doing a bit of a different format today. I love to talk about the media I consume on this blog. A lot. I’m a classic nerd, overthinking everything, and then oversharing it on the internet. I’m not sorry. Anyways, I wanted to do some favourites El-Listicles (tm) with characters and…

25 Poems Later: A Retrospective

In December, I decided to write 25 new poems in one month. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying this as a brag. I’m using it as a lesson. In the advent of COVID-19, and the shuttering of the windows of many different magazines across genres and pay scale, I realized that I needed to change…

Year-End Roundup: 2020

Well howdy partner! I sure am glad you stopped by. I’m a bit late to the party, but I think I’ve spent just enough time in 2021 to be able to reflect on the year that came before. And boy howdy, was it a year. My posts went from happy happy happy to crappy crappy…

Month-End Roundup: December 2020

Guten tagen! We’re finally back on the up swing! Finals were hard, holidays were harder, and I am really, really looking forward to 2020 being over, but I’m feeling much better. Not completely back to normal, but better. This Month-End Roundup is going to be a shorter entry this month, because, just like every other…

Saturday Listicle: Top Five Gifts for the Writer in Your Life

Ho-ho-ho! I don’t know about you, but I’m stressed about Christmas presents. Shopping is time in this time of COVID, and I don’t want the gift that keeps on giving (giving chest pain, nasty coughs and joint pain, of course) so I’ve been doing most of my shopping online, if I don’t make a gift…

Saturday Listicle: My Top 5 Christmas Movies

Ho-ho-ho! Time to take down the Halloween decorations and put up the tinsel! The season of spooky is over, and now it’s time for the season of giving! My favourite holiday is Halloween, but I do love Christmas. Even though where I live, in Saskatchewan, Canada, the weather around Christmas is usually freezing, cold and…

Month-End Roundup: November 2020

Hi there, friendos and dears. This is a couple days late, and for that I am sorry. It has been a month of ups and downs, with a down occurring over the weekend. Long story short, a publication I submitted to has gone on hiatus due to COVID without warning, and sent me a kill…

Saturday Listicle: 5 Ways to Maintain Word Count

Hello friendos and dears! The year 2020 is almost over. I know, I know. It’s been a crazy ride, and I think most of us are both terrified and esctatic that this weird, weird year is going to be coming to a close. For myself, despite the pandemic, I’ve had a great year for writing.…

Saturday Listicle: My Top Five Writing Snacks

Hello friendos and dears! Wow, writing sure is hungry work, and hunger waits for no one. Neither does writing inspiration. Of course, it’s a pain in the butt to stop writing to go get a snack, but you have to eat to survive. It’s so unfair! So, it’s helpful to have a snack that’s ready…

Saturday Listicle: 5 Self-Care Tips from one Writer to Another

Hello everyone! This is my first official El-Listicle (tm). I’m switching to this format for a little while, while I take my social media training (which I am LOVING, our teacher is an absolute joy and my classmates are all blessings to this Earth) and I’m actually kind of excited for it? I love sharing…

Month-End Roundup: October 2020

Hello friendos and dears! Well, October sure didn’t go how I wanted it to. Most of my planned posts just...didn’t happen. I really, REALLY underestimated how busy school and life would make me, and for that I apologize. I don’t even have a Halloween costume, which for a Goth is heresy. Please let me keep…

A Brief Announcement

Hey friendos and dears. If you’ve been here for a while, you know how much I value transparency and honesty. If you’re new here, then... Hi, my name is Elka, I write all sorts of dark stuff my mother hates and I think too much about everything and then blurt it out here. Also I…

Spooky Season Listicles: My Top 5 Vampire Novels

Let's start Spooky Season (tm) off right with my first love in the horror genre: vampires! I was an angsty gothic fourteen year old AFAB, so you KNOW I read a crap-load of vampire novels as a young person. I was fortunate enough to be a teenager right in the middle of the vampire craze...but…

Month-End Roundup: September 2020

Hi there, friendos and dears! What a month. What. A. Month. I feel like August was three months ago, and that summer was years ago. September was a really busy month, and didn’t really slow down from August. I went back to school, there was a bunch of changes at work, and my attempts to…

Backpack Chronicles: A Birthday Special; Or, Dragons all the Way Down

There’s a quote that you’ve probably heard, from an author (G. K. Chesterton) you might not have heard of: “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed”. I think of this quote frequently, especially now that I work with…

Finally Fall! Tag

Hey there, friendos and dears! The lovely Amber over at The Literary Phoenix (https://theliteraryphoenix.com/) recently participated in a fall-based tag, and invited everyone who wanted to participate to participate in it. So, while I wasn't tagged directly (please tag me in things, friends! You know I'll do them) I thought it sounded like a lot…

Imager: Reviewsday, September 2020

Hey there, friendos and dears! We haven't...been here for a while, have we? I think it's been four months since my last Reviewsday. I don't know if any of you lovely folkx have missed it, but I sure have! I've been too busy to read, with moving, going back to school, life crashing down around…

Video Editing and Writing: Lessons Learned

I don’t know many artists, whether they be writers, visual artists or musicians, who only dabble in one form of art making. This seems to confuse people who aren’t artists, or who don’t know any well enough to know their hobbies. If this is you, then what are you doing with your life? You should…

Month-End Roundup: August 2020

Welcome to the Month End Round-Up for August 2020. I haven’t done one of these for a while, and it feels like I’m stretching my sea-legs.