iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Just went through an entire villain ark of "my writing sucks", "just make it exist first - make it look good later" in around half an hour.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Day 30: I do not have a target date. My day job is too hectic. the fact that I have the draft on hand is a miracle on its own. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Day 28: ...i honestly re-read everything I wrote, and there's not a single thing I am not willing to edit. But let's go with "Poison? Why would I waste a perfectly good poison on you?" #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Day 27: "I changed myself and became happier, therefore if you are capable of change and do that, you will become happier". It is a somewhat twisted dysphoria idea. It comes from a community my ftm friend once found himself in, that pushed people into coming out and #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Day 26: All the time! I always start with placeholder names, and realise what suits charactera later. Sometimes it takes longer research, sometimes I just feel it, but the lack thereof is no reason to postpon writing. Example: the wolf's placeholder name was Santiago. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Day 25: Small rant: YA nowadays isn't a target age, but a specific genre, and this saddens me. Though I honestly don't aim for a specific one - but the more I write, the clearer do I imagine a lady in her 30-50 reading it, reviving the nostalgic memories of whimsy. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Day 24: It is at the very ending, when mystery is unravelled. It is probably the hardest part to do without a lore dump the reader might have forgotten by then - and I loathe lore dumps. So I'm avoiding it for now. In the draft is IS written as a lore dump, but I will make it #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Day 23: I looked through my works, and I feel like I over rely on sounds and smells. Which is odd, since I'd expect ut to be sight, as we are very visual people. I completely neglet taste, though, and I feel like I know the reason for it: #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Day 22: I AM GLAD THAT YOU ASKED! We are at the subplot with a cursed mill at mid-fall. Humidity is high, rains are frequent, and if the mill isn't fixed in time, the harvest will rot. Which wouldn't be an issue if the place had a proper granary. It does not. For reasons. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Day 21: The main character, unfortunately C': Takis is prone to conflicts - he has a slight superiority complex centred around his education, and the boy needs to be humbled. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Day 20: I try nearly any writing advice, actually. Thing is, if it's not implemented into what I do, I don't consider that advice "best", otherwise I wouldn't ignore it. When I think of all the best advice in my life, they didn't go ignored. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Day 19: I've always been enamoured by @chucktingle.bsky.social People use his erotica covers as memes (some even think books aren't real), but I am not joking when I say he's a REALLY good writer. Honestly, do have a read of at least two shorts. I'm yet to read his horror. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Day 17: There is no antagonist. They can't speak. To be fair, the underlining idea that there is a bad guy in every story to defeat so everything in the world fixes itself is upsetting to me to no end. Are we writing books, or cheap anime knock-offs? #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Day 16: The current fantasy attempt? - oh, I'd hope it'd be next to something of Dianne Wynn Jones! Perhaps, Dalemark Quartet or House of Many Ways. But that's just... unrealistic, Dianne is an absolutely phenomenal writer; no one is allowed to be shelved next to her. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Day 15: very early morning, between 3:00 and 9:00. Unfortunately, that's also my sleep time. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Day 14: Oh, boy, I feel an ass for this. The first person Takis meets is a woman names Xenia who works at the pandocheion. She is very helpful, knowing who he is, what he's there for, she is very patient to his know-it-all attitude, and all around a sweetheart, not as much... #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Day 13: unfortunately, nothing weird. HOWEVER, I did get a lot of ancient Greek sweets recipes! #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

One of my most disliked tropes in fiction - and I don't know if it has a name - is when the story conclusion is secretly transmitted somehow into the public.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Day 11: another complicated one, and I predict a wall of text down there. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Day 10: about a year ago I started treating my depression. Psychiatrist, pills, evaluations - all that jazz. And it helped! But some time alter I also realsied that writing a rather heavy-themed coming of age detective mystery wasn't helping. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Day 9: I listen to a lot of Joseph Loduca when writing it. open.spotify.com/track/3w6ELm... But I am yet to create a decent playlist: mostly it's just ambiance.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Day 8: This is an interesting question. In my current draft it starts at the beginning of Chapter 2 / ending of Chapter 1. However, I do want to cut those out, and start the story with said inciting event. I am yet to find any good reason as to why this is a bad idea. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Day 7: Huge ego, for one. He knows what's best - HE WENT TO COLLEGE! - and he will do his best to force it upon you. Very quick judgement would be the other one. And there is a residue left from dysphoria, where he thinks that changing yourself will fix all the problems. #junejottings #writing

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Reposted by Valentine Kay

Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Now when I re-read this, I fell like I need a deeper explanation: when needing to anthropomorphise something that is a product of humanity, making it human seems the most logical to me.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Day 6: Sort of have an artwork, but sort of don't. I have been making a paper doll for Takis to sketch out seasonal travel outfits of his, since all that really get mentioned is a jacket, leather boots, and a big-ass hat. But I am yet to make a proper artwork. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Day 5: Human is an animal. I don't write antagonists, you see. There are antagonistic forces, sure, but my stories are about man vs forces of nature or their own inner world. I never write bad guys to kill so everything in the world turns right. That's boring. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Day 4: Takis is notoriously unfunny, so here ya go. It makes my job as a person with a sense of humour, very hard. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Day 3: This is going to sound so weird, but: when I don't want to write, I re-read and edit. Which is hardly procrastination, I know, but when I need an excuse it's "Oh, no, look, I'm working, just in a different way". #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Day 2: for now it's the witch met later in the book, Morwyn. He's just a chill dude with air of menace around him. A stereotypical "sexy witch of the wild" (male edition), but it's fun to write stereotypes, and make them a bit more than their components. #junejottings #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I am going to catch up! Day 1: not ABSOLUTE favourite, but favourite ENOUGH. #junejottings #writing

His step became less and less bouncy as a few old, bleached trees, all covered in crows, appeared in dim dusky light. He knew full well them being harbingers of doom was just superstition, that the animals only followed the smell of meat to scavenge, but couldn’t deny that approaching a cawing black mess close to the night as the clouds paint the skies black was way too ominous.
He slowed down almost to a crawl, slouching, looking up carefully at one of the birds. Its black eyes turned to him immediately, as if it knew he was watching. It opened its beak, greeting him with such a loud CAW, Takis jolted back, and quickly lowered his head, as if shamed by the bird. CAW, another bird repeated in a similarly loud, obnoxious way, and others caught on: CAW CAW CAW CAW. Each was unique, as if they echoed different words in their primitive language. The rustling of claws and feathers accompanied this gaggle, as they fussed about, turned to him, flapped their wings, and ruffled their feathers to appear bigger and more menacing. Takis could imagine the birds diving down, attacking him, dozens if not hundreds of sharp black beaks digging into his flesh. Suddenly, this murder of crows was much scarier than that man hiding in the woods.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

It's been a while since I wrote anything pornographic, but here's to trying!

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

...man's finger started pressing on a grey metal of a trigger, but that was not what scared him. A large shadow appearing from the side did: launching itself at the thaumaturge. The shot somehow missed, a crackling bang echoed, dogs howled, and a giant maw full of daggers opened up to tear him apart

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

I have noticed that way too few writers describe smells. Sights - all the time. Sounds and textures - often. Tastes - if appropriate. Smells - almost never. #writing

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Reposted by Valentine Kay

LGBTQReads @lgbtqreads.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Looking for a queer bookshop with really specific sections? LGBTQReads has got you covered, with over a hundred different lists for finding your perfect next read: bookshop.org/shop/LGBTQRe... 🌈📚

bookshop.org

LGBTQReads Bookshop

Queering up your shelf, one rec at a time!

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

When Greece is depicted in film, it is almost always sand, heat, and limestone. And yet, as I am looking for reference for the story... #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

1/2 It is a little challenging: I have been writing mystery and horror for the most of my life, and now am trying my hand at light fantasy. It is interesting, though, I'm enjoying myself, especially the research.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

If I'm being honest, it felt right to make a separate account for writing, given my main is a mess already. And yet, I'm not sure what to post here. Something tells me it's important to have a separate platform, but... Idk, hello everyone? #writing

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Look at the boi I've got for the current story! I'm not that good at designing creatures, but @beatrizrebolloart.bsky.social seems to be a professional in were-things. Love this guy.

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Valentine Kay @valentine-kay.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I've spent the last month or two doing a lot of research for the story. I promised myself it's going to be light and whimsical, but #writing

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