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Snoink's Swans

  • *flails*

    More than halfway through! Two more difficult chapters left, and then the easy ones come...

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  • @LadyMysterio made this for me! :D It looks like Moira!!!! :o

    LadyMysterio wrote:here you goooo. I did my best based off of my impression of white swans and my interpretation of them. :D
    Spoiler! :

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    Link to original comment



    LadyMysterio :D
    Jan 20, 2025

  • I forgot to share this here, but yeah! It is a THING.

    Snoink wrote:... okay, so I was challenged by one of my friends to make a non-AI cover art for Conqueror Rising. (And I can never resist a good challenge, lol.)

    So... presenting... the new cover art!

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    ... it uses this artwork, which is in the public domain. But I really like it anyway for Solea, because this book is all about how she is struggling with her identity, and I love how the girl's face is scratched out. It just... is so good for Solea, trust me on this. ^^

    Link to original comment


  • ... what??? Original story art??? YES.

    Though, don't get *too* excited, LOL. It's made by me, after all. XD So like... it's a cartoon. And it kind of makes fun of my characters because they are ridiculous.

    ANYWAY. From left to right... Alainna, Solea, and Cyrus from Book 1.

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    Image explanation:

    Spoiler! :
    Alainna is tall with luscious locks and is holding a sign about her being the Lady... just in case she forgot to tell you this minute. She is smiling because she is excited about all the homework she is about to make Solea do.

    Solea is shorter with curly dark hair with no sign because she is still struggling with her identity and didn't want to hold a sign saying "Lady's Handmaid" or "Black Swan's Daughter" or "Please Don't Think About My Family Tree Because You WILL Get A Headache." She is smiling because she doesn't know yet how much homework Alainna wants her to do.

    Cyrus had wonky eyes, as is proper for the first book. Also, he looks like an awkward teenager... very lanky and thin, which is appropriate because when he was a boy his family lived on subsistence living, which is not as easy as it sounds, and so he's grown up very skinny. He is holding a sign too because, how many times does he have to prove to Alainna that he isn't going to stab her in the gut or whatever??? He is smiling because he has not read the outline for the future books and thus doesn't know that he will one day have to swim through a sewer during a major storm.



    Spearmint of course Cyrus's sign is in cursive, lolll. and each of their reasons for smiling XDD
    Jan 16, 2025

  • Progress shot! I split up several chapters that needed to be split up. Still considering splitting up the birthday party, but not yet. I am *almost* done rewriting "An Exchange of Letters." :)

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    LadyMysterio Can I ask what program it is that your using to categorize all this?
    Jan 12, 2025


    Snoink It's just Google Sheets... like, Google's official spreadsheet app. ^^
    Jan 12, 2025

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  • Okay but... still playing with AI a bit and, after sharing several chapters with it (seven chapters, I think, so they just met their new teacher) and asking it to give me an in-depth character analysis, it said one of Solea's key developments is...:

    Finding Her Voice: A significant theme in Solea’s journey is finding her voice, both literally and figuratively. Her participation in Cyrus’s class, sharing her story, and singing the Swan song highlight her growth and the importance of self-expression in her character arc.


    AND. ACTUALLY. YES.


  • Okay, but I asked AI, "what is a subtle facial expression that indicates annoyance?" and it responded with:

    A subtle facial expression that indicates annoyance could be a slight narrowing of the eyes, combined with a barely perceptible frown. The lips might press together lightly, and the eyebrows might draw closer together. These small changes can convey irritation without being overly dramatic.

    For example, in your scene, you could describe it like this: Example: Sergius's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips pressing together as a faint frown appeared on his face.

    Feel free to use or adapt this description in your writing! If you have any other questions or need more suggestions, just let me know.


    AND JUST.

    1. THE AUDACITY!!! How dare you use Sergius as an example, and also...

    2. HOW DID YOU GUESS I WAS WRITING ABOUT SERGIUS????



    Snoink (I asked how it knew, and it responded with, "Sergius is quite an intriguing character with a strong presence. It makes sense that subtle expressions of annoyance would be relevant to him." SO NOW YOU KNOW.)
    Jan 6, 2025


    Spearmint LOL i meannnn i think the second most likely character to show annoyance would be Alainna, but she's not exactly subtle about it >.>
    Jan 6, 2025

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  • Okay! So... this is edited AI??? The eye colors were off and the cloak looked bizarre and several other little things. But still! This is the closest I got to having the three main characters, so yay! Cyrus isn't quite right... the poor dude is described as having an lumpy face, lol. But oh well!

    Solea is in the middle, Alainna is to her right, while Cyrus is rocking an eyepatch to her left. I like how annoyed Alainna looks. XD

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    LadyMysterio this gives me pride and prejudice vibes, PURELY from the clothing, mind you XD
    Dec 31, 2024


    Snoink I mean. The first book is partially driven by letters being exchanged with some of the characters, much like Pride and Prejudice, so that wouldn't be far off. XD
    Dec 31, 2024

  • Alainna made it as one of the top words for this review day!!! A lot of people definitely had opinions about her... xD

    My favorite quote about Alainna from this review day:

    My gosh, could I empathize with Solea here! In stark contrast to the last chapter, it feels like she was really trying to extend an olive branch for at least a moment here--and Alainna just had to be...well, Alainna.


    XD

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  • Okay!!! Another progress shot! I essentially rewrote "An Exchange of Letters" to the point where that's not an accurate title anymore, lol. I'll have to think of another...

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  • ALSO. Apparently when swans act all aggressive and hiss at first as a warning, it's called "busking." SO. I am really tempted to make that a slang term now... so like, whenever a character is like, "You're joking. That terrible thing can't be happening." That would now be, "You're busking. That terrible thing can't be happening."


  • It is looking better!!! Only three chapters need rewriting and I've started doing an extensive grammar check for the others.

    Red and black need writing or rewriting, brown and tan means that grammar edits are needed, and blues mean grammar edits are mostly complete.

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  • ...not me asking an AI whether a specific, newly-written excerpt from Book 1 makes sense. XD (It is Solea recounting Kalie's backstory!)

    (I know... I'm awful for using AI, hahaha.)

    Anyway, this is what the AI said:

    Spoiler! :

    In this excerpt, the characters are discussing a story about Kalie, the first Conqueror, and her tragic life. Solea recounts a story she heard as a child about how Kalie was born to two Swans who defied the god Diamea and had a child. Because the child was human, her father abandoned her. Kalie's mother raised her in a secluded forest, hoping to turn her into a Swan when she was old enough. However, a woodcutter saw Kalie, and she became pregnant and had children, which led her mother to abandon her.

    After several pregnancies and being abandoned by her mother, Kalie met Uclepidies, who tried to help her by giving her his blood, hoping she could become a Swan. Instead, the blood made her mad with bloodlust, leading to her reign as a Conqueror. There's a discussion about whether Uclepidies was evil or if he intended to help Kalie. Archondid adds that Uclepidies aided Kalie during her reign, possibly voluntarily, which raises questions about his intentions and actions.

    Throughout the conversation, the characters reflect on the story's implications and the moral ambiguity of Uclepidies' actions. They express curiosity about the true nature of Uclepidies and his role in Kalie's transformation and rise to power. It's a tale of betrayal, transformation, and the blurred lines between good and evil.


    This sounds... like an okay direction? Probably going to bug my niece about the excerpt now, haha.

    IF THIS NEWLY WRITTEN SECTION WORKS, this means I can delete like... probably 2k from Book 1, including my clunky backstory section, so WISH ME LUCK.



    khushi17bansal Best of luck!!!
    Dec 15, 2024


    Snoink Thank you! Also, the niece said it made sense, and also said a really insightful comment that the AI did not replicate, so WOOOO. Human readers win this round! :)
    Dec 16, 2024



  • Snoink Best yet!!! The link actually works!

    https://cygnusjobs-4-u.net/

    Dec 8, 2024



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