Hello, friends!

Been a while since I posted here, so I figure I should. For those paying attention. I confess I have a hard time keeping up with FA journals, myself, so I don't blame others if they don't often read mine. Extra kudo points if you do, though. I appreciate it. lol

So my work schedule is in flux at the moment. I won't get into the details, but the last few weeks have been a bit of a ride with way too much off time. Good news is, I finished a commission and it's currently off to my unofficial editor, who is an amazing friend. Don't worry. I compensate him a little bit for his time. My work schedule will be picking up here this week just a bit, but I also have my next commission lined up and I'm just waiting for some details. May work on a personal project in between. I hear Jazmir is popular among some of my friends. lol


What you don't know is that I have several character adopts I've been holding off on posting because (I'm lazy and) I'm working on how they fit into my core story universe. I like to have a little character for my characters before I share them, I guess. My latest one has some ideas flowing, though, so I'll post him here...in just a little bit, actually. Anyway, keep your eyes open because I'm going to try to catch up on that a bit.

I have heard rumor that the fate of FA is uncertain, what with the unfortunate passing of its owner and all (my condolences to his friends and family), but I'm going to assume FA will go on for a while and treat it as such. I might just also work on developing a backup, just in case. Probably through my Toyhouse account, which I haven't posted yet, but will likely add as a contact point in the near future.

Anyway, my best wishes to all of you. I hope everyone has a great day and I look forward to working with you soon!

Hello world!

I have been silent for far too long!!! Partially because I'm lazy. Partially because I've been in this weird in between spot in my work. Partially because I've been busy with RL stuff like my day job. Partially because I was obsessed with Baldur's Gate 3 for a while there!

I'm going to try to pop in more.

I wish I could say I've been busy writing, but I've largely been busy doing anything BUT that. Man it can be hard to focus sometimes. I'm going to try to get back into my routine, though. Especially since my Commission Queue is no officially FULL! That's right. I have filled all three slots and I'm going to hold right there! I'm Temporarily closing commissions until I catch up. Please still feel free to poke me if you have questions, ideas, or just want to chat. Easiest updates are on my Discord server, of course, but I'll try to be more attentive here, too.

Quick question? Should I just close my tumblr for now? I'm not really using it, the most attention I get is from bots when I post something. Tumblr sometimes makes weird decisions, anyway. Etc. I do try to check it now and then, but it hasn't really been doing much. Do any of you have an interest in it? Or should I just let that one go?

All in all, life's been good, but rather full.

Oh! I am making a comeback in the Resonite VR community! Or at least trying to log on and say hi to friends more. So there's that. If you don't know Resonite, check it out. It's like VRChat, but with even more potential for creators and it can be just as good of a social platform.

Anyway, I hope all is well in your lives and I look forward to seeing you around. In one form or another.

I'm not giving names. No point risking the innocent, but I just played witness to what I believe was a scam attempt.

A good friend of mine came to me this morning asking for help. Someone on Twitter (or I guess it's "X" now.) contacted my friend with an offer of a "first payment" of $3,500 dollars via PayPal. all my friend had to do was prep a nice $55 in Paypal to compensate for the charge PayPal makes to receive a payment. First payment for what? apparently this person was just feeling generous. My friend, needing money, was very tempted to accept and was asking me for help with the $55.

Now...I've played with Paypal. It's how I get paid for my commission work. PayPal will take their charge directly out of the received payment at no additional cost to the sender. That's fine. They're a business. They provide a service and that costs money. They can have their share as far as I'm concerned, but never have I had to have that payment prepped BEFORE I could receive a payment. Something strange is going on, I think.

I look up the guy's name. Find his Twitter. Three days ago he put up a request for $2000 to cover charges to replace his computer because it's having issues. Very little of that request has been filled. So how does someone NEEDING money get away with offering a "first payment" of $3500? My friend asks and is told this person just put that up to get money for more content. That it doesn't mean anything and they're just seeing people in the world are still good.

...sure.

So I'm seeing an impossible financial offer with virtually no explanation beyond "just because" to someone that is in desperate need of money FROM someone who is in need of money. Either this guy is scamming Twitter, or he's scamming my friend, or both. Maybe he's been hacked and someone is using his account. Whatever the reason, something isn't right here and the answers aren't adding up to anything trustworthy.

My friend has backed out of this. He's fine. Should be reporting the whole thing to Twitter's moderators as I type this.

Let this be a reminder, folks. Do your research. If an offer looks too good to be true, double check everything. Look the person's account over. Get answers and make sure they actually add up. Don't get yourself in trouble over something like a little money. It's not worth the risk. THIS situation has been dodged. This person will be looking for others. Make sure you know what you're getting, why your getting it, and that the costs all make sense before you accept.

As always, my best wishes to all of you.

Hello friends!

I apologize it's been a while since I really popped in and did much here. I have several pictures I've been meaning to post and haven't gotten around to and I really should update more often if people are going to have interest in my own work.

So just a reminder! My commissions are open for anyone looking to have a story written and finding it difficult to do themselves. I confess I am a bit slow right now as I'm learning to work around a full time job schedule, but I' trying to make a little progress each day, so I will get there eventually. I do try to have good communication so my commissioners know what's going on.

I...don't normally say anything, but I AM in a bit of a financial bind at the moment. Bills are expensive and I'm running on limited funding. I think I'll make it through, but it's tight and the smallest mistake could have severe consequences for me right now. So if you're interested in even a small commission don't be afraid to contact me and we can talk about it. I could use the extra cash to help keep me safe. Plus it's fun to meet new characters or even work with old ones.

Links to all my important info is in my Featured Journal on my main page. Do let me know if you have questions.

In brighter news, I AM working on one larger commission right now that should be done soon. I'm looking forward to posting it for your entertainment. I have hopes of finishing it up by the end of the week. We'll see if I can pull it off.

My best wishes to you, as always.

Draikar

Ever since I started my new job (I recently got a new job!) I've been having a hard time focusing on writing...again. I keep a rather active social schedule as best I can and working a full time job plus keeping up with my social activities doesn't leave me a ton of down time. When I DO have down time, I tend to use it for relaxation. Watch some shows. Play a few games. That sort of thing. (I should probably add reading a book to that list, too. lol) Unfortunately that means that if I don't have a current writing project I'm actively working on...not much writing gets done. Going to have to figure out at least a weekly time slot for my writing so I can start working on it again.

Good news is, my drawing was a success and I have a story commission to work on. That should give me at least a temporary boost. Might use that to try to figure out the schedule aspect. I think I'll also start "reporting" to my Discord group to give myself some accountability.

Setting a schedule....finding accountability....if anyone has any other thoughts or suggestions, I'm open to at least hearing them.

May you all find success in your various endeavors.

My Free Story Commission Drawing is at its end.

Check out the results here!

Hello friends,

Time is up for my drawing/raffle for a free story commission. It is July 1st! I will momentarily be running a random number generator and pulling the winner! Stay tuned for the official announcement.

To those who joined, thank you for your participation!

Have you seen my raffle? There's a chance for a free story, but it all ends on Saturday when the choice is made! Check out details here!

Need a story written? This is your chance to get one for free!

I'm running a drawing for a free story commission (Fanfictions possible!). there are less than two weeks left to join, though. Sign up soon for your chance at a free story!

Check out the details HERE

Need a story written? I can do it for you! Need it for free? I'm running a drawing for that right now! Check it out here!

Have a story in mind, but don't have time to write it yourself? I do story commissions at 2 cents a word. Check here for details!

That's right, folks. I've got lots of commission slots (3) open! Oh, there's a few pending possibilities, but nothing's confirmed yet so there's plenty of space at the moment. Take a look in my gallery for examples of my work!

Interested in a slot? Check out my Terms of Service and contact me via notes! Or follow the link to my Discord group

How about that drawing? I'm running a drawing for a free story commission (with the rare opportunity for fanfiction included). The winner will be chosen at the beginning of July. Check here for details!

Want a free writing commission? I have a drawing for one right now!

Check it out!

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52321877/

Have a story you want to read? Need someone to write it for you? I do writing commissions at only 2 cents a word! That's $20 for a 1000 word story! While I primarily write sci-fi/fantasy tales, I'm open to working in most genres and themes. Check out my Terms of Service for details and send me a note to get started!

Basic info here

Examples:
Jabari's Fur
Boundaries Broken


Commission Queue

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I have discovered that I'm not concentrating well on my writing. Either I'm having trouble just focusing in, or I end up with so many distractions from Discord, Telegram, and just catching up on my feeds in places like FA that I'm spending a lot of time NOT actually focused on the story development side of things. And then when I finally do start to focus in, other things crop up and my attention drifts ever further from my work. And then I MIGHT be able to get centered later in the day, but it becomes difficult.

You have that problem? I'm sure I'm not the only one.

My solution for the day? I'm going to start ignoring Discord and the like in the mornings. Unless it's a message concerning a commission, which I'll try to keep my eyes open for. Even then, it might wait just a little while into the day before I actually do something with it. Instead, I'm going to boot up the old PC and jump straight into writing as quickly as I can. Get at least a few paragraphs done before I let myself look at anything else. There needs to be some progress almost every day, I think while I build up my habits.

That's my current plan, anyway. I'll be starting it today, so if you happen to try to contact me and I don't respond yet...it's because I'm trying to create beautiful things. I promise I'll get back to you in a bit.

Let me know what you do when you're dealing with these things? Do you have any suggested strategies to help build the focused creative time?

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As I look for ways to boost my own reach to get commissions, so to is it fair that I do the same for others. (Also I selfishly want a ticket).

If you're looking for a bit of free art, check out  Checkhoff 's latest YCH. Is cute and a free drawing to enter. Good luck to you!

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52154210/

Hello friends,

I'm just going to give my two cents worth on the FA policy changes that are such a big topic of late.

First of all, I get it. Change is hard. It can be scary. Especially when it's a change in the rules. Things could be affected that aren't the "intended target." However, I'm going to state the seemingly minority view that maybe these changes are a good thing.

Now hear me out.

I think most people will agree that protecting children is a good thing. There are a lot of things on this site that children have no place it. Let's be honest, there's a lot of porn on FA. Just the way it is. That's fine. Draw what you want to draw and write what you want to write, but I think most people will agree that children should not be in porn. The new rules are specifically targeting characters with "childlike proportions" which I get covers a lot of character designs. There's fear things like chibis will be affected. Consider also, though, that even an adult character, should they look somewhat like a child, really serves to encourage those who might have sexual interest in younger people. Do we really want to support that, even by proxy? Sure, the art can be cute, but do we really want to visually tell the world "hey, if it's cute it's okay." A bit of a generalization, but think about it.

I will also point out that the policy change is already largely already in effect and has simply been expanded to include some specific character design groups that previously had a loophole. ALSO ALSO, the rules are specifically targeting characters with child-like proportions in sexual situations: "Such characters need to be aged-up accordingly (proportions changed to that of an adult) to be allowed in submissions containing sexual situations." So...child-like characters shouldn't be in sexual situations. Surprise surprise, right? This line also tells me that younger characters in nonsexual situations are probably fine.

So, as with so many other things, if you're already keeping the "minors" out of the sex, you're probably fine. And if you have some young looking characters involved in sexual themes...maybe it's time to consider aging them up again. Or maybe just NOT doing that. In the long run, it's not really what we want, anyway. Not if we're honest.

I encourage you to look over the update post again and pay attention to the details: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10552819

I now return you to your regularly scheduled art.

Check it out! The Unicorn's Bookshelf is now on Discord!

My friends and I have been working hard over the last week or so to prep this wonderful new place where writers and artists can gather. This will be a central place where I can manage my online writing career, take commissions, and maybe even support other writers in their endeavors. Interested in my work? You can ask me about it here via Notes OR you can join my Discord and talk to me directly about anything from characters to stories, to the worlds in which they exist.

Want a commission? Sure, you can note me here, but send me a message through my new Discord Server and I'll likely get back to you much faster. Throw your concept in one of the server channels. I would love to discuss your story, and if it feels like something I can do for you, we can make arrangements for the official commission.

Have a story of your own you're working on? Need a little help. I will be happy to discuss various ideas you have and make suggestions on how to utilize them. As The Unicorn's Bookshelf grows, I'm sure others will be around who feel the same way. We can build a writer's community and work together for the success of all!

In other news:

I have found it somewhat inconvenient to keep updated my Commissions Journal here on FA AND the journal on my DA account. To resolve this, I have created a Google Drive document from which I will manage the Queue. Check out my Commissions Queue to see my open commission slots and get updates on the progress of your commission.

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know. Communication is very important to me and I want to make sure your experience as a commissioner is as pleasant as I can make it.

Also, I've got a few commissions out now. I've been trying to post them in a manner that is both accessible and easy to use on my part. Let me know what you think. Do you like my stories? Is my posting system to your liking? Let me know in the comments below.

Darkness can only exist in the Absence of Light

I just wanted to say thank you to all my recent watchers. I don't go around saying it individually as so many do. Just not my style, I'm afraid, but I DO appreciate every single one of you. Without you there would be little reason to post my work.

Another thank you to all of you who have been watching me for sometimes even years now. I know there's these big long holes in time where I posted nothing and said nothing and I do sometimes wonder why you're still here, but I also deeply appreciate it.

One more thank you to those who randomly drop by. If you see this, I appreciate your interest, even if fleeting. That there was something somewhere on my account that caught your eye still means a lot and I hope you enjoyed it.


To everyone I wish good luck, prosperity, and happiness as you continue on into your lives.

Hello friends,

So many of the challenges in the world stem from issues in communication. I know. I've had plenty of issues, myself. It's so easy to get caught up in my own thoughts and fears and reign in things I need to express for others to understand what I'm going through. Likewise, it's difficult to understand those around me when they don't tell me what they want or need. If I don't know what a person is feeling, how am I to support them? How am I to give them what they need?

Even after communication is opened up, it's important to listen. Both sides need to listen. It's hard. I know. Again, I get caught up in my own thoughts that I just HAVE to express and sometimes I forget to really hear what the other person is trying to tell me. Information that I could use to really understand them gets lost and then I make mistakes. Different people have different styles of communicating and if you're not paying attention a signal meant to be supportive could come off as cold or selfish. It's a easy mistake to make and it causes so many issues.

Pay attention to the people around you. Listen to them the way you need them to listen to you. Hear what they have to say. If you must, ask to be heard in return. Your feelings and needs matter, too. Every relationship is a balance between the needs and wants of the people involved and no relationship will last long or be healthy without good communication.

Don't have the words? That's okay. That happens. It's happened to me, too. Work through that together. Tell your friend that you're having a hard time describing what you want to say. Maybe you can work together to figure it out. When trying to listen to them, don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't guess at their intent. I've made that mistake too many times to count and it's often caused frustration. Hear them and then ask questions to clarify so that everyone is sure they're understanding each other.

Good communication leads to good teamwork, and every relationship, no matter how casual, professional, or intimate, requires teamwork to succeed. Lean into that. Work together with your friends as a team to overcome challenges. If a mistake happens, that's okay. Try again. So long as everyone wants to succeed, you can. It may take a few tries. that's okay. Misunderstandings are going to happen. Pull back, cool off, and try again. See what you missed. Respectfully let them know what they missed. Together, with good communication, you can overcome anything.

Imagine a world where people actually listened to each other. To you. Where understanding and mutual respect abound all because people were willing to talk things through together rather than argue point. It's not about winning or losing, after all. It's about finding a path that benefits everyone involved. We can build this world. You can help build this world. By listening, expressing ourselves with respect, and working together, we can make this world a better place for the people around us.

Over time, it might make the world a better place in general.

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Hello friends,

Looking for a story commission? I have a couple slots available. Check out my Commissions Journal and look over my TOS, then send me a note, if interested. I'm most comfortable with Sci-fi/fantasy stories, as I've said before, but I'll discuss almost anything.

I look forward to working with you,

Draikar

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Hello friends,

As of today I have started a new blog on Tumblr. Titled "The Unicorn's Bookshelf," it will be one of the places where I post updates and information related to my stories, commissions, and my development as a writer. I will, of course, continue to update on FA and DA as well. This will be another way for me to reach out to the world and share my work and some of my thoughts in general. Please feel free to give it a look if you're a Tumblr user.

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I had a thought and decided to do a minor update to my Terms of Service. It occurred to me that some people may not want me to just post everything. Essentially, the update is a note that I intend to post my stories, so if someone commissions me and wants to keep the story private, they need to tell me that upfront. Saves time and confusion later.

Thank you for your attention. If you do want to commission me, check out my Open Commissions Journal, read the terms of service, and send me a note. I'm always happy to at least talk about it.

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I think I need to apologize. sort of. If you've been paying attention, you'll not I've used PostyBirb for a couple of things. I'm still experimenting and getting used to it, so if formatting is weird, that's why. Also, I need to remember that "Name" for a post doesn't necessarily mean MY name, which is the mistake I made on the journal this morning and why my name is the title. Whoops. We're learning.

I'll have to figure out the shortcuts thing soon. That eludes me. I want to be able to link artists when I post a piece. Very important. If anyone knows how to do the formatting for an icon link correctly, do let me know. The listed instructions confuse my brain and last time I used them I had to go fix them on each of the sites I posted the art piece on. Kinda defeated the purpose of using PostyBirb.

Anyway, I hope your day is going well. My best wishes to everyone.

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Hello friends,

I think I'm going to start trying to do weekly updates just so that people can be aware of both what's going on in my life (when relevant) and also where I'm at with commissions. writing commissions do take time, but I also believe in strong communication between writer and commissioner so that everyone can stay on the same page. These little updates will also be a chance for me to share my thoughts on the universe in general, should I have anything I think is interesting to share.

We'll keep this one simple, shall we? I'm currently working on developing my discipline as a writer. It's not an easy thing for me, but it is important. It's also going to have to take some practice. Making a self run schedule is never easy. Especially when you're easily distracted, which I am. I'm working on it, though, and with a little experimentation I'm sure I'll get it figured out.

I currently have two commissions (one of which I'm awaiting character details for) and one open commission slot. If you like my work and want a story of your own, please read my Terms of Service (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jyBnZM-NGw3MtMx4_WsqxepZxh1pRnHtBlIYdn2J51o/edit?usp=sharing) and then contact me. I'm especially interested if it's sci-fi/fantasy related.

I hope you're all doing well and having a good day. May you find peace in your lives and success in your endeavors.

I'll talk to you next time!

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