inspiration – Joanna Maciejewska

Joanna’s 3D Art: August & September 2023

Back in March 2022, a writer friend introduced me to 3D art and rendering, and ever since, I’ve been exploring it, teaching myself the intricacies of producing good renders such as posing, lighting, and post work. In December 2022, I decided it was time to share what I accomplished, so I started posting images I created to social media.

This post collects all the pieces from the two month period, and I intend for it to be a start of a recurring series for all those who are too busy to keep up with social media posts. If you’d rather see them as they come, new images are posted on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, and Pebble every Wednesday. (more…)

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October 1, 2023

On Writing

Kaja Isn’t Me: Writing a Character Who Shares the Author’s Background

When the main character in a story clearly reflects at least some of the author’s background, and on top of that, the book is written in the first person perspective, the question about the so-called “self-insert” seems inevitable. Did the author just write a better, more idealized version of herself? Is the main character a reflection of her imaginary self or a way to deal with some insecurities?

So how is it this time? How much of Joanna is in Kaja—or how much does Kaja resemble Joanna? (more…)

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May 15, 2023

3D Art

Joanna’s 3D Art: February & March 2023

Back in March 2022, a writer friend introduced me to 3D art and rendering, and ever since, I’ve been exploring it, teaching myself the intricacies of producing good renders such as posing, lighting, and post work. In December 2022, I decided it was time to share what I accomplished, so I started posting images I created to social media.

This post collects all the pieces from the two month period, and I intend for it to be a start of a recurring series for all those who are too busy to keep up with social media posts. If you’d rather see them as they come, new images are posted on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Mastodon every Wednesday.

(more…)

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April 3, 2023

Personal Rants

Half a Year Check-In

Last year, I posted quarterly updates to my invisible writer’s progress, but 2021 brought so much about, I barely blinked and it was already the end of June. So here’s a quick roundup of the first half of my year.

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July 6, 2021

Consuming all things SFF

Are Vampires Boring?

By a chance, I’ve learned that World Dracula Day, commemorating the publication date of Bram Stoker classic, falls on May 26, and it sparked some thoughts about vampires in fiction and pop culture. They’ve been around in books since late 19th century (if we take Dracula’s release date as a marker), and had accompanied us for thousands of years in oral storytelling, folklore, and various myths. After such a long time, are they a little bit stale? Are they… dare I say it, boring? Or, perhaps, like certain pieces of clothing, vampire never go out of style?

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May 26, 2021

A Month in a Writer's Life / Personal Rants

2020 in a Rearview Mirror

Oh what a year it’s been, don’t you agree?

On one hand, I had some of my plans derailed, and things had not gone the way I thought they would. On the other, I was one of the lucky few who hadn’t been much affected by the unexpected situation that changed the way we live our lives. Yet, even for me, it was not a year of major achievements or hitting important milestones. Rather, it was a year of trying to move forward and succeed despite the odds. (more…)

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December 28, 2020

Consuming all things SFF

Liftoff!—Joining SciFiMonth

I think it was 2 years ago when I first came across the SciFi Month on Sarah Higbee’s blog. I loved the idea, since I’m as much a fan of science fiction as I am of fantasy, but it felt rushed to try joining mid-month. Instead, I hoped to join the following year, which in the end, never happened.

This year, I was determined to not miss it. I noted the date in my calendar and started gathering ideas—and there were so many! Time, of course, flies and I might be far from feeling prepared, but I’m still joining it. (more…)

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October 26, 2020

On Writing

The Most Challenging Novel I Wrote So Far

When I’m writing these words, it’s been only a few days after I had finished the first draft of my standalone fantasy, Memories of Sorcery and Sand. There’s still a lot of work ahead of me, but the most important bit is done: I have laid what I hope is a solid structure to probably the most challenging story I attempted to write up to date.

And to be honest, part of me still can’t believe I pulled it off.

(more…)

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July 27, 2020

On Writing / Personal Rants

Invisible Writing Progress – Q2 2020

Time is a peculiar thing. On one hand, it flies so fast that before you blink, you cross the midpoint of the year. On the other, when you look back at all that happened, it feels like it’s been ages since 2020 started. Of course, it doesn’t help that the year itself seems to be a story of a mad writer or a random plot generator… Yet, as we say in Polish, “one has to go on living” even if things didn’t exactly get back to normal during the second quarter of 2020. (more…)

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July 6, 2020

On Writing / Personal Rants

The Trouble with Writing Book 3

When I was first making plans for this year, I was hoping to finish book 3 of my epic fantasy by the end of April. Then, my laptop broke and with the delivery date of my new computer being three weeks later, I knew I’d had to adjust the plans. I hoped for the end of May, but realistically, I set myself to finish by the end of June.

It’s almost halfway through the month, and although it still could be possible for me get to the end before July, but even if I push really hard, it’s unlikely. There are several reasons. (more…)

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June 15, 2020