Notices by Nautile Bleu (nautilebleu@mamot.fr)

Where are you on your writing journey? What have you accomplished and what are your plans for the future?

I published the first chapter in 2024 and I’m on my way drawing the 2nd.

Plans for the future? The 3rd and then the 4th until the 6th and final one. After that… we will see. In our unpredictable world, there’s no point thinking to much about the distant future.

#wordweavers 01/01/2025

MC POV: If you could make the antagonist do one thing that doesn't involve anyone's death, what would it be?

Esther: « Lady d’Arcy doesn’t want to kill Erie nor me, she wants to “free” us in her twisted way, which is in fact enslaving us. I don’t want to let her, but if I fail, that’s what gonna happen. »

#wordweavers 2025-01-02

[Illustration: Lady d’Arcy’s dream, how the story should end if everything goes as expected by the villainess]

Share something writing-related you're proud of: an achievement, a beautiful passage, a compliment, etc..

I had to reprint the artbook. I wasn’t expecting that I would sell all of copies (ok I just printed 25)

#wordweavers 2025-01-03

Is understanding others easy for your MC?

It took only a couple of seconds for Esther to understand Lady D’Arcy

#wordweavers 2025-01-04

[llustrations: First page of the Chapter Two]

January can be a dull month (especially in the UK). What's your worst writing month, and why?

I don’t think I have a worst month, but I spend more time with family and resting during holidays (which is the goal of taking holidays after all)

#wordweavers 2025-01-05

When was the last time you wrote a character facing a difficult choice? Have they made the right decision?

It was a hard choice for both when Esther accepted to take Erie with her when coming back to Great Albion:

* For Erie, it was jumping into the unknown (even if the alternative — coming back to a reserve — was not really attractive)
* For Esther, having a leonine maid was breaking social rules.

#wordweavers 2025-01-06

[Illustration: Esther announces that she will go back to Great Albion]

How do you create characters who have depth?

Do my characters have depth? It’s not me who can answer this question!

#wordweavers 2025-01-08

What's the biggest threat your world is facing?

I don’t want to say too much about it, since it’s a spoil, but Lady d’Arcy and other people are united into a conjuring to dominate the world.

#wordweavers 2025-01-07

What's the most impressive thing about your SC? Would they agree?

Erie is now in Great Albion in the service of Esther who perhaps considers her more than just her maid. She even has been gifted one of her mistress's teen dress.
Pretty impressive for a leonine, that is to say a 2nd or even 3rd class citizen, whose life was supposed to be stuck in boredom in a reservation.
Erie would agree she’s been so lucky to cross Esther’s path but you probably dismiss her importance

#wordweavers 2025-01-09

Antagonist POV: Do you have any flaws?

Lady d’Arcy: “No, obviously no! I worked on myself for decades, learning as much as I can, enhancing myself using black magic and surgery, I even managed to be rejuvenated! I’m so perfect ! If only people were understand that”

#wordweavers 2025-01-10

Fight, flight, freeze or fawn? How does your MC react to danger?

Initially, Esther would have freeze or fawn. By the end of the story, she will be more likely to fight

#wordweavers 2025-01-11

If you needed companions to start a rebellion, which of your characters would you choose?

It would be Esther: not only she had superpowers by the end of the story (which can be useful in case of physical confrontation), but she becomes far less conservative than she used to be, starting to break social rules under the unconscious influence of Erie.

#wordweavers 2025-01-12

[Illustrations: Suffragette Esther and the original photo of Christabel Pankhurst]

If you met a person like your antagonist in real life, what would you do?

I know exactly what to do when meeting a narcissistic pervert, having crossed several personally or through relatives and there’s only one thing to do: go away. A narcissistic pervert can’t change and being alone with themselves is the worst thing that can happen to them.

#wordweavers 2025-01-13

What was the weather like in the last scene you wrote? Did it play a role in the story?

The last scene I’m working on is indoor but is about doing a trip on the seashore. The weather is foggy and cold. It helps Esther changing her mind.

#wordweavers 2025-01-14

[Illustrations: Temporary cover of the Chapter Two]

How long is your longest work?

So far, 35 pages 😅. The full story will be 126 pages (in a few years)

#wordweavers 2025-01-15

How long is your shortest work?

I participated to many comics contests, often it’s about doing a one page story. Here’s an example from How To Draw Comics Facebook group in 2019. The story, the characters (Miles, Gwen and the Rhino) and even the number of panels were imposed, dialogs and storyboard are mine.

#wordweavers 2025-01-16

Do you prefer long or short works? What's your sweet spot?

I like the way I work: Create a long story divided into relatively short episodes. Serialisation is an essential part of doing comics.

#wordweavers 2025-01-17

How honest is your MC when honesty will get them into trouble?

Esther has grown up in the upper society. She know that honesty is rarely rewarded in this can of worms.

She often lies to herself, refusing to admit how much she enjoys the sexual arousing in her nightmares or her attraction for Erie

[Edit: add a paragraph about Esther lying to herself]

#wordweavers 2025-01-19

Have you ever wanted to write a story but didn't have the skills? What skills would you need?

Yes, my first idea when I decided to start drawing again was another story with Olympian gods. I quickly realized that managing 12 characters (because yes, a story about the Olympian gods should have all 12, take that Kaos!) was a real challenge: they all had to be well-defined and have their moments. Esther and Erie is a better fit, with its tight cast.

#wordweavers 2025-01-18

Do you feel the Covid pandemic has affected your writing or stories? If so, how?

Nothing would have been possible without the Covid 😬😅 It’s during the first lockdown that Esther and Erie w ent from “a nice idea for Inktober” to “I want to publish this story”

#wordweavers 2025-01-20

[Illustrations: arts done at the beginning of the 1st lockdown]