Would You Like to Read My Novel for Free?

Sorry to come back unannounced all of a sudden. As you know, I am no longer writing on this blog as I’ve moved on to my own domain. However, I decided to come back for this one last post…

This blog was the start of my ‘public’ writing journey, a safe space where I could finally post my creative writing out there in the world, among a supportive community of like-minded bloggers.

Thus, I thought this announcement is worth sharing here.

I have no idea how many of you this post will reach, but to whoever is reading this…

How about coming along with me on my new writing journey on Substack?

Even after all these years, I’m not done writing… I can never stop writing… and so I’ve decided to start a publication on Substack, a newsletter-based platform…

…where I’ll be posting the entirety of my novel, chapter by chapter over the course of the next year. For free.

(As well as any posts related to my writing process, thoughts, etc.)

How does it work? You don’t have to create an account or anything. Substack is just like subscribing to a newsletter. Everything will come to your inbox, although you can also catch up on any emails you would have missed on my publication page. For now, I plan to release a chapter a week, starting mid-November.

Thank you for your support for the few years I’ve been active on An Evil Nymph’s Blog. While I might not be blogging anymore, I still can’t stop my creative juices from flowing!

P.S.: I’m also planning to publish the same novel, chapter per chapter, on Tapas, so if you already use this platform, you can view my profile here and read it there instead!

Happy reading and hope you’re all doing great.

An Evil Nymph.

Chronicles Of My Teenage Depression | Collected Stories

Hi guys! It’s been a while! I’m currently reviving my Medium blog to act as a complement to my new official blog. While going through my writing pieces on Medium, I found that I used to write a kind of ‘Depression’ series. These blog posts are now irrelevant to my content on that platform, but I didn’t want to just delete them, so I’ve decided to keep them here. Enjoy the collected writing pieces on my teenage depression! 

***

1.

The Only Time I Was Depressed

She had been depressed before, but she had never been Depressed. She had had her sad days, because life was made to have ups and downs, but she had never felt to be at a point outside of the graph, without a clue where to go next.

At that specific point, there was no beginning, no continuation, no end. She just was. And it felt like she would always be.

In her sleep, she was lost in a film of nightmares. When she was awake, she hid behind a curtain of tears. No, she did not always cry, but she always wanted to, and so her eyes.

Writing Hacks: Why You Need Grammarly To Ace Your Assignments

As you might know, I’ve enrolled in a writing course this semester… and I’ve not regretted this decision at all. It made me learn so much about my own creative self and pretty much revived my inner child. Now that it’s over, all I’ve left to do is to wait for the final grade.

Okay, so let me tell you a few things about being graded on a piece of fiction you’ve written. At first glance, it sounds like a very subjective process, which could make it unfair because we all wouldn’t have the same preferences as our teacher, but in reality, there is always a marking scheme for every type of assignment out there, at my university at least.

In the end, the actual creative story only comprises around 20-30% of the total grade.

But can you guess what else makes up 20% of the grade? Yes. Grammar and spelling. 

Interested In Freelance Writing? Me Too!

A few days ago, I decided it was time to invest in myself, i.e. my professional skills. I am graduating soon and the future seems… confusing and unfair. So I spent US$10 on the Complete Digital Marketing Course – 12 Courses in 1 on Udemy (original price at $200 but when you sign up you get to buy your first course at a flat rate of $10), in the thought of re-branding myself as a serious, professional freelance writer.

Basically, I’m applying everything I’m learning to my freelance writing career and how I’m going to market it. Every lesson is a step towards accomplishing a specific project or business idea, and my current project… is a new niche blog on freelance writing, which is going to be my first writer’s official website.

A massive update from this blog (in which I’ll nevertheless still post).

So I’m currently at the market research step, in which I get to ask around how my business idea can help you guys. What would you like to see in a freelance writing blog? Whether it’s to improve your writing skills or get started in freelancing, I’d love to get everyone’s input! Especially as readers of my blog, old and new; you guys know my writing best 🙂

Click the button below to fill the survey! It was purposefully built to be completed within 2 minutes!

Launch me

On another note, before starting the course, I had actually asked on Facebook what new niche blog they would like me to build and apart from writing and freelancing advice, the majority also wanted me to create a Survival Guide for University Students blog.
Therefore, I also created a 2-minute survey to ask about everyone’s input on that one; click the button below if you are interested in that particular idea and would like to see it come to life!

Launch me
 
Your responses and ideas matter; without them, I wouldn’t even have considered going forward with any of the two projects. Depending on the responses, I’ll see what I can do and determine whether I should definitely put them into practice.

Thank you for keeping up with me!
An Evil Nymph.

What Are Ant-tables?

I’m doing creative writing this semester and today in class we did an interesting exercise in which we each were allocated two random words, and with those two words we had to make up a new concept, an invention of the sort.

The two words I got were ‘ant’ and ‘table’, and as you can guess from the title, I ended up creating ant-tables, a particular type of creature that used to live in the Ice Age. The exercise was so fun for me that I’ve decided to share word for word what I wrote during class here.

Enjoy!

The Ant-tables

A feeling of wonder took over me as I bent down to examine the fossil closely. We’d just discovered a new species: the ant-table. It used to live in the Ice Age, but it became extinct soon after that.

A creature, the size of your thumb, armed with four straight legs and skin as rough as wood. Ant-tables would freeze their body in hibernation during the harshest winters. They were resilient and would live as long as a century.

Second Chance | A Short Story

Disclaimer: This is a short story I wrote at the beginning of the year and which never got a chance to be published, so now here it is, out in the world. Enjoy!

***

His left eye burst into a river of blood.

Daan screamed. Thick red droplets fell onto his laboratory reports and experimental drawings. He stumbled away from his desk, knocking down his chair. He covered the wound with a trembling hand.

It had already begun.

He winced as he went for his desk and grabbed the little amethyst next to his pencils.

“Prepare for imminent evacuation,” he said, clutching the pebble so hard that his knuckles turned white. “I repeat, prepare for imminent planetary evacuation.”

“What?! Now?!” The voice coming through the stone was clear. It felt like Troi, his best friend and the most competent engineer of the century, was standing beside him. “I thought we’d have more time to complete the remaining flying ships…”

“Well we don’t. We need to evacuate the whole planet now. Every citizen of Homothea has to be rescued before…” He cried out as more blood gushed down his cheek. The amethyst slipped from his fingers.

“What’s going on? DAAN! Answer me!”

What Cannot Be Healed

*Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction.*

What does it mean to be in love, really? What if having feelings for someone and being in love are actually completely different?

Why do people fall in love several times in a lifetime? Then why make up the concept of ‘soulmates’?

When Dahlia looks at her life, it feels wonderful, almost perfect. One year ago, the world was on the brink of destruction. One year ago, she had almost lost her sister. Today, she can walk outside without the fear of being attacked. Today, humans have accepted and welcomed her race to live on Earth.

One year ago, her mentor, ally and one of the two most powerful Masterminds, sacrificed herself for peace.

Here’s An Opportunity For You To Get Your Writing Out There

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:

I have decided to re-open my blog to guest posts.

A few years ago, (oh my, this blog is almost 5 years old! I feel so old!) I am not sure if it was a WordPress trend or simply a general blogging trend, but other bloggers or writers would email me about a request to guest post here, on An Evil Nymph’s Blog. Moreover, if I remember correctly, other bloggers on WordPress were also allowing guest posts on their blog and maybe they are still doing it.

Anyway, I cannot exactly recall how I decided to dive in, but I ended up accepting the guest blogging requests and further adding in my contact page that I welcomed guest posts.

But, what is a guest post exactly? 

In brief, anyone who wants to guest post on your blog is someone who wants to write an article for your blog, so as to get more exposure as a writer and reach a new audience. They usually request to have links to their website, which I usually include in their bio at the end of the post. And that is all… at least, here on WordPress.com, our free blogosphere.

I’m Officially A Freelance Writer!

Of course, you don’t actually have to be published to be called a ‘writer’, and you don’t have to be paid to write or blog to be called a ‘freelance writer’.

Yet, here I am, finally and officially calling myself a ‘freelance writer’. Yes, I got a writing job! It’s more of a part-time kind of freelancing as I am super busy with university as a full-time student.

In any case, I’m working for the Vulcan Post, an online technology and lifestyle magazine based in Singapore and Malaysia. Since I currently live in Malaysia, I’m working under the main Malaysian branch.

A Magnificent Rose Smelling Faintly Of Blood

“Love is the world’s infinite mutability; lies, hatred, murder even, are all knit up in it; it is the inevitable blossoming of its opposites, a magnificent rose smelling faintly of blood.”
– Tony Kushner, THE ILLUSION.

“This is a message to all the young women who have found their one and only.

This is a message to the girls who fell in love for the first time.

This is a message to those who believe in Love, because the reality of Love is far from what it really is.

A long term relationship is what we aspire to, because the myth of ‘soulmates’ have haunted us since we were young and stuffed with mediated representations of Love: two people ‘meant’ for each other. Yet, it is in a long term relationship that we learn, and we learn it the hard way: nothing in Real Love is ever like our Ideal idea of Love.”

Heartbreak From A Stranger

I was looking for more violin players for our end-of-year orchestral shown when you appeared on our doorstep and offered to help.

Being the passionate leader that I was, I treated all my musicians as equally and uniquely important to my eyes. Taught you the arts, seeing you as an individual, not as a pawn.

In the middle of our rehearsals, one day, you came up to me and asked for your leave, because you had other more compulsory obligations and could not cope with everything. I understood, because I am human and you too, and let you go.

A side musical competition came up soon after, one that I did not find important but which my team mates did, thus we gave it much attention too.

On the day of the competition, as my orchestra was setting up, I saw you… on the other side of the stage, armed with your brand new violin, side to side with the opposing team.

You were so proud that you won and we lost.

I focused my orchestra back into the end-of-year show, and the latter was in fact a success. By that time I had forgotten all about you. People leave and people change.

The day you broke my heart was the day you came back to me.

Your orchestra had now a higher position than ours. You came to me to ask for my help for a future musical project. In other words, you needed slaves to do your work, because as the winning team, you would not dare degrade yourself to our standards.

The real truth was that you knew absolutely nothing about being in an orchestra, but you aimed for fame and royalty and here you are on top.

I have no choice but to fake a genuine innocent smile and abide by your wishes. My orchestra is under yours.

If not, I would have taken my orchestra in my own fall. And my orchestra is what I care for the most in life. I had to swallow my pride and my broken heart for the sake of my orchestra, its reputation and mobility. I had to close my eyes and let it go, for my orchestra to float up.

You had given me a unique opportunity for my orchestra, one I could not refuse.

~

An Evil Nymph.

Ready, Set… NANOWRIMO!

Guys, I’m alive.

I know that my latest post is 1 month+ old, which is probably my MIA record in the blogosphere, and that the latter was a depressing short story, but I would like to let you know that I am perfectly fine… even very happy. Lately, I have simply been overwhelmed by Life, in beautiful amazing ways, and at this point, I’d say that I have never been so lucky. If I was not an atheist I would probably have thanked the Lord. But instead, I’ll just thank the universe.

Anyway, my wake-up call to blogging today was actually the realization that… I’m DOING NANOWRIMO THIS YEAR! (as you’ve guessed from the title, of course) After 2 years of no-NaNo, at last, I’m getting back at it!

If you are also participating this year and would like to be my NaNo buddy, my username is DaphLeFay and yep it’s obvious that I can’t change my username and this one totally reminds me of the ‘me’ that created this blog in the first place. XD

This time, the novel I will be writing will be different from previous years. The main reason why I have not been blogging for a month was because of my commitment in my university’s Performing Arts Club, especially as we were coming close to our big Year-End Production. And I’d say that this whole experience, which is actually my second time, although I was in a higher position this time, changed me and touched my heart like nothing else.

Thus I’d like to dedicate this year’s NaNo novel to my Performing Arts Club. My novel is called, you guess it, The Performing Arts Club.

Anyway, I know I have a lot to do now and those who are doing NaNo can relate, therefore, I’d just like to wish you all good luck!

May your pen never fail you.

An Evil Nymph.

The Day She Died.

She died the day she turned 20.

It attacked her and destroyed who she was. It stole her heart and everything that mattered. She was left lying on the ground, with only a body of air and dirt. Nevertheless, she stood up again and faced the sun. In its haste, it left a piece of her soul. She took one step at a time back to life.

But it came back for it.

At that moment, she laughed. Her body shook uncontrollably. “Take it all, take it all,” she said. Because being 20 made her realise that Life was indeed merciless. And she was left with nothing.

She was only 20, and yet, she was dead, dead in an empty bottle; still she was living, living in death. She kept on taking one step at a time, into certain nothingness. She bumped into other bodies; she met with new experiences. Life was being thrown at her but she could not return the favour.

She might as well have been a porcelain doll. She was played with, but she could not play with.

This picture was taken during our annual Monash ball 2015 at the Majestic Hotel and features a real performer, posing as a kind of statue.

An Evil Nymph.

A Writer’s World; A Writer’s Block

I always believed that writers had an imaginary world of their own, where every story, every place, every character they had ever created resided, because I do have one. J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis had one each, and now of course we would also think of George R. R. Martin’s. Mine also has a name, but not as fancy as ‘Narnia’, so I’ll skip that part. This phenomenon, I call it a writer’s world. All the characters and all the buildings or places I’ve ever invented since I was 8 still exist for me and are just waiting for my cue to jump out to the real world and onto paper.

The thing is, I’m currently having the longest writer’s block ever. I’ve written a few short stories at the start of the year but since then I didn’t open my word processor at all (except for assignments, no choice, obviously). So it’s been around 6 months (OMG half a year!) since I last put a story on paper. I rarely think about my writer’s world anymore but when I do, it looks chaotic and neglected, instead of being the little paradise I used to go to when I was in secondary school (my writing peak years) to pick and choose characters and what not.