Author: Nyx

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ZineWriMo Day 2: Brainstorm Zine Ideas

Hello and happy Thursday, zine friends!

It’s day two of ZineWriMo and, if you hadn’t noticed, I went for the slow rev up to actually making zines this month. Get a firm foundation and all that good stuff before jumping right into making things. (Of course, that doesn’t stop you from jumping right in and making things.)

Today the prompt is brainstorming zine ideas.

“What do I make a zine about?” is a variation of a very common question for creatives. There can be so much energy, but with no idea what to do with that energy, things can get frustrating. Hence brainstorming ideas.

How you choose to brainstorm is up to you. There are heaps of possibilities out there from mind mapping to writing down everything you can think of as fast as you can. You may want to write down or print out 51 Ideas for Your Next Zine as a way of getting started.

There’s no wrong way to do it so long as you find your way to inspiration.

How you choose to store your ideas also comes with many options. One fun idea I’ve always liked is the idea jar where you write down your ideas on slips of paper and stick them in a jar (or a box):

Whenever you’re ready to start a new project but aren’t sure what to do, you can pluck an idea or two out of the jar to get you started.

This is my version of the idea jar. It goes with me wherever I go and contains all the strange and wonderful (and not so wonderful) ideas for what to make zines about. Sometimes it’s an idea for a whole zine, while other things are rough sketches or small blurbs to include somewhere. Either way, this little notebook means I don’t forget any ideas I have.

I already have a pretty huge list written down today, so I don’t think I’ll be looking for new zine ideas anytime soon!

Be sure to share links to your posts/pictures showing off your ideas and where you keep them.

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#ZineWriMo Side Note: So What’s a Media Box?

Hello, zine friends!

I’m popping in a little early today with an extra post to explain something a few people asked me about. On day 11 for the daily activities the activity is to make a media box. Inquiring minds want to know:

What’s a Media Box?

A media box doesn’t have to be a box. Basically, it’s a place to keep all the cut and paste bits and pieces that go with and inspire your zine creating. You may keep…

Washi tape

Stickers

Magazine/Newspaper Clippings

Die Cuts

Or all matter of things that you use in creating your zines, collages, mail art, so on and so forth.

You can even use those things to decorate whatever container you use to hold those things.

I hope that answers the question. 🙂 I’ll be back in a few with today’s prompt as well as today’s zine review!

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#ZineWriMo Day 1: Connect With Other Zinemakers

Hello, hello, friends, and welcome to the very first day of ZineWriMo 2017!

I hope the first day of this fine month finds you well and feeling creative. I’m still in mostly-drowsy land, but I am excited about the month to come. I have so many zine ideas that I can hardly keep up with writing them down.

However, today is about connecting with fellow zinemakers!

It’s all too easy to feel alone when you are a creative person. Especially when your art requires spending long periods of time alone. You’re not alone, and it’s important that you have spaces that help remind you of that.

When it comes to zines and ZineWriMo, there are a few spaces to enjoy:

*ZineWriMo Facebook Group
*Zines A Go Go Facebook Group
*We Make Zines
*Pen Fight Distro Community Board (especially if you’d like to do trades or will find calls for submissions inspiring)

You can also search for the hashtag #zinewrimo on Twitter or Instagram
Or the hashtag #zines for a broader search on Twitter or Instagram

Also, it’s more of a directory rather than a place to chat, it’s still worth checking out the good ol’ Zine Wiki to see who and what you can find there.

If you’d like to connect with me, I’m on:
Twitter
Instagram
WeMakeZines
Tumblr

These are just my hangouts, though. I’m sure there are heaps of other places, so be sure to share them in the comments.

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Happy Mail Monday – Sleepy Edition

Hello, zine friends!

My apologies for the late happy mail post. The beat goes forever on, yes? New medications have left me feeling very, very sleepy, so I am running behind with my entire life at the moment. Haha. Such is the way, eh?

But the beat goes on, and I have some lovely happy mail to share with you!

Does this postcard remind anyone else of Mona Lisa? Isn’t it cool? Billy the Bunny has landed in Baltimore and sent me this awesome postcard to let me know his new mailing address.

Thank you for the gorgeous postcard – and the address update!

I’ve been chatting with Dara since before the move, and I’m happy to see these zine arrive safely from overseas. I’ve been looking forward to reading these since Dara first described them. If you’re wondering what I’m on about, then check out the New Zine Announcement for Intimacies.

Thank you, Dara!

Sober Bob is making a free weekly zine! Yes! Haha. I love it. With the end of Billy’s The Life and Times of Billy Roberts, I have started telling people (again) that they should make zines about their lives and send them to me. Lo and behold, I didn’t even have to ask, and Sober Bob generously put me on the mailing list. Thank you!

This one actually snuck in today’s mail, and I am very happy to see it. I traded for The Ken Chronicles 44 with Ken on We Make Zines. I reviewed The Ken Chronicles 33 back in 2014 and quite enjoyed it. It’ll be interesting to see how Ken has changed and stayed the same.

Thank you, Ken!

So many zines in the mail this week, I love it! Thank you so much, and thank you to everyone who reads these posts.

This is where I usually say that’s me for the day, but I’ll be back soon with a banner for ZineWriMo. 🙂

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Zine Review: Someone Stranger #5: The Silent Pen Issue

Someone Stranger #5: The Silent Pen Issue
Zippity Zinedra
www.facebook.com/ZippityZinedra
zippityzinedrapress.tumblr.com

Someone Stranger is a black and white perzine that is hard to describe, so I will let Zinedra do it:

The following is my experiment at ‘ghosting’ myself, tongue in cheek style.

Someone Stranger is a zine that seems to be in its own category with strange thought meanderings that encouraged me to stop thinking so much and just enjoy the ride.

Right from the foreword, Zinedra had me thinking of how strange a concept ghostwriting was when put into the context of the zine world only to turn around into Zinedra deciding to ghost themself in this zine.

After ghostwriting came the tumbleweeds.

I know that I have had some very random things in common with the people who write the zines I read, but tumbleweeds have to be the most random. Because, yes, I quite like tumbleweeds. I laughed out loud at:

Tumbleweed is to western movies like chocolate is my mouth: a place to call home.

I quite liked the ‘I am not/I am’ piece that was like stream of consciousness writing but with a solid prompt/direction.

The zine continues on with a collection of interesting – and, honestly, sometimes trippy – pieces that include things like fighting with one’s shadow and an altercation over pancakes. Toward the beginning, I decided to stop thinking about it so hard and, by the end, I had no idea what was going on.

Don’t get me wrong; it was a strange journey but funny as well.

Aesthetically, the pages are mostly white with various pasted images, quotes and the like around the typed words. I may be reading too much into them, but I do like the humour and cheekiness of the images.

I find myself at a little bit of a loss after reading this zine. Not in a bad way but like I’ve just watched a movie, and I’m not quite sure what to make of it. If you’re looking for something different, unexpected, and a bit fantastical, then give this zine a go.