Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell
@mytherea.bsky.social
Spec fic writer and digital artist. Publishes under R. J. Howell. Stonecoast MFA grad. Fiction in Worlds of Possibility, Giganotosaurus, Flame Tree, and Luna Station Quarterly, among others. Codex, SFWA. Queer, Ace. She/her.
https://linktr.ee/rjhowell
https://linktr.ee/rjhowell
Also, an ink test of some pretty green ink I got for free during Fountain Pen Day. (Using the new pen since it didn't come with a cartridge or adapter and my other pens are all inked up.) Also, the sun came out, so I wanted to snag the gold glint.
November 15, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Also, an ink test of some pretty green ink I got for free during Fountain Pen Day. (Using the new pen since it didn't come with a cartridge or adapter and my other pens are all inked up.) Also, the sun came out, so I wanted to snag the gold glint.
The newest shinies. Green is for Exile, orange-red is Incarnate, and purple-black is Mandate. I can't quite have Mandate yet since the draft is done but it isn't legible and I need to do some minor overhauling (slated for after I finish What Gods Fear, the not-a-novella book). Anyway, the pretties.
November 15, 2025 at 5:21 PM
The newest shinies. Green is for Exile, orange-red is Incarnate, and purple-black is Mandate. I can't quite have Mandate yet since the draft is done but it isn't legible and I need to do some minor overhauling (slated for after I finish What Gods Fear, the not-a-novella book). Anyway, the pretties.
A friend pointed out that I should probably do something to mark writerly achievements rather than just...moving on to the next mountain, and after much thought and weighing of opinions, I have settled on fountain pens! Thus, my newest acquisition(s): jellyfish pens for Viable Paradise!
November 2, 2025 at 4:28 PM
A friend pointed out that I should probably do something to mark writerly achievements rather than just...moving on to the next mountain, and after much thought and weighing of opinions, I have settled on fountain pens! Thus, my newest acquisition(s): jellyfish pens for Viable Paradise!
Continuing my "what am I reading now" photo series, we have What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher. I'll try to remember to update this more frequently than every few months.
October 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Continuing my "what am I reading now" photo series, we have What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher. I'll try to remember to update this more frequently than every few months.
Goodbye, jellies!
October 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Goodbye, jellies!
I have left the island. Goodbye, Martha's Vineyard! Goodbye, VP! You were incredible!
October 25, 2025 at 12:40 PM
I have left the island. Goodbye, Martha's Vineyard! Goodbye, VP! You were incredible!
On the island!
October 18, 2025 at 7:23 PM
On the island!
Have arrived in Boston after the first leg of my journey to VP! The jellyfish are calling...
October 18, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Have arrived in Boston after the first leg of my journey to VP! The jellyfish are calling...
More city! With convenient distance fog and vague blocks as buildings! Still need to paint in the farm fields and outer buildings but hey! City!
September 15, 2025 at 12:24 AM
More city! With convenient distance fog and vague blocks as buildings! Still need to paint in the farm fields and outer buildings but hey! City!
Oh. I...have a lot more to go.
September 14, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Oh. I...have a lot more to go.
It's been a bit since I posted art. Partly because I've been very busy, but mostly because my attic apartment gets so hot in the summer, I can't run Photoshop (or any complex video game).
Anyway! City is taking form. That one tower in front is my favorite. I wonder how it looks zoomed out...
Anyway! City is taking form. That one tower in front is my favorite. I wonder how it looks zoomed out...
September 14, 2025 at 3:16 AM
It's been a bit since I posted art. Partly because I've been very busy, but mostly because my attic apartment gets so hot in the summer, I can't run Photoshop (or any complex video game).
Anyway! City is taking form. That one tower in front is my favorite. I wonder how it looks zoomed out...
Anyway! City is taking form. That one tower in front is my favorite. I wonder how it looks zoomed out...
Mendenhall Glacier! And Nugget Falls off to the side hiding behind the trees (I got much closer to the Falls and have a bunch of photos of it on my camera). It was quite wet today; a reminder that the Tongass is a rainforest...
August 11, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Mendenhall Glacier! And Nugget Falls off to the side hiding behind the trees (I got much closer to the Falls and have a bunch of photos of it on my camera). It was quite wet today; a reminder that the Tongass is a rainforest...
Taking advantage of being in port to make social media posts! Day...five? Six? of the cruise. So far, I've seen Ketchikan, Sitka, Glacier Bay, Icy Straight Point, and now Skagway. Juneau is tomorrow, then Victoria, then Seattle/Worldcon! Oof, my feet hurt. So much walking, despite being at sea.
August 10, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Taking advantage of being in port to make social media posts! Day...five? Six? of the cruise. So far, I've seen Ketchikan, Sitka, Glacier Bay, Icy Straight Point, and now Skagway. Juneau is tomorrow, then Victoria, then Seattle/Worldcon! Oof, my feet hurt. So much walking, despite being at sea.
By chance, I stopped writing yesterday with a lot of 3's? Not planned, unlike some of my other screenshots, which admittedly can be a bit staged.
Niran has been summoned in the middle of the night to meet his god. His god needs to *warn him* next time; he tried to claw the messenger's eyeball out.
Niran has been summoned in the middle of the night to meet his god. His god needs to *warn him* next time; he tried to claw the messenger's eyeball out.
July 28, 2025 at 7:44 PM
By chance, I stopped writing yesterday with a lot of 3's? Not planned, unlike some of my other screenshots, which admittedly can be a bit staged.
Niran has been summoned in the middle of the night to meet his god. His god needs to *warn him* next time; he tried to claw the messenger's eyeball out.
Niran has been summoned in the middle of the night to meet his god. His god needs to *warn him* next time; he tried to claw the messenger's eyeball out.
They went on a (short) adventure today. Just to the vet for a monthly shot for the one but the other didn't want to be left behind. A good adventure was had.
July 22, 2025 at 11:16 PM
They went on a (short) adventure today. Just to the vet for a monthly shot for the one but the other didn't want to be left behind. A good adventure was had.
The question is...will it remain a novella? Or will it become a short novel? Or, worse, will it instead fall into that difficult-to-market no-man's-land of 50k-60k? We shall see.
Niran is having a really, really bad night, and this is just the beginning. Why am I so mean to my characters?
Niran is having a really, really bad night, and this is just the beginning. Why am I so mean to my characters?
July 15, 2025 at 4:37 AM
The question is...will it remain a novella? Or will it become a short novel? Or, worse, will it instead fall into that difficult-to-market no-man's-land of 50k-60k? We shall see.
Niran is having a really, really bad night, and this is just the beginning. Why am I so mean to my characters?
Niran is having a really, really bad night, and this is just the beginning. Why am I so mean to my characters?
Tonight's progress! I am rather displeased with that city. That city needs work. But most of the colors are blocked in for the background! It's shaping up to be a nice, sunny day that Gev is in too sad of a state to really enjoy.
June 16, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Tonight's progress! I am rather displeased with that city. That city needs work. But most of the colors are blocked in for the background! It's shaping up to be a nice, sunny day that Gev is in too sad of a state to really enjoy.
So I'd meant to take a break after finishing this draft for Mandate, play some Oblivion, maybe some Skyrim, read a book, watch some TV, do some art. This lasted pretty much a week, and next thing I know, I'm writing a companion novella? Wee?
I was unsuccessful in my aims to play Oblivion. Drat.
I was unsuccessful in my aims to play Oblivion. Drat.
June 5, 2025 at 12:20 AM
So I'd meant to take a break after finishing this draft for Mandate, play some Oblivion, maybe some Skyrim, read a book, watch some TV, do some art. This lasted pretty much a week, and next thing I know, I'm writing a companion novella? Wee?
I was unsuccessful in my aims to play Oblivion. Drat.
I was unsuccessful in my aims to play Oblivion. Drat.
Tonight's progress. Mostly finished the sky and started blocking in the mountains. My neighbors started setting off fireworks, so I ended the stream--partly because the microphone was picking up the noise, partly because it was scaring my dog, and partly because it was scaring *me*.
May 27, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Tonight's progress. Mostly finished the sky and started blocking in the mountains. My neighbors started setting off fireworks, so I ended the stream--partly because the microphone was picking up the noise, partly because it was scaring my dog, and partly because it was scaring *me*.
Progress made during today's stream! Much of the sky is in and we can see it shall be a lovely, sunny day for Gev, even though he'll look utterly miserable by the end. Next time, planning to finish the sky and start the mountains. I love painting clouds. They're very forgiving, in their bulbousness.
May 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Progress made during today's stream! Much of the sky is in and we can see it shall be a lovely, sunny day for Gev, even though he'll look utterly miserable by the end. Next time, planning to finish the sky and start the mountains. I love painting clouds. They're very forgiving, in their bulbousness.
Trying a new thing: streaming! Tomorrow at about 12pm CST, I'll be streaming the first part of myself painting this mock-cover for Prophecy's Exile. Hang out with me and listen to fantasy themed music as I do an incredibly repetitive task for about three hours? www.twitch.tv/mytherea7
May 24, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Trying a new thing: streaming! Tomorrow at about 12pm CST, I'll be streaming the first part of myself painting this mock-cover for Prophecy's Exile. Hang out with me and listen to fantasy themed music as I do an incredibly repetitive task for about three hours? www.twitch.tv/mytherea7
And calling it finished (for now). I might end up tweaking it later, but that'd be for when I order the print version on canvas. Still have no idea where the light sources are in this one. Upgraded my tablet halfway through, so differences in technique might be equipment related.
May 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM
And calling it finished (for now). I might end up tweaking it later, but that'd be for when I order the print version on canvas. Still have no idea where the light sources are in this one. Upgraded my tablet halfway through, so differences in technique might be equipment related.
And on this day of May 12, 2025, I have completed the drafting of Prophecy's Mandate! At 246,393 words, it is officially the longest book I've ever written. IT IS FINISHED.
Well, mostly. There's revisions and all those placeholders to fix, so not done yet but done for now. Full screenshot, for fun.
Well, mostly. There's revisions and all those placeholders to fix, so not done yet but done for now. Full screenshot, for fun.
May 12, 2025 at 4:05 PM
And on this day of May 12, 2025, I have completed the drafting of Prophecy's Mandate! At 246,393 words, it is officially the longest book I've ever written. IT IS FINISHED.
Well, mostly. There's revisions and all those placeholders to fix, so not done yet but done for now. Full screenshot, for fun.
Well, mostly. There's revisions and all those placeholders to fix, so not done yet but done for now. Full screenshot, for fun.
Sticking these three uncommons in one pack back-to-back *had* to be intentional.
May 10, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Sticking these three uncommons in one pack back-to-back *had* to be intentional.
It happened again? This time with a card from 2016? Is this common nowadays or did I just get a weird bunch of packs? I unsealed the box myself, so the boosters haven't been tampered with.
May 6, 2025 at 2:27 PM
It happened again? This time with a card from 2016? Is this common nowadays or did I just get a weird bunch of packs? I unsealed the box myself, so the boosters haven't been tampered with.