Henry Stokes, Writer

☀️ Happy Sunday all! I took a break from writing and editing to enjoy time with my family.

After going to the monthly markets, we took a walk along the old city walls. It’s one of my favourite spots to visit. The portions of the old city wall lies in ruins, the stonework weathered by the passing of centuries. The scars in the wall are hints of the stories of the past. It always gives me worldbuilding ideas and creative inspiration!🔮📖✨

QOTD: What are your favourite places to visit in your town or city? 🏰

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📚 Question of the Day: What stories and adventures inspired your childhood self? 🌟

Hey all! Lately I’ve been thinking about the stories that inspired our imaginations as kids. After much thought, if I had to narrow it down, then I would choose these three:

1. The Narnia series: I loved these stories as a kid. My mum would read these to me all time. I can’t remember the stories, but I remember the feeling of being transported to a fantasy realm of adventure and heroes.

2. The Greek Myths: The first time a teacher read the Greek myths to us (children’s version), my mind was blown. The stories of gods and goddesses walking the earth with mortals, and how they were so powerful and so flawed … I had so many questions, I couldn’t get enough. It started a lifelong love of mythology.

3. X-Men: And finally, the X-Men. Specifically the Claremont run starting just after the second generation of X-Men. I loved these stories of people who were outcasts because of their differences, who were both gifted and cursed with incredible powers. I loved the adventures, but I also loved their internal conflicts and moral dilemmas.

The funny thing is, as I write this, I can see that these still inform my storytelling to this day. I’m still drawn to stories of fantasy realms, of mythic heroes and the mystic powers they wield. If you like these sorts of stories too, then you might also like my series The Legends Of Anthōs.

QOTD: How about you? What stories inspired your childhood imaginations? Let me know if the comments below! 📖✨

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🗺️ Lost in my fantasy worldbuilding! 🗺️

Hey all! Hope you’re all going well. I’m happy to share that I’m making progress on editing. I am 25% of the way through the next edit of my middle grade fantasy story: The Princess Guardian.

Rewriting the first few chapters has really elevated the story to a new level. It’s really starting to feel like the mythic and mystical world I imagined. I can’t wait to share this world and this story with you all!

Sending love and positive vibes to you all! 💜 💚 🙌

Highlights from FOAM photography museum! It’s one of my favourite museums to go to, I try and make sure I see every exhibition. It’s such an experimental art form, and there’s always something new for creative inspiration!💜 💚 🙌

Saturday in Amsterdam! We got a day off from parenting, so and I got a chance to check out highlights of the Boijmans Van Beuningen collection at the Rijksmuseum. Here are some of the highlights! 💜 💚 🙌

Hey all! I hope things are going well for everyone.

Things are going well here. I’m in a good creative place at the moment. I’ve been consistently writing and editing every day, and setting myself a goal to just write for an hour each day. It’s been helpful, and especially helpful in finding a balance between making progress on the draft and also taking time off and looking after myself.

At the moment, I am 18% of the way through the third draft. The progress is going well! I’m feeling really good about the story coming together, and the improvements made so far during the editing process. I’ve also been working on some other really cool things, and hoping to share them with you all soon. So stay tuned!

Hope you’re all well and take care! Sending love and positive vibes
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Hey all! I’m checking in with a quick writing update. This week has been productive on the storytelling front. I managed to find time for some focused writing sessions, and I finished editing the first chapter! In the end, it involved more work than expected, as I’ve basically written a new chapter that serves as a prologue. I’m happy with the end result, as it feels like a more powerful way to begin the story and introduce the realm of Anthōs. It feels right.

So, feeling content, I took a proper break yesterday. No screen time, just time with my family taking a walk through this forest. It felt like it recharged my creative energy, and walking through the woods also gave me new creative inspiration to add into my storytelling.

Sending love and positive vibes! 💜 🙌

🔮 Writing Update 🔮

Hey all! I’ve been making progress this week with editing. I’ve been rewriting the first chapter, adding in a prologue event to start the story off. It took a while to get out of editing mode and back into the voice of the storyteller, but yesterday I managed to write over 600 words.

As this important first chapter is starting to come together, it feels right. It feels like the story I wanted to tell.

Looking forward to sharing more updates with you all soon! Hope you all have a great week 💜 🙌

🔮 Writing Update 🔮 

Hey all, I’m trying out a new editing method! Lately I’ve been struggling to keep on top of all my editing notes, spread across digital copies, printed copies, and also notepads. It got hard to keep a clear idea of what was needed. So I’m trying out this idea I saw here in the .

I’ve created a copy of my book and put it on my Kindle. I used Scrivener to export the Kindle version, and now I can easily make notes directly in the draft. Also, my story is now portable enough to take wherever I go, so I can work on it in stolen moments. So far I’ve noticed a positive change, and it has helped me make progress with editing.

I spent the weekend rereading my story with fresh eyes, and refraining from making notes so I could get a feel for the story. Now that I’ve finished a reread, I’ve started work rewriting the first chapter as I wanted to change the opening. For the next draft, I’m going to be tackling the work chapter by chapter.

The one thing I hadn’t expected was how it would feel to read my own story on Kindle. It felt so rewarding, like my story was a little bit more real.

Have any of you tried this? Let me know in the comments if you have, or if you’ve got other editing methods you’ve found that work. I’d love to hear!

Sending love and positive vibes 💜

🔮 Writing Update 🔮

Hey all, I am back from holiday in Kefalonia. We made the most of our time on the Mediterranean island, and did a lot of sightseeing. I’ve taken a lot of notes, photos, and videos for worldbuilding inspiration for my story.

While I didn’t make the progress with editing that I’d wanted to, I realised I needed some time to reset. The sightseeing and the heat were a physical workout, but mentally it gave me a chance to have a break and recharge. I’ve been going through a lot these last few months, and I’ve come back with a new sense of focus.

So on the flight back I was taking copious notes about everything I need to do. I’ve broken the work down, and I’m tackling everything one task at a time. There’s a lot to do ahead, but I’m ready to put in the work.

Sending love and positive vibes 💜 🙌

🔮 (Not) Writing Update 🔮

Hey all! I’m currently on holiday in Kefalonia, on the sort of Mediterranean island which inspired my story and the realm I’m worldbuilding.

But to tell the truth, I feel guilty. I’m often weighed down by feelings of creative guilt. Whether working my day job, or spending time with family, or seeing friends, I feel this constant gnawing guilt. It’s like there’s a voice in my head which says; “You should be writing right now.” The other commitments in my life take up the majority of my time, so when I have time off I feel the need to be extra productive to make up for lost time.

But last night, after a long day sightseeing, I decided to just sit down and do nothing for a moment. So I sat down on the balcony, and just listened to music and watched the sunset. And then for a moment, as the sun set over the ancient city of Sami, I saw through the veil of reality and could see the fantasy city of Anthōs from my story. I saw ships coming to and from the harbour. I saw the hustle and bustle of markets by the port. And there, resting proudly atop the hill, I saw the ancient palace. I realised that it is not just a story about an elven princess and her family and friends. It is the story of an eternal city, and all the stories of the people who came before.

So then maybe the moments we aren’t working allow us to be free, to open us up to be truly creative. When I return home, I plan to reassess the time commitments I’ve made to allow enough time for the creative process. But also, to give myself permission to take some time and just do nothing. As focused as I am on my creative goals, I can sometimes forget to live my life.

My learning is that, in the same way we make time for our creative projects, and also need to make time to look after ourselves. After all, rest is a part of the creative process too.

Hope you are all well. Remember to look after yourselves, sending love and positive vibes 💜 🙌

🔮 Writing Update 🔮

Hey all, just wanted to share an update with you. After taking a break last month due to some personal issues, I am getting back into writing. This weekend, I started draft three of my story.

After some time away from the story, it has given me a fresh perspective. I've received some valuable feedback, and I have clear ideas on how to improve the story.

To keep going and make progress, I am focusing on a simple goal: to just make the story a little better each draft. Most importantly, I'm reminding myself to just tell the story I want to tell, so that I can share the realm I've imagined with readers like you.

Many thanks for your support and encouragement on my creative journey, it is much appreciated. Watch this space for more updates as I bring this story to life. Sending you all love and positive vibes 🙌 🌌 💜

🎨 The importance of mailing lists for creatives 🎨

Hey all, I didn't mention it at the time, but I went through this panic a few months ago. My account was taken down after I logged into Instagram on both my mobile and my laptop, and the algorithm banned me for it. I wasn't even out and about, both devices were on my home internet. Thankfully, I was able to do the verification process and get reapproved, but it made me realise a crucial lesson: we don't truly own our social media platforms. They can be taken away in an instant.

That's why mailing lists are so important. For creatives like myself, they are our direct connection with you, our community. When you join a creative's mailing list, you can stay connected no matter what happens on social media. And that isn't even touching on the impact that the algorithm plays in determining the reach to a creatives own followers. My posts will generally reach a third of you, my followers, and I'm quite fortunate as that is considered to by quite a high reach.

So, if you haven't already, I'd love for you to join my mailing list. It would be great to stay connected in a way that can never be taken away. You can sign up on my website, and the link is in my bio.

Many thanks for your incredible support on my creative journey so far, I'm grateful to each and every one of you. 💜 🙌

I'm back after some time offline, I needed a break.

A month ago, a close family member passed away. I recently returned from attending the funeral in Australia. It has been the worst time in my life, and it is still difficult to talk about. They didn't want to be a part of social media, so I will refrain from using names and photos.

Over the last month, I've been unable to stop my thoughts. They weren't just family, but they were also my best friend. I don't think the feeling of loss will ever go away, and I don't think I will ever be the same person. I have received some powerful words of support from family and friends who have gone through similar loss, and they describe the grief as coming in waves. So far, that has been my experience too. Their words of sympathy and understanding have been such a source of strength and support. It has helped me realise that I am not alone.

One thing I kept coming back to was this quote by Neil Gaiman; "Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art."

Storytelling is about all things beautiful in life; love, adventure, comedy. But the most powerful stories also deal with the heartbreaking parts of life; grief, guilt, tragedy. More than anything else, it is such a core part of the human condition because it allows us to connect with others through the power of stories. It shows us that others have experienced the same feelings. It tells us how they dealt with it. It lets us know that we are not alone.

So, rather than hide from the grief, I will face these emotions via storytelling. More than anything else, to share these feelings of grief and loss through the power of storytelling, and connect with others feeling the same pain. To let other people know, if they are going through similar pain; you are not alone.

Many thanks for your patience and understanding while I was away. No matter how hard life gets, just remember to make good art. Sending you all love and positive vibes 💜

📚 A first look at the current cover for ‘The Princess Guardian’, a middle grade fantasy story 📚

Hi all, I want to share with you a first look at the cover design for ‘The Princess Guardian’.

And I want to know what you all think? Do you like it? Does it feel right for the story?

‘The Princess Guardian’ is a middle grade fantasy story about about a young elven princess named Aurelia who gets lost in an enchanted forest. Along the way, she encounters the former adventurer named Raverluna, who vows by the Moon Goddess to be her guardian and see her home safe. It is a story about wonder, friendship, and bravery. It is inspired by my love of mythology, legends, and fantasy worlds.

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below, and I want to know what your honest feedback is (including if my art is just not good enough)! This story is deeply personal and important to me, so I want to ensure that the cover does the best possible job of conveying the realms, characters, and feeling of my story.

Leave a like and comment below with ideas on how to improve, and make sure to follow me for updates on The Princess Guardian. Sending you all love and positive vibes 💜🙌

I have to be honest: Editing has always been my Achilles' heel.

There is something about the process that feels unnatural to me. Progress can be hard to see, and the finish line is often invisible. There are infinite possibilities to tell a story, and sometimes it is hard to tell which way is right for your story.

Lately, it feels there has been a shift in the air. The confidence and inspiration I once felt when I sat down to write is gone. When I show up, I no longer feel the muse with me. There is just myself and the page. I finished the first draft changes on paper, but underestimated the work involved to update to the computer manuscript. Progress is slow, and time is scarce. Between work, family, and chores, I can normally only carve out an hour or maybe two each day to work on it. Without inspiration, the task ahead seems like a mountain peak towering above. Insurmountable.

But where inspiration fails, let perspiration prevail. I know the odds are against me, and there is a mountain of work ahead. But when all else is taken away, I am left with just one truth; there is a story I want to tell. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. I just need to tell the story I imagined.

So I will persevere. If I stop now, failure is assured. If I keep working, then there is a chance, however slim, that I may yet succeed. If I keep working, I will still make progress, however slow. And in the end, no mountain is truly insurmountable with enough work and time.

If you’re struggling with the creative and writing process, just know that you are not alone. Thank you all so much for your support, and for sharing in my creative journey with me. I just want to let you all know that every like and supportive comment means so much to me, so thank you for being a part of this journey! Sending love and positive vibes 💜 🙌

Happy Make a Book Day! This day we celebrate the process of creating books and telling stories.

The oldest known records of human writing date back as far as 3500 BC to the ancient Sumerian empire. Some of the oldest records include a list of Kings, a legal code, economic trade records of grain and sheep, the epic poem of Gilgamesh, in addition to a recipe for brewing beer. From those ancient records, we see that humanity hasn’t changed much in 5000 years.

So today I’ll take some time to celebrate the power of creating books while honouring the Ancient Sumerians, by working on my own book, reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, and enjoying a beer. Wishing you all happy writing and happy reading. 💜 🙌

Happy weekend all! Just wanted to share a quick update on my editing progress of the first draft.

Editing is always the hardest part of the process for me. It is difficult to balance the desire for perfection, with the need for progress. Recently I listened to a great Masterclass with , who said of editing: “It’s not writing. It’s rewriting, and it’s rewriting, and it’s rewriting. I like to do many drafts. But I do the drafts very quickly … I just keep going.”

With that in mind, I’ve been working this week on this concept of the quick edit. Chipping away in the moments between work and family, I have managed to get through the whole first draft.

I’m really happy with how the story is coming together. The draft is not yet perfect, but with each round of editing, my goal is just to keep improving the story. I will keep doing this, until I feel that it is the story I wanted to tell. I still have a few more rounds of edits to go, but I’m feeling excited about the progress so far.

Wishing you all a happy weekend! 💜 🙌

Happy Sunday all! I made the most of the spring sunshine today, and climbed up parts of the old city wall dating back to the 13th century then explored the nearby gardens. Places like this are great to absorb for some writing inspiration.

There is a risk in storytelling to spend too much time describing the details of how a place looks, while neglecting how the place feels. Exploring this area, it is not the technical building structures that are most memorable. I feel the difference between the warm sunshine and the cool shadows under the weathered stone walls. I touch the rough texture of the interior walls as I climb the tight, narrow stairs. I see moss and wild overgrowth growing between the cracked mortar. Most of all, there is an eerie haunting feeling in the air, a lingering effect of how many conflicts this wall would have survived over hundreds of years.

Wishing you all a happy Sunday! 💜

Happy Sunday all! I’m going to take advantage of the spring sunshine, and sit outside with a coffee and write. ☀️

I’m working on the last few scenes, and I can feel this first draft is close to done. As I get towards the end, it is exciting to progress swifter than I planned … but it is also like driving a train when I can see someone is still laying down the tracks ahead. Wish me luck.🤞

Wishing you all a happy Sunday, let me know what you’re doing in the comments! 💜

Hey all! Sharing a writing update: it’s been a busy month so far, but I’m happy to report that I’ve penned more than 2000 words over the last two weeks, writing 250-500 each day.

The muse has been kind, and I am feeling the inspiration to tell this story. What’s more, I can feel the story is close to its end for this first draft.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement, it means a lot! Stay tuned for more updates on my journey to be a storyteller 💜

Easter lunch at Kasteel Hackfort. They have the most amazing kitchen here, with fresh food and a lot of produce grown on the castle grounds. 💜

Just did a whirlwind visit to London, and had a few hours free before flying out. So I took the chance to visit the British Museum.

At a young age I was exposed to world mythology, hearing the stories of Greek legends and Japanese mythology. I was drawn to the stories of mythic heroes, mighty gods and goddesses, and epic adventures. This had a significant influence on my life, and continues to inspire my storytelling to this day.

The stories of these gods and goddesses from Ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian civilisations survive in the relics, artwork, and reliefs left behind. For a storyteller, these ancient treasures contain so much fuel for imagination.

Here you’ll find photos of these gods and goddesses, and I added some notes about their place in their respective pantheons. I hope you find this as inspiring as I do 💜

Dropping the illusory veil of social media for a moment: This is a glimpse into the reality working towards my dream to be a storyteller, whilst also balancing full-time work and overtime parenting.

Days are a blur of work, whether for employment or for the family. It often feels as though you are living someone else’s life. The truth is, writing is done in stolen moments and progress is slow. On a good day I can write 250 words, maybe 500 if I’m lucky. Sometimes, the dream feels far away. Some days it feels like staring up a mountain, one that looks like it will take years to climb.

The hardest are days like today, when I show up and I feel the muse is not there with me. I am alone, just myself and a blank page.

But I keep showing up. I show up everyday, whether I feel the muse or not. I keep showing up, hoping that the muse will know where to find me. At the end of tonight’s session, I felt the story flow. I felt I was telling the story I wanted to tell. I knew then that the muse was with me after all.

As I reflect at the end of this week, I’ve been desperately working on my story every day, and every one of those sessions add up. Writing 250 to 500 words every day has added up to 2000 words in a week.

My philosophy is that work saves us. If I keep showing up and putting in the work, even small progress is always progress. If we focus on one goal, we can surprise ourselves in a month and achieve impossibilities in a year.

If you’re feeling like the creative journey is a painful one, just know that you’re not alone. Whatever your dream is, just keep putting in the work. Most importantly, remember to enjoy the craft and have faith in the process.

Sending love and positive vibes! 💜

Happy weekend all! ☕️ I've been out enjoying the sun in the city, and stopped for a coffee and cake at one of my favourite bakeries. My writing spot for today is this library that’s located inside a converted early Gothic church. There is a lot of history in these walls for inspiration. What are your plans this weekend? Leave a comment below and let me know. Hope it is a great weekend and sending you all positive vibes! 💜 ✍️ 📚

A weekend getaway to Amsterdam. Visited two of my favourite museums: photography museum and the of modern art. The museum and art culture of Amsterdam was the primary reason I first moved to the city a decade ago, so I could surround myself with art to inspire myself as a writer. Museums always refill my inspiration. They are not just a collection, they are a connection to the wider art community and the stories of artists. Where do you go for inspiration?

Making time to write in the margins of life. I’ve found that the train is one of my most productive writing environments! The lack of distractions practically forces me to be productive 💜

Hey all! Checking in with my weekly writing update. Good news: This past week I’ve been in the zone!

It is always hard to find time to write, and maintain that consistency with working full time and being a parent of two. The philosophy that has always served me well is: the work saves me. I’ve found if I keep showing up every day, and putting in the work, then sooner or later I will see progress.

Well, I’ve been putting in the work, and the muses have been good to me. I have pushed through a pivotal scene I’ve been struggling with for some time, and have been making consistent progress through the story. I’ve been finding time to write “in the margins” on my train ride to work, and waking up early to get some writing done before the day starts. There are few things more satisfying than writing with pencil on paper, and being able to see visible, real progress at the end of a writing session.

Next challenge: Put together all the pages into the main manuscript.

I’m grateful for all your support, and looking forward to sharing more updates soon. Writing can sometimes be a solitary craft, but being part of a community of fellow writers and readers helps keep me motivated! Thanks for being a part of my writing journey, and I can’t wait for the day when I can share this story with you all!

All the best, Henry 💜

… and we’re back!

Haven’t posted in a while! I’ve been busy with a new job, moving into a new house, and being a parent.
The good news is that I’ve still been finding time to write. I’ve gone back to an old method I used years ago, which is just writing with pencil on a yellow notepad. It’s nice to have a break from screen time, and just focus on getting words on paper.

I’ve also been working on my new website, and I’ve just finished that this weekend! Something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, and I’ve been chipping away at it whenever I get a chance. I’ve now got an updated website, where I’ve also added a mailing list to let you all know when my new book is finished. Link in bio!

Hope you’re all well! 💜

Great weekend catching up with our friend to talk all things art, current projects, and the creative process! We also talked about starting up events again. I hope we can organise an event soon, Pancart was something really special! 💜

Happy Sunday!

My day off falls on a Sunday this week. I started the day with a workout, followed by a late breakfast. Nothing better than a fresh cup of coffee and the rest of the day to write!

Today, my goal isn’t to add in terms of word count. There is a section I’ve already written that has been bothering me. It doesn’t feel right. So my goal for the today is to rewrite until that moment feels right … Until it feels like the story I want to tell. Often in storytelling, less is more. 💜

Out on the town with my dear wife Nadja (aka ) to celebrate All Hallows’! 💜 🧛🏻 🎃

- Over a thousand words! Sometimes inspiration just strikes randomly. I only had a little over an hour to write today. I’m not sure if the inspiration was gifted by the muses, the right music, or the glass (or two) of Malbec, but I wrote nearly a whole chapter in one night. I recognise that this is a lucky night, but if you put in the work persistently, if you put in the time consistently, then you will get the luck occasionally. 💜

! Beautiful day here, so I’ve had a chance to do some writing in the sun! Almost at my 500 word target, so I will do some worldbuilding afterwards. Wishing you all a happy Friday and good weekend! 💜

! Today I'm talking about creating characters for your world. To create memorable and unique characters (whether protagonist or "NPC"), I've found that the most important aspects to consider are:
- their voice (type of voice, accent, way they talk),
- their behaviour (how they act and any tics),
- and unique appearance traits (scars, tattoos, unusual clothing).

Hope this helps with your worldbuilding! What are some of the most important aspects you consider in your characters? Leave a comment below and let me know! 💜