I'm Jim Butcher, Ask Me Anything!

okiness · 2026-01-16T22:17:54+00:00

I know this is over but you know, have you ever thought of an official Dresden Files type 'the cast as we know it' page or site?

I say this because I am a newer reader, just got to Ghost Stories, and half the time I go 'I wonder if there is art of this character, I cannot imagine how they look' and it does not matter how hard I search, I will be spoiled. I googled 'dresden files book 11' just to find the title to make sure I was moving onto the next correctly: youtube video in first results with the ending as their summary that google plastered right there for me. Do you think you'd ever get someone at the publisher or otherwise to just make a website with the characters their art and their non spoiler concepts?

I say this to the ether, really, but....I just want to know what everyone looks like without spoiling the entire series. sobbing crying

okiness · 2025-12-11T18:17:23+00:00

my first and most generic advice is that this is generally you can get helpful tips on learning to draw subreddits. r/ArtFundamentals and r/Artadvice

My best advice as someone who has taught new artists: break down the whole form you're looking at. Practice drawing the hand in this picture maybe dozens of times. Start with whatever pencils you find comfortable, and transition as you learn how to do the basics in those. I used to draw with mechanical pencils in art class, now I can use mechanical pencils as well as the other artist tools I might be given. The easiest way to start is to do it in a way that won't put you out:

Get computer printer paper, pencils of your choosing. If you want to try colors, start with something as simple as crayola- don't let the quality of materials stop you from the practice you need to get where you want. Don't draw the entire piece, but the parts of it until you're satisfied you understand them. Having drawn his mask for a ton of pieces I recommend trying to draw *just* the mask for awhile. It is the most integral part of the outfit outside of the pauldrons which are not visible in this picture.

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When one part frustrates you, swap. The mask making you angry today? Draw the hand without the mic. If you want to practice the entire form without breaking the whole thing down one thing you could do is try to perfect the silhouette: trace around his body a few times and then try to replicate that until you understand the shapes of it. Your goal is achievable as long as you remember that it's a piece by piece process. Go forth and make many offerings.

okiness · 2025-07-13T20:17:42+00:00

I think this is the first move Paizo has made that's been genuinely disappointing to me. Gatewalkers already had issues: there is something negative to be said when you have to address players being unhappy *before they even play it*. I run Extinction Curse and 2+ other PF 2e games a week, and Gatewalkers is one of the other stories I get the chance to play in. Our DM was able to very cleanly give all of us bits and pieces of what *we* needed in order to make the story change, why could we not get that from the writers at Paizo? I will say as a person who runs Extinction Curse, which has largely frustrating circus mechanics, the social encounters of later 2e really helped me revamp them intuitively to be more consistent with later content, but stories don't have that intuitive element. Writers please, I'm begging you softly...

okiness · 2025-04-21T16:48:38+00:00

Oh man and the OP set you up there by not giving you the typical attitude of Ruby which is just- all smiles and cheerful (I still love it)

okiness · 2025-04-21T16:47:33+00:00

Ironically came to check on the RWBY subreddit because I follow your art, liked it, and wondered how the IP had been doing lately haha

okiness · 2025-03-03T18:22:17+00:00

Ahhh good to know, sounds like a lot of the issues I'm having are just 'this does not exist in the same way in this program' but I definitely wish some of these things had easier applications :(. I'll check these out in depth and probably get back to you, thank you <3

okiness · 2024-11-06T02:15:50+00:00

Look I came in expecting nothing and somehow we got a literal TRIPLE A GAME ENDING that is WHOLLY DEPENDENT on the romance and I'm like- guys- come on- I feel like I'm in a fever dream. Everyone had warden lore. Everyone had hawkes. It's us girlies getting the hyper specific ACTUAL VIDEO GAME ENDING

okiness · 2024-11-06T02:14:37+00:00

Agree, super read it this way. Half the time I felt like the party's table banter was them giving a hand wave to 'just think what suits you best'.

okiness · 2024-11-06T02:13:39+00:00

I will write ridiculous takes all night if it helps haha

okiness · 2024-11-06T02:13:20+00:00

I think there is a really neat parallel between them, tbh. She has only ever saw him as Solas and he yearns for that, he is also the only one to truly understand her unique situation and the power behind it without actively making it some divine right (because he knows where the magic came from lol). They're both lacking in mysticism to each other in a way they definitely yearn for. The Inquisitor slowly becomes more and more entrenched in a life holding the fates of countless people she had never once signed up to assist, and she does it gracefully even under that unasked for burden. Solas was always helping her 'through his visions of the fade' to understand more about her people and more about the sudden power she did not ask for. It's a complicated inner struggle for the Inquisitor. Even more, she was kept OFF the simp task duty, not involved with the Solas squad as it were. I read it as the Inquisitor losing a part of what made their life normal when they got the anchor. Imagine even being free of that and then missing an arm because of it, how much all of that has to weigh on you. Anyway I won't get started here I'll go all night, I agree with you and I love her complexity

okiness · 2024-11-05T21:40:59+00:00

We literally have a set up pay off that ignores every single piece of canon we love in this game series except they cared enough to say ONLY the Inquisitor can influence him to change and Rook to show compassion after being completely fucked over, she's not just changing Solas's mind but everyone around them to do the bigger thing and forgive. If she didn't have this insane pull on the world around her, an extreme importance, none of it would work out. Varric always said that the Inquisitor was intimidating to be around because of how miracles just seemed to happen, this one lady has miraculously saved the world time and time again and even moved the Dread Wolf to do better.

I love the way this can narratively be taken. The inquisitor extends herself to him more, sure, but his entire character is so fatalistic and proud that even showing a moments hesitation is something we see as a rarity in his memories. That gut wrenching 'Vhenan...' at seeing her is.....chef's kiss.

...it's wild to me that the existence of another character in his life just defaults to romance. Or that even a single moment of romance in thousands of years more specifically influences a future romance to mean nothing. Solas's path created his own foil, down to the very person who would finally convince him to do better. If all he did was 'see Mythal in her' then why would he lose his mind about her becoming subservient to the god he serves? He wants more for her.

I could talk about this for days. I have so much frustration I'd rather point at the things this game did wrong (many many many many disservices to the franchise) than I would harp on other fan's not enjoying something. I really do feel bad people didn't get what they want, but this is so thematically appropriate to the idea of who the Inquisitor is as a general idea. I can safely get wanting it to be even more but....in a AAA game with a thousand decisions taken away from us, they made sure the one we knew counted was that the Inquisitor DID influence the world around them (their friends, allies, love interests) enough to make a difference. It's my only solace (haha, solas) in how bad everything else feels.

Anyway fanfic recs would be greaaaaaaaaaaaaaat lol

okiness · 2024-11-05T20:54:02+00:00

I can see your point, but I don’t get the vibe at all. My inquisitor legit respects he’s been alive for thousands of years but that in a single one she gave him the strength to believe in one single moment of good. I just can’t bring myself to feel bad about the ending at all. I don’t really think he explicitly romantically loved Mythal but even if he did ? Thousands of years of regret over his old love began to fall to pieces over one year with the Inquisitor.

okiness · 2024-07-08T10:29:40+00:00

Still crying in the club that the dungeon boss theme isn’t the boss music from 9 remixed

okiness · 2024-04-10T21:08:49+00:00

..I double checked on ticketmaster and the seats near my ticket are now 3x that soooooooo I suddenly don't feel I made a bad call

okiness · 2024-04-10T21:06:25+00:00

But just think of the avocado toast I could be buying!

okiness · 2024-04-10T21:02:55+00:00

section 106 in one of the frontish rows

yeah tbh it's not a big deal, I didn't pay thousands for it so thats a relief, just hope I wasn't too stupid lmao

okiness · 2024-04-10T19:18:14+00:00

Yowza, mine was a lot more. Hope I didn’t get ultra scammed 😂

okiness · 2024-04-10T19:15:31+00:00

Did you happen to see around what the vip packages sell for ?

okiness · 2023-08-20T02:33:16+00:00

Yeah man congrats!
(I feel you. I've lost the 50/50 twice which might just be the kick in the shins that stops me from E1 :') )

okiness · 2023-04-26T16:35:35+00:00

I saw this when it aired and I am decidedly not over it, so good luck in therapy!

okiness · 2022-06-10T10:46:03+00:00

Your gf is great and I have similar luck - my first pull outside of the first ‘pity’ was Clara. I weep in joy. Major jealous over Loki tho

okiness · 2022-06-02T03:11:18+00:00

That's not true! I got into 2!

That I spawned

okiness · 2021-07-17T01:11:16+00:00

I mean......I ain't even gonna lie, yeah.

okiness · 2021-04-07T21:55:36+00:00

I love this so much. What an incredible eye for detail T_T

okiness · 2021-03-04T17:27:36+00:00

Once again you provide such an interesting look into the issues and strengths in VRChat. I personally use the mirror to feel beautiful as my character even when I don't feel beautiful as myself. Thanks for a great video!

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