a constellation in jars. just for you.

An introduction to the Herbarium

Welcome to The Herbarium of Letters, a once-forgotten garden now stirring gently with life anew.

I left this space untended for quite some time. No grand reason, only the rhythm of seasons shifting elsewhere. Of tides pulling me away to tend to other things. But now, I’m back at the gates, basket in hand, ready to gather sprouts and blooms and tuck them gently away into little jars of light and memory.

Here’s how things shall unfold from now on:

✴Moonlit Minaret Reflections in solitude. Becoming. Unbecoming. Healing. This is the heart of the minaret, where I speak of my writing progress. Long-form entries, self-monologues, late-night thoughts, character musings, moodboards and everything in between. This is where you will find the soul of my current WIP, LSiS lives and breathes.

✴Dear Starlight Letters I’ve written to no one. Or maybe to you. Gentle things. Grieving things. Love things. Love notes to strangers, midnight comfort, guidance and stardust when you’ve lost your way. Each one sealed with a breath and set afloat into the velvet dark.

✴The Scriptorium A quiet corner for all things personal; letters, thoughts, wips, essays, and whispers from my inner world. Writing about writing. On craft, voice, resistance, and rhythm. Where I speak to the page as both student and steward. Here, you’ll hear the echo of ink and bloom.

✴The Poetry & Prose Archives Where the greats breathe. Typography poems, old-world language, the works of Darwish, Gibran, Keats, Byron and more. Typography posts, fragments of beauty, a place for language to unfurl. This is the aesthetic spine of the blog—its bones and borrowed breath.

✴The Fragmentarium The odd bits and wonders. Sketches. Musings. Mood. And Stray thoughts like feathers caught in the wind. Here is where I keep the untamed, the beautiful mess. My artwork may find a home here too.

The blog is no longer a place of pressure or schedule. It is a terrarium of my mind, softly lit by tealights and filled with the scent of ink and old paper. I’ll post as the spirit moves me. But the structure is here. The jars have been labelled. And the stories are ready.

If you’re wandering in for the first time—welcome. If you’re returning, thank you. Either way, I hope something here roots in you and stays. A constellation in jars. Just for you.

Let the herbarium flourish.

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So I released my first book on the 3rd of this month. The whole process leading up to that day was nerve-wracking and exhilarating in equal measure. So many things did not go according to plan (including the release date — I marketed the 4th, but Amazon decided to give me a day early 😅). But such is life. You plan, but things go their own way, and you just have to roll with the punches.

No matter. Now I'm officially a published indie author, and that's amazing. ^^

And today I got my very first review:

Curious? Find it here ⤵️

The best characters feel real. They feel like a person you could actually meet—flawed, contradictory, and driven by secrets.

As a writer, you know 90% of your character's life will never make it onto the page. That's the secret weapon: The Iceberg Principle.

You only show the tip, but the reader feels the massive, complex structure hidden beneath the surface. Here's how to build that depth:

1. The Core Conflict: Want vs. Need 💥

A character is defined by what they're fighting for. But the key is to make their external goal clash with their internal deficiency.

What they WANT (The Goal/External Struggle): To win the war, to get the promotion, to marry the Prince, to find the lost map. (This drives the plot).

What they NEED (The Truth/Internal Struggle): To learn humility, to face their fear of commitment, to forgive themselves for a past mistake. (This drives the arc).

The magic moment?

When the plot forces them to choose between getting what they want and achieving what they need. That choice is where the development lies.

2. The Power of the Flaw (Not Just a Quirk)

A flaw shouldn't just be "they chew their nails." A true flaw is a strength taken too far, or a coping mechanism that ultimately creates conflict.

Instead of a table, here is how you can visualize the connection between a Strength, its corresponding Flaw, and how it drives Character Development:

If the strength is being Loyal The Flaw is being Incapable of letting go, even when the friendship or relationship becomes toxic. The Arc requires them to learn that loyalty doesn't always equal self-sacrifice.

If the strength is being Efficient: The Flaw is being Emotionally detached and dismissive of others' feelings. The Arc forces them into a situation where only vulnerability or dependence on others can save them.

If the strength is being Optimistic: The Flaw is being Naive and Reckless, unable to see or acknowledge real danger. The Arc is built around a major setback that shatters their worldview, forcing them to rebuild their optimism on a foundation of hard-won wisdom.

Tip: Give your character a flaw that directly prevents them from easily achieving their primary goal.

3. The Backstory Snippet Test ⏳

You don't need a 50-page character sheet, but you do need to know the one crucial event that shaped their worldview.

Instead of writing a timeline, ask:

What is the one thing they refuse to talk about? (Their trauma/wound).

What is the one thing they cling to? (Their belief/coping mechanism).

Show these events in tiny, observational snippets as the story unfolds:

She still arranged her tea bags in perfect symmetry, a habit she’d picked up the year her father’s business collapsed and everything else became chaos.

This reveals character through action, not just exposition. It's the tip of the iceberg, hinting at the icy depth below.

Hi there! I couldn't help myself since I love that word! Ever since I learned about it a while ago, also this other Japanese term called:

Hello Herbarium gang!

It’s one of the greatest challenges—and rewards—of writing: creating characters who are nothing like us. If you want your characters to feel complex and real, you can't just write yourself in a different hat. You have to build them from the ground up, with their own roots and unique growth pattern.

Here are seven ways to push beyond your own experience and plant characters with lives, beliefs, and souls completely different from your own:

1. Research the Worldview, Not Just the Job

Go beyond superficial traits like occupation. Research the cultural, socio-economic, or historical context that truly shaped their thinking. Understanding why they value certain traditions or why they fear a specific outcome will give you the necessary framework to write their choices convincingly.

2. Locate the Shared Emotional Root

While your character's experiences may be different, their core human emotions are universal. Find the common ground in emotions like love, loss, fear, or ambition, and use that as the initial, authentic entry point into their psyche. Even if they respond to grief differently than you, the source of the pain is recognizable.

3. Link Their Beliefs to a Specific Wound

Connect their differences directly to a specific trauma or formative event in their past. Their non-authorial beliefs aren't random; they are flawed coping mechanisms created to protect them from that past pain. Writing their different perspective as a logical defense against a past trauma makes their actions understandable.

4. Interview the Character Formally

Sit down and formally "interview" your character as if they were a real person across the table. Ask them questions you, the author, would find uncomfortable or confrontational, focusing on their prejudices and daily, mundane choices. You should genuinely aim to be surprised by their answers.

5. Focus on Physicality and Environment

Pay close attention to how their physicality, daily routines, and environment reflect their difference from you. Does their speech pattern betray their history? Does their posture reflect their profession? These external details serve as constant reminders that you are writing a person who moves through the world differently.

6. Embrace the Challenging Flaw

Give them a fundamental flaw or contradiction that genuinely challenges your own moral compass. The act of writing their flawed justifications without immediate judgment will deepen your understanding and prevent the character from becoming a mere puppet of your plot.

7. Explore the 'Wrong' Side of a Choice

When the character is faced with a choice opposite to what you would pick, write the internal monologue that leads to their decision. Write a short scene where they confidently defend their "wrong" position, exploring the internal logic that makes their choice feel right to them.

It takes effort to climb out of your own head, but the reward is a garden full of diverse, unforgettable life.

Can you feel it when he slowly deals with your dramatic arse tantrums? When he gently helps you to gain the strength to stop running away?

Can he feel it when your love for him increases his self-confidence and self-love to stand taller than ever in his everyday life?