Happy International New Trials Day!

Deja vu: The Transfer Student from Hong Kong by wishluv on DeviantArt

Has it been 16 years already? How surreal. All I remember is how I had an itch to write about Sakura's continued journey as a teenager, even before the Card Captor Sakura and manga and anime had ended. It was during the summer of 1999, the year I had fallen about as hard as I could fall for an anime. And I published the Prologue and first couple chapters that fall in CCS fanfiction sites that have long since closed down. For me, it was clear in my mind that Li Syaoran was going to have to return to Hong Kong at the end of the anime, but there was so many ideas flashing in my mind on how that story would continue on, how to bring back Syaoran to fight by Sakura's side once more. I did not know it would take 16 years to tell it, however. I've matured since the teenage girl I was then, but I hope that someday when I look back at this fanfiction, it can capture a moment in time for me. And I hope that is the case for the readers too.

It wouldn't have been possible without all of you, my readers, and the great support all of you have given me. I think I was lucky in choosing CCS because it a series that has retained popularity nearly two decades since it was first published. I've been excited to see CLAMP's new CCS artwork with the new Nakayoshi 60th anniversary special edition manga volumes, and I am happy to see how CCS may be gaining new fans and bringing back old fans. 

Two weeks ago--I'm writing down the date because I might want to recall it some time in the future--but it was Friday turning into Saturday, August 22. I remember it vividly because I finished the last leg of planning New Trials will end. I mentioned before that since Arc 4 I have been keeping an outline for each chapter. I didn't all through Arc 1-3. Scary, isn't it? But during that period, I trusted keeping everything in my head. Unfortunately, my memory's not what it used to me anymore. I've already planned out the general framework and epilogue some years ago. But I guess there was some last details I had to configure, and I stayed up all night, unable to fall asleep, lying in my bed, plotting and plotting. It was really one of the most emotionally exhausting nights I've ever had. I hoped I could remember all the details enough to jot it down the next day. Now, a smart person would jot down notes while they are being formulated. But I find that sometimes writing disrupts thinking, if that makes any sense. Anyhow, I had to go out that night but I remember sitting on my bed that afternoon typing away notes like crazily before I had to leave. I'm kind of scared to look back to see if I wrote cohesive notes though.

The next chapter will be a fluffy one compared to recent ones, and I haven't had much time to write it until recent weeks, but I look forward to finishing it up. This fanart is from Chapter 72, actually. 

Happy International New Trials Day 2015!

Music Spotlight: Mandy Moore - "It's Gonna Be Love" 

I just had this song stuck in my head for some reason while drawing this fanart. I love good old sugary pop circa 2001, the time when CCS was also at its zenith.