Tasneem Motala

things that i will forever have on my #MSWL
- sky pirates
- futuristic fantasy
- retellings of lesser-known folktales and myths
- contemporary YA with niche interests at the forefront
- found family

as always, BIPOC queries only! but other than that, I'd pretty much love to see anything gaming-adjacent or in the categories of steampunk, solarpunk, cyberpunk, any -punk kind of aesthetic really! i feel like those subgenres can really be pushed in illustrative works.

for graphic novelists: honestly my wishlist is pretty much the same as my MG/YA wishlist, but let's talk about a few ideas I'd love to see in this format especially, and some graphic novels and comic series i currently love!

for illustrators: simply Be BIPOC and I'm interested in seeing your work. there's an upload section at the bottom of my query form just for you! upload art samples, link me to your portfolios, all that good stuff!

some characters types i love
- demyx from kingdom hearts (lazy, lovable, a lil incompetent, the best)
- izaya orihara from durarara!!
- zack fair from FFVII (dude goes from idealistic puppy to jaded optimist, and it's SO GOOD)

i genuinely don't think anyone can pull something like the nier games, but i do love stories that try to answer the philosophical questions of what it means to be human and why do we do what we do, so if your story tackles smth like this from a fresh pov, then lemme at it.

- "i have a ghost friend" a la yugioh with characters like yami yuugi or astral, or even like hikaru no go where the protag gets wrapped up in a new world and gains a new skill and passion
- stuff that could be comp'd to "megaman: nt warrior" with personal AI avatars

some random things i just want to see because they'd bring me joy
- a character who has a pet hamster (i have two and they're SO CUTE)
- ragtag team-up that goes from reluctant to "i would die for any of you" in friendship/romance intensity

in vein with AC, some things that have done this include the anime movie Your Name, which I enjoyed immensely and cry every time

some video game comps i would LOVE to see include
- final fantasy (especially XII, the aesthetic of kingdoms and sky pirates and a partnership like balthier and fran's? swoon)
- assassin's creed, where the past and present have intertwining plots that are relevant to each other

if you've been here for a while or i'm new to your feed: i accept queries from bipoc writers only, so this is just an evergreen thing on my wishlist. diversity in this industry is incredibly important to me, so if your project even tangentially covers smth here: query me <3

if there are any bipoc writers can comp their novel to a final fantasy game, i'm in. please query me. like, just so everyone is aware.
and with that, I will start a new #MSWL thread!

also please give me interracial romances that aren't just a bipoc with a white person. i'd love to see any other combination of cultures or even religions on the table!

romances with any combination of neurodivergence or sexuality are also high on my wishlist. show me characters who struggle in their identities and mental wellbeing who find each other in the chaos of themselves.

i forgot to mention rivals to lovers, when the competitive streak is RIGHT THERE, but then suddenly they find something together aside from their ongoing competition. think like devi and ben in never have i ever!

has anyone read the shadow game series by amanda foody? that last book with the "fake dating but we're definitely in love and neither of us know it and this is pain" plot? HECK YEAH

quiet painful pining a la mr. darcy and elizabeth bennet, or even like kaz brekker and inej ghafa

enemies to lovers, exes to lovers, friends to lovers... the building tension and excitement in each of these scenarios is so fun, plus the unfolding of their inevitable double-take moment of "oh my god i LIKE them" is so entertaining~

so to jump off of this tweet, here's a thread of a few things I love seeing in YA romance~! #MSWL

mysteries! i love stuff in the vein of castle and lucifer, or even more historical mystery adventures like in miss fisher's murder mysteries