Vivian Asimos
@vivianasimos.bsky.social
Writer, researcher and freelance academic. Writer at Incidental Mythology. Book on anthropology of cosplay coming autumn/winter 2024
Today I spent some time at a coffee shop finishing up some of the substack posts for December. Get ready for a spooky list of posts this month!
December 14, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Today I spent some time at a coffee shop finishing up some of the substack posts for December. Get ready for a spooky list of posts this month!
Today concludes the Taylor Swift and Mythology book work until the new year. We spend the time making sure there is as little friction in beginning new steps in January as humanly possible, and do some line edits on the proposal and sample chapter.
Watch now!
Watch now!
Editing a Nonfiction Proposal | Taylor Swift and Mythology
Today concludes the Taylor Swift and Mythology book work until the new year. We spend the time making sure there is as little friction in beginning new steps in January as humanly possible, and do…
youtu.be
December 13, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Today concludes the Taylor Swift and Mythology book work until the new year. We spend the time making sure there is as little friction in beginning new steps in January as humanly possible, and do some line edits on the proposal and sample chapter.
Watch now!
Watch now!
New post up on substack! This one explores how cosmic horror draws on a lot of religious themes. And it does it on purpose!
Read now:
buff.ly/u1XBL02
Read now:
buff.ly/u1XBL02
Cosmic Horror and Religion
How religion is horror, and horror is religious
buff.ly
December 12, 2025 at 5:55 PM
New post up on substack! This one explores how cosmic horror draws on a lot of religious themes. And it does it on purpose!
Read now:
buff.ly/u1XBL02
Read now:
buff.ly/u1XBL02
The second literary icon I visited last month. After Agatha Christie, I travelled over to Guildford to visit Lewis Carroll. Also found this beautiful statue of Alice through the looking glass near the castle.
December 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The second literary icon I visited last month. After Agatha Christie, I travelled over to Guildford to visit Lewis Carroll. Also found this beautiful statue of Alice through the looking glass near the castle.
More of my sourdough bread practice. I accidentally got some incredibly wonderful ears on this roasted garlic sourdough boule.
December 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
More of my sourdough bread practice. I accidentally got some incredibly wonderful ears on this roasted garlic sourdough boule.
Oh, boy, does this vlog really showcase my anxiety over titling things and how much I agonise over them. But it so much pressure to title a book, isn't it?! Anyway, after last week telling you about how to write a book proposal, we actually do it today.
Watch now:
Watch now:
Writing a Book Proposal | Taylor Swift and Mythology
Today, we're starting in on the book proposal for the Taylor Swift and Mythology project. And we make some pretty amazing progress! We set up the Introduction, Overview, Book Details, and sketch out…
youtu.be
December 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Oh, boy, does this vlog really showcase my anxiety over titling things and how much I agonise over them. But it so much pressure to title a book, isn't it?! Anyway, after last week telling you about how to write a book proposal, we actually do it today.
Watch now:
Watch now:
A few weeks ago, I did a little train roundtrip around some areas near me to visit two of my literary icons. These are from my trip to visit Agatha Christie.
December 3, 2025 at 5:55 PM
A few weeks ago, I did a little train roundtrip around some areas near me to visit two of my literary icons. These are from my trip to visit Agatha Christie.
The nonfiction book proposal is the cornerstone of the publishing industry for those of us more focused on the research side of writing. But what the hell is it? And how do you do it? That was the topic of this week's vlog.
Watch now:
Watch now:
How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal | Why, How, and The Details
In this video, I sit down to explain nonfiction book proposals. For those who publish and write nonfiction books, the proposal is an incredibly important part of the publication process. In this…
youtu.be
November 29, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The nonfiction book proposal is the cornerstone of the publishing industry for those of us more focused on the research side of writing. But what the hell is it? And how do you do it? That was the topic of this week's vlog.
Watch now:
Watch now:
We're digging into data today, the best part of any nonficton writer's life.
Watch the vlog now:
Watch the vlog now:
Enjoying Loads of Data | A Research Day for Taylor Swift and Mythology
We have officially hit over 100 responses on the Taylor Swift and Mythology survey! So, I'm starting the process of digging into the details. Today, I sort through some demographics, analyse stats,…
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
We're digging into data today, the best part of any nonficton writer's life.
Watch the vlog now:
Watch the vlog now:
This month's video essay is all about Encanto, and a study of how Mirabel's true gift is her ability to see and understand the stories of others.
Watch the video essay now:
Watch the video essay now:
Seeing Stories | Mirabel's Gift in Encanto
Encanto's story is all about a magical family gifted with powers. But Mirabel, who loves her family entirely, is left without one. As the magic of her family begins to waver, Mirable fights to…
youtu.be
November 21, 2025 at 5:55 PM
This month's video essay is all about Encanto, and a study of how Mirabel's true gift is her ability to see and understand the stories of others.
Watch the video essay now:
Watch the video essay now:
Been practising scoring pretty images into my sourdough. I'm not very good at it, but tried a leaf. A little small, but it was my first attempt.
November 19, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Been practising scoring pretty images into my sourdough. I'm not very good at it, but tried a leaf. A little small, but it was my first attempt.
I celebrated my birthday this week! I took the day off and enjoyed a walk around Salisbury reading and buying books for myself. Two cafes had free cake birthday offers, so I had to swing by both.
November 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I celebrated my birthday this week! I took the day off and enjoyed a walk around Salisbury reading and buying books for myself. Two cafes had free cake birthday offers, so I had to swing by both.
It has been raining a lot here in Salisbury, but the writing must continue! I'm nearing the end of the rough draft of Project Submarine, so spent a day just cafe hopping and writing.
Watch now:
Watch now:
A Fiction Day Out | Cafe Hopping, Rainy Days, and Project Submarine
Today's a very rainy day in Salisbury, where I decide to stay out of the house, cafe hopping, and writing in my fiction novel I'm calling Project Submarine. We walk around town, just about avoid the…
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 5:55 PM
It has been raining a lot here in Salisbury, but the writing must continue! I'm nearing the end of the rough draft of Project Submarine, so spent a day just cafe hopping and writing.
Watch now:
Watch now:
Going through some survey responses at a cafe today. Was really aching for a pumpkin spice latte, because I am basic above all other things.
November 12, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Going through some survey responses at a cafe today. Was really aching for a pumpkin spice latte, because I am basic above all other things.
This just cracked me up.
In answer to how a participant of my survey found Taylor Swift's music, they found her through the goat meme of "I Knew You Were Trouble". I laughed actually out loud when I read that, how great.
In answer to how a participant of my survey found Taylor Swift's music, they found her through the goat meme of "I Knew You Were Trouble". I laughed actually out loud when I read that, how great.
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
This just cracked me up.
In answer to how a participant of my survey found Taylor Swift's music, they found her through the goat meme of "I Knew You Were Trouble". I laughed actually out loud when I read that, how great.
In answer to how a participant of my survey found Taylor Swift's music, they found her through the goat meme of "I Knew You Were Trouble". I laughed actually out loud when I read that, how great.
"Actively, we have a single song working as a myth, a larger album as a complex making a mythology, and her discography creating a larger complex of these mythologies - a mythos."
Read now: buff.ly/tzRT8ef
Read now: buff.ly/tzRT8ef
The Taylor Swift Mythos
How Taylor Swift's discography is a mythology
buff.ly
November 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
"Actively, we have a single song working as a myth, a larger album as a complex making a mythology, and her discography creating a larger complex of these mythologies - a mythos."
Read now: buff.ly/tzRT8ef
Read now: buff.ly/tzRT8ef
Nice little writing day at a cafe I haven't been to for some time. Wrote a nice amount, and this novel is changing incredibly quickly with each writing session - in a good way, I hope.
November 5, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Nice little writing day at a cafe I haven't been to for some time. Wrote a nice amount, and this novel is changing incredibly quickly with each writing session - in a good way, I hope.
Love starting a new book
October 29, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Love starting a new book
Another Spooky Season throwback. This one is to one of my favourite monsters in pop culture: the Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth.
Watch again or watch for the first time now!
Watch again or watch for the first time now!
The Meaning of the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favourite films, and for this year's Spooky Season, I wanted to give a deep dive look into its greatest, most memorable monster: the Pale Man. The Pale Man's structure…
youtu.be
October 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Another Spooky Season throwback. This one is to one of my favourite monsters in pop culture: the Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth.
Watch again or watch for the first time now!
Watch again or watch for the first time now!
This week has not been an easy pull, but we're trying. Hitting that point in a draft where I hate everything, combined with being just generally tired means this rough draft is going to be ROUGH! But we're getting through it, because that's what being a writer is.
Watch now:
Watch now:
Getting through a rough draft | Project Submarine and Cheesecake
This week has not been an easy pull, but we're trying. Hitting that point in a draft where I hate everything, combined with being just generally tired means this rough draft is going to be ROUGH! But…
youtu.be
October 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This week has not been an easy pull, but we're trying. Hitting that point in a draft where I hate everything, combined with being just generally tired means this rough draft is going to be ROUGH! But we're getting through it, because that's what being a writer is.
Watch now:
Watch now:
This month's video essay is all about what happens when we romance the monster. And what better way to look at that than through Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water.
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
The Meaning of the Amphibian Man | The Monster in Shape of Water
Monsters are important facets of storytelling. They typically stand on the outside, showing us what a society or culture fears most: what categories do we daren't cross? What separations from these…
youtu.be
October 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This month's video essay is all about what happens when we romance the monster. And what better way to look at that than through Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water.
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
This month's video essay is all about what happens when we romance the monster. And what better way to look at that than through Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water.
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
buff.ly
October 20, 2025 at 10:11 AM
This month's video essay is all about what happens when we romance the monster. And what better way to look at that than through Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water.
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
Watch now:
buff.ly/BPmjMl8
This quarter, I'm also digging into a very detailed Personal Curriculum, so I thought I'd share a bit about what it is, how I've put it together, and give some tips if you're thinking of putting one together, too.
Watch now:
Watch now:
My Personal Curriculum | Chat, Advice, and How Much of a Nerd I Am
I mentioned my personal curriculum in my last vlog, so today I'm explaining what I'm doing in my Fall 2025 term for my Personal Curriculum. I also do a bit of advice on how I picked my topics, what I…
youtu.be
October 18, 2025 at 10:11 AM
This quarter, I'm also digging into a very detailed Personal Curriculum, so I thought I'd share a bit about what it is, how I've put it together, and give some tips if you're thinking of putting one together, too.
Watch now:
Watch now:
A throwback post, if I may be so bold. In honour of Spooky Season, I'm reminding you of a video essay I did all about the meaning of monsters!
Watch here:
Watch here:
The Meaning of Monsters
Today, I wanted to take a step back from specific studies of something to look at monsters more generally. Monsters are, of course, one of my favourite subjects to talk about, and because I'm…
youtu.be
October 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
A throwback post, if I may be so bold. In honour of Spooky Season, I'm reminding you of a video essay I did all about the meaning of monsters!
Watch here:
Watch here:
Another writing session at a cafe. The draft of Project Submarine is going well, and I'm getting excited every time I sit down to work on another chapter. I keep coming up with new ideas and new ways of expressing things, and it makes me feel just so happy to be writing.
October 12, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Another writing session at a cafe. The draft of Project Submarine is going well, and I'm getting excited every time I sit down to work on another chapter. I keep coming up with new ideas and new ways of expressing things, and it makes me feel just so happy to be writing.