JR Bautista
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jayrthemess.bsky.social
JR Bautista
@jayrthemess.bsky.social
42 followers 41 following 150 posts
(He/They)
Storyteller of sorts.
Author working on a few writing projects
An average jack of all trades, definitely a master of none.
Full time geek.
♠️🏳️‍🌈
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jayrthemess.bsky.social
How it started / How it's going
(Nemo edition)

I've finally started working in the second draft of Nemo.

Things are finally moving. And even if I have a ton of editing and rewriting ahead of me, I can't wait to see where it all ends
The pain comes first. Even before I open my eyes, I can feel every sore muscle and aching bone. I haven’t tried to move yet, but something tells me that it’s going to fucking hurt. Maybe I should stay here, laying over the cold stones as my mind drifts away. Maybe I should… just… sleep… But as I’m ready to give in, everything changes. A subtle breeze moves my hair, and even with my eyes closed, I can feel a warm light that turns the shades of black into a dull molten grey. With a groan, I start rolling slowly, trying to escape that unbearable glow, but before I can turn around, I hit something solid. The first thing I feel is pain. I can feel it even with my eyes closed. There are drums inside my head and lead inside my lungs. My muscles are like glass, ready to break, and my bones… my bones are screaming in every possible language. Maybe I shouldn’t move. Maybe I should… just… sleep… here… on the cold… floor. Before my mind can drift away again, a breeze sweeps through my hair, turning the darkness behind my eyelids into something warmer. Suddenly, the world around gets sharper. I’m not ready yet. With a heavy groan, I start rolling, trying to escape it, but something stops me abruptly. I’ve hit something solid. I’ve hit something that creaks against my aching body.
November 11, 2025 at 11:07 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Finished my first read of the first draft of 'Nemo' and I've ended up with a 59 page breakdown of everything that's supposed to happen.

There's a lot to do before I can start working on Draft 2. But hopefully, when the time comes, I'll get a better version...

One can dream, I guess!
A sheet of paper is placed over a wooden table. The page includes the following printed text: NEMO DRAFT 1 RECAP DAY ONE 1. CHARLIE - Charlie wakes up feeling pain, sore muscles and aching bones HE WAKES UP BUT HE CAN'T OPEN HIS EYES. - He has been laying over cold stones as their mind is starting to drift away. - They are laying over cold...
October 30, 2025 at 2:38 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Recently I finished the first draft of 'You And Me And The Perfect Scene', so I feel it's a good time to do an introduction post, share more about this story of mine and also do a small reveal of the first cover.

Maybe it's still a long way to go before this one is out, but we are one step closer!
Portrait photography. JR stands in front of two big black shelves filled with book. On their hands, and hiding the lower half of their face, they are holding a small black e-reader that shows the cover of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ on its screen. Flatlay shot. A white tablet is set over a pile of script pages, some old storyboard sketches and an old clapperboard. On the screen of the device appears the cover of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ by JR Bautista. A more detailed look to the cover of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ by JR Bautista. The cover is set against an orange background. At the top of it, there’s a tagline: ‘Every Love Story Needs A Bit Of (Movie) Magic’. · At the centre, there are two illustrations, a few sketches and the title of the book. · The first illustration is placed right under the tagline, on the left side of the cover. It shows the character of Wes inside a red square, holding a book and looking down to the right. Beside this square, there’s one word: YOU. It has an arrow that points to the aforementioned illustration, the sketch of a mouse cursor set over the U. And near this word, there’s a sketch of a heart. · Between the first and the second illustration, there’s a drawing a post-it with the word AND set at the centre of everything. · The second illustration appears under all the this, on the right side of the cover. It shows the character of Dani inside of a green square, holding a few papers and looking up. · Right next to that, on the left side, there’s one big word (ME) with an arrow pointing to the second illustration. Near that word, there’s a small sketched star. · Under all this appears the rest of the title: AND THE PERFECT SCENE. · And at the bottom of the picture rest the name of the author: JR Bautista Before Dani Molina can reach his dream of being a professional film and video editor, he needs to graduate from film school. · Things should be easy, right? · He has a great group of friends with whom he can work both inside the school and outside of it, an okay eye for finding the right cuts and the beats to set a montage, and he’s ready to start their last project, the short film that stands between them and graduation. · But life isn’t like a movie and Dani is not meant to be the main character. Maybe that’s why they hasn’t confessed their feelings to Wes, one of their friends and the screenwriter on their final project. But Wesley can’t like him back, that’s impossible… He’s too fat, too broken, too annoying… · When a confrontation with another classmate makes Dani and his friends lose the cast for their short film, just a week before starting filming, Ari (Dani’s best friend and the director of the short film) will have a silly idea: Cast Dani and Wes as the romantic leads of the story. · Reluctantly, Dani agrees. · As filming approaches, chaos is assured and things will change in many ways, showing Dani that maybe his character on the short film is not the only one who can have a love story of his own.
October 23, 2025 at 10:04 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
There's still time before 'Nemo' can be out. But I'm proud of this cover.

In many ways, 'Nemo' is a story about memory and identity. So a while back, I created this cover, inspired in the 'Narcissus' by Valerio Cioli.

This Narcissus Denied is the best concept for this story.
The first cover of ‘Nemo’ by JR Bautista. This cover tries to emulate the design of old books. Set against different textures that give a stained paper impression, there’s a frame made by red lines (with four dots on each of the corners) and a red rectangle at the bottom. · At the top of the cover, on a space with a cream background and still framed by red lines, there’s a line of text, ‘who am I?’, and right under it, there’s a sketch, a reinterpretation of the sculpture ‘Narcissus’ made by Valerio Cioli, with a stain of black paint hiding part of the character’s face. This ‘denied Narcissus’ is supposed to be looking down, he’s not wearing a shirt and his right arm is raised and on his hand, there’s a cylinder-like object. And on the left side of the sketch there are two faint echoes of the same figure. · At the bottom part of the cover, set inside the red rectangle, appears the title of the story, ’NEMO’, in big block-y letters, and right under it, the name of the author, JR Bautista, contained between two cream coloured dots. All these texts are framed by cream coloured lines that create a rectangle with four curves on each corner.
April 23, 2025 at 3:39 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
New snippet from 'You And Me And The Perfect Scene' !

One of these days I need to stop writing main characters that feel so close to myself.

Because sometimes, writing things like this feels easy, but putting everything into a silver plater and offering to the world still feels intimidating
I try to smile, to hide all my doubts and insecurities because if I let them all out, I’m not sure I’d be able to contain them again.
March 13, 2025 at 11:29 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
2025 vs. 2016

The other day I found one of my first #sketches of the #EleventhDoctor from #DoctorWho (made in 2016). And I thought I could draw the character again and see my evolution.

It's safe to say that even if I don't draw as much as I used to, progresses have definitely been made
A digital sketch, work in progress in fact. A cartoonish rendition of the Eleventh Doctor from 'Doctor Who' as played by Matt Smith. He's contorted in a way that leaves one hand out of the picture and the other, that holds a sonic screwdriver. The character is wearing a long coat, a vest, a shirt with a bow tie. He has long-ish hair that fall one side and a small smile. A photo of a sketchbook that shows a pen sketch of the Eleventh Doctor (from Doctor Who), and let's just say that it could be better
March 10, 2025 at 6:39 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Thought I could start on Flashes with this pic!

I'm not sure how much I will use this, but it's great to have some alternatives to the other app... just in case
Landscape during sunset. There are multiple colours on the sky, and a few clouds that frame the top side of the picture, at the centre, there's the outline of the landscape, all filled with shadows, and at the bottom, there's a reflection, that mirrors everything described on the top half of the picture.
March 10, 2025 at 6:25 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Finally finished the chapter of YAMATPS where things start heating up.

Maybe it has taken me way too long to finish this, and maybe it's ridden with typos and many things that I will change, but I wanted to share a snippet of the first draft anyway
The shadows envelop them as they finally look at each other in this new manner. In the deep of the night, they drink each other, start each other's bodies with both hands and eyes, as if the other's body was something sacred, something consecrated that needs to be protected.
March 6, 2025 at 12:22 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Finally got a physical copy of Fated Winds And Promising Seas by @wordsofrablack.bsky.social.

This book is a really warm hug, a spark of much needed hope in dark times, and seriously, I couldn't recommend it enough.

(P.S: It looks amazing right next to Til Death Do Us Bard)
Close-up shot of a big black bookshelf filled with books. On the central shelf, two hardcover books stand on their own, with their covers facing the camera. These two books are: 'Til Death Do Us Bard' and 'Fated Winds And Promising Seas' both written by Rose Black
March 1, 2025 at 10:16 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
If you see this, post a smiling OC!

Nothing says introduction posts / first sketches as two smiling OCs.

These two are the main characters of 'You And Me And The Perfect Scene' and I can't wait for you to properly meeting them!
1. Digital sketch of Dani Molina Martínez, the main character of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ by JR Bautista. A cartoonish portrait of the character appears at the centre of the picture. He has long-ish messy hair, thick eyebrows, big uneven nose and a small smile. They’re supposed to be wearing a shirt and an open hoodie over it. All around them, there are nine pieces of handwritten facts about the character. Going clockwise (from centre left): Dani Molina Martínez (He/They), 24 years old, Queer and demisexual, (almost) film and video editor, student at NEWFI!! , bilingual mess, overthinker, LOVES WES CARPENTER (but hasn’t admitted it aloud), playing the love interest in The Perfect Scene. 2. Digital sketch of Wesley ‘Wes’ Carpenter, the love interest on ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ by JR Bautista. A cartoonish portrait of the character appears at the centre of the picture. He has curly hair at the top and shorter on the sides, round glasses, and a big smile that shows some crooked teeth. All around him, there are nine pieces of handwritten facts about the character. Going clockwise (from centre left): Wesley ‘Wes’ Carpenter (He/Him), 23 years old, bi and ace-spec, (almost) screenwriter and writer, student at NEWFI!! , (a bit of an) anxious mess, dreamer, LOVES DANI MOLINA MARTINEZ (but hasn’t admitted it aloud), playing the main character of The Perfect Scene.
February 27, 2025 at 10:37 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
So in Spain it's already February 13th, which means that it's already 'Name Her Holy' day.

Happy release day, @clericofthevoid.bsky.social !!

(I thought I could share here a pic that I prepared for Insta to celebrate this gem of a book)
Portrait photography. JR appears in front of a white background. They have loose curly dark brown hair, olive skin, no glasses and beard. on each ear, they have two ear cuffs and they’re wearing a white shirt, with the first button opened. On his left hand, he’s carrying a prop dagger. Their right hand is opened, and over it appears a black nebula that’s supposed to represent magic (painted over the picture) and a black e-reader with the cover of ’Name Her Holy’ by Aubrey Ennis.
February 12, 2025 at 11:25 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
After giving it much thought, I finally bought a few ear cuffs, and you know what?

I think I love this look
Close-up shot of JR. Part of their face is visible in a small rectangle. His right eye, some thick black glasses and on their ear, two silver ear cuffs
January 31, 2025 at 8:59 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Cole Flint, you're an absolute chaotic gremlin...

And I love you for that!

I love all the characters from YAMATPS, but writing Cole's lines is probably one of my favourite things about drafting this story
“I’ve done some theatre too,” Cole adds on his own. “Yeah. Back in high school,” Mac interjects. “And you were horrible.” “That’s not what the high school newspaper said!” “Oh, please! Those reviews didn’t count. You were hooking up with the editor!” “Oh, that’s right! Young Victor. Great kisser… Not so great writer…” COLE DANIII! YOU’RE DAD IS SO HOT!! DANI … MAC He’s talking about Alex’s dad. COLE More like DADDY BUCK Ew COLE DON’T SHAME ME, BUCKAROO! THIS IS TRUE LOVE! “IT’S MUTUAL, YOU FOOLS!” Cole barks with a loud cackle. [POLISH ALL THIS BECAUSE THIS NEEDS TO BE EPIC] Mac throws a cushion over their brother’s head. Ari groans, Buck seems to wince and Sara sighs heavily. “I’M TRYING TO HELP HERE!” Cole whines, trying to protect himself. “Everyone can see it except those two. I’M JUST MAKING THINGS EASIER!” Before Cole can turn to the camera and unleash way more chaos, there’s a harsh jump cut, and suddenly, everyone is back to their original places. Everyone except Cole, who has vanished. “What?” Ari asks. “We know you don’t keep an electric toothbrush on your room! And that’s okay!” Yep. I’m fucking leaving this country once and for all. “Really? You had to say that out loud now?” I whine. “I just want you to be safe. That’s all!” Ari says, raising her hands in the air in mock surrender. “Wait… Are they talking about…” Cole starts, looking at each of us with a dangerous spark in his eyes. “Yep,” Mac confirms with a soft smile. “You don’t need to be embarrassed about that,” Buck supplies while they stand up. When he pass near me, he pats my shoulder. “I’m not embarrassed…” “What kind of toy do you have?” Cole asks eagerly, looking around the room as if he could find where it’s hidden. “Is it one with tentacles? Those can really hit the…” “TMI!” Mac huffs, stopping their brother before it’s too late.
January 30, 2025 at 8:23 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Love photography, but cleaning the sensors? Yeah, I don't love that part
Close-up shot showing the body of a DLSR camera without a lens attached to it, from this perspective, you can see the sensor inside. Behind this, there's a cluttered desk with a keyboard, a computer, and a bunch of bits and bops
January 25, 2025 at 11:03 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Finally able to write more stuff for YAMATPS and this is the kind of stuff that I'm able to write.

Do you want to know the funny thing about all this?
That my brain didn't compute what I had written until I read it all together 🤡

(But let's face it, I think it could work on so many levels)
Forget butterflies, my stomach is filled with fireworks right now and I just want to... FUUUUCKK How the hell am I supposed to keep my brain in check when I'm just thinking about him? I can't help it. A hearty chuckle escapes from my lips.
January 12, 2025 at 7:58 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
In a draft full of chaotic scenes, I feel like this could be one of the funniest scenes I've written for 'You And Me And The Perfect Scene' ... At least for now.

Or at the very least, this is the kind of chaos that I find both endearing and kind of fun
"What?" Ari asks. "We know you don't keep an electric toothbrush on your room! And that's okay!" Yep. I'm fucking leaving this country once and for all. "Really? You had to say that out loud now?" I whine. "I just want you to be safe. That's all!" Ari says, raising her hands in the air in mock surrender. "Wait... Are they talking about..." Cole starts, looking at each of us with a dangerous spark in his eyes. "Yep," Mac confirms with a soft smile. "You don't need to be embarrassed about that," Buck supplies while they stand up. When he pass near me, he pats my shoulder. "I'm not embarrassed..." "What kind of toy do you have?" Cole asks eagerly, looking around the room as if he could find where it's hidden. "Is it one with tentacles? Those can really hit the..." "TMI!" Mac huffs, stopping their brother before it's too late. "OUT OF MY ROOM NOW!" I scream, pointing to the door.
January 7, 2025 at 11:38 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
The only mention to yellow in YAMATPS leads to some important revelations... Or maybe they would be if Dani (aka the main character) wasn't the only one who didn't know it yet...
“Wes is going to love you like that,” Mac adds, with an all too knowing smile. “Yeah. He loves you sunny,” Cole smirks. “What?” “He likes when you wear yellow,” Cole explains, just as his smirk grows wider and more vicious. “Did you know that?” I ask Ari, who’s also smiling. “Maybe…” A loud groan escapes from my lips without me wanting it. Because of course… Of fucking course… Everyone will notice these things before I do. “Seriously… Am I really that oblivious?” I ask to the whole room. “Yes,” all my friends reply at the same time, without even flinching. It’s official. I’m a fucking fool.
December 7, 2024 at 4:57 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
I got 'loss' and since it's one of my big recurring themes...
Well...
I had many options...
But I've ended up picking this snippet of 'You And Me And The Perfect Scene'.

(Obvious content warnings for grief, loss at a young age and losing a parent)
“Your dad?” Wes asks carefully, because he knows that that question contains multitudes. Of course, he knows it. After twelve years, one could think that it would be easier to talk about this. But it’s not and I’m not sure if it will ever be. Because many people believe that losing someone so close to you, especially at a young age, is a fixed thing, a single event that comes once and then it’s done. They couldn’t be more wrong. Sometimes I feel like I could write pages upon pages about all this, detailing all the ways this kind of loss changes you, how it breaks you apart and shapes you into something else, someone else. But the truth is that I’m not sure I can do that right now, just like I’m sure I can’t tell Wesley all of this, not right now. Those wounds have scabbed over, but they will never fully heal. And I’m afraid that nothing and no one will ever change that.
December 7, 2024 at 7:25 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
It's finally here!!!

This summer I got the chance to see Hadestown on the West End, and finally having a recording of that cast is absolutely amazing.

I can't wait to see how high it ranks on my stats at the end of the year 🫣
JR's hand is holding a small digital player that's showing a music app playing 'Wedding Song' from 'Hadestoen Live From London'. Behind all of this, there are two big black shelves filled with books.
December 6, 2024 at 5:38 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Trying to spend more time writing means that I have more stuff to share here.

What you see here is probably one of the best things I've written for YAMATPS over the past week. So I thought I could share it here with y'all.

Content warnings: Grief, loss of a parent, growing with all of this
I haven’t forgotten about my dad, not entirely. But over the years I’ve found myself losing more and more memories. No matter how much I try to keep every single one of them, they keep slipping through my fingers, getting hazy and fuzzier around the edges. Tengo miedo de que llegue el día en el que su ausencia pese más que su memoria.
November 26, 2024 at 11:54 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
A #Throwback to 2002 by the way of a 2024 #Sketch

#Illustration #CharacterArt #Cartoon #Procreate
Sketch. Cartoonish portrait based on a 2002 photo of JR (at age 8). In here, he has brown-ish, curly/wavy hair, thin glasses, round cheeks and a mouth turned a bit up in a small smile. They’re wearing a cream shirt and a plaid jacket.
November 25, 2024 at 6:31 AM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
And my quest to get physical copies of the media that I love continues!

#ISawTheTVGlow has been one of my top favourite movies of 2024. Words aren't enough to describe how much I love this movie and how much it pulled on all my heartstrings.

So being able to get the a24 blu-ray? Feels like a win!
The Blu-ray collector's edition of 'I Saw The TV Glow' sits over a yellow pasteboard.
November 22, 2024 at 8:17 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander from ‘Heated Rivalry’ and ‘The Long Game’ by Rachel Reid

#BookFanArt #HeatedRivalry #TheLongGame #IlyaRozanov #ShaneHollander #FanArt
Fan Art Illustration. Cartoonish portrait of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander (the main characters of ‘Heated Rivalry’ and ‘The Long Game’ by Rachel Reid. They both stand one next to the other. Ilya is on the left. He’s a burly man with brown-ish curly hair and olive skin. He has some stubble and green/hazel-ish eyes that are looking to Shane at his right. And he’s wearing a red jersey with white lines on the neck and the sleeves and the shadow of a logo on its centre. Around his neck, Ilya is wearing a golden cross, and he’s holding with one hands a yellow hockey stick that’s pressed against his cheek. Right next to his head, there’s a sketch of a red heart in a rudimentary speech bubble. Shane Hollander stands right next to him. He has long black hair that falls to his shoulders, with two strands framing his face. He has black eyes that look to the right, freckles over his nose and cheeks and his mouth is open. Shane is wearing the same jersey that Ilya is wearing. His left hand is raised and with his right hand, he’s holding a blue-ish hockey stick with two lines of tape at the top. On his left, there’s a rough sketch of two crossed hockey sticks and a puck in a rudimentary speech bubble.
November 21, 2024 at 11:01 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
It's finally time to start season 2!!

I can't wait to see what happens !
JR's hand is holding a blu-ray copy of 'Interview With The Vampire' season 2. Both the disc and the hand are illuminated by the red light of the projector, that's currently showing the menu screen of those blu-rays over the wall
November 20, 2024 at 8:30 PM
jayrthemess.bsky.social
Would you look at that?
A snippet of YAMATPS that feels okay enough to share it!
I gues the moral of the story here would be something like: Be careful when you tell your two (VERY) oblivious friends the truth about their mutual feelings...
Cole turns to us, and when he sees our smiles, his pout grows deeper. “You’re a bunch of killjoys,” he grumbles. “We are your bunch of killjoys,” I say with a teasing smile. “But you love us anyway,” Wes adds smugly. Cole study us closely. “Is this how things are going to be now that you are together?” He asks us with a raised eyebrow. “Oh my fucking God. What have we done?”
November 20, 2024 at 10:07 AM