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Ep 30 – Big Bad Guy - We discuss antagonists! Also there’s a small intro about defaults in writing before discussing. Original Air Date: Sep 24, 2014
Ep 29 – Fan Fiction - We discuss why fan fiction shouldn’t get a bad rap and tips for writing it Original Air Date: Sep 9, 2014
ROAR 9, ed. Mary E. Lowd
The ROAR anthologies are always an impressive collection of quality stories, and ROAR 9 continues that tradition with contributions on the theme of “resistance.” The table of contents includes more than a few powerhouse furry authors, and the stories inside are, for the most part, explorations of very serious themes and often heartbreaking situations in which individuals rise up in a spirit of resistance against oppression, discrimination, and bigotry.
"Saguaros" by Watts Martin is an exquisitely written story about a rabbit who lives in service to a coyote woman. This is a tale of magic, illusion, and rebellion that has such a sweet, poetic note to it that it is a delight to read. As an opener to the anthology, it set the bar very high.
Thankfully, the rest of the stories had no problem holding up that standard.
"Ghosts" by Searska GreyRaven features a pizza delivery girl with a crush on one of her customers and a dangerous paranormal secret. The story is touching, sweet, terrifying, and masterfully written.
"Froggy Stews" by A. Humphrey Lanham tells the story of a frog attempting to share living space with a sea lion. Another piece with really stellar writing, this is one of the few stories in the book in which the resisting protagonist isn’t the clear-cut “good guy.” That being said, I found it charming and hilarious despite the somewhat grim ending.
"Post-Isolation" by Ellis Aen is a non-linear story and takes a bit of effort on the reader’s part, but of the lot, I think it is one of my absolute favorites. It is heart wrenching in its plot, beautiful in execution, and saying too much more about it would ruin it for the reader. A stellar tale.
"Resistance" by David M. Sula is another heartbreaking but lovely story about a lion and a human living together in a time of plague. Considering that ROAR 9 was published in 2018, this story has some eerily familiar themes to today’s reader. It might be a tough read, but it’s well worth it. I did see the ending coming a little way in, but it was still very impactful.
"The Hard Way" by Val E. Ford is an unusual exploration on the idea of soulmates that ends up being a strange blend of tragedy and humor. I found it fascinating and delightful with its bizarre mixture of violence and affection.
"Coyote Magic" by Ryan Campbell is another one that quickly became a favorite even while it broke my heart. In a world where everyone has magic, a boy must come to terms with a disappointing manifestation of his power. As a lifetime fan of old man Coyote, this story perfectly captured for me the concept of trickster magic. I loved it.
"The Last Roundup" by Amy Fontaine explores a clash between environmentalism and tradition in a beautiful, nostalgic way. The story has a bittersweet tone that is just delicious and does a fabulous job of showing a situation in which there is no easy, clear-cut answer. Fontaine describes it with a sensitivity and authenticity that is amazing on the page.
"Safe Mode" by John Giezentanner is easily the best, most visceral portrayal of social anxiety I’ve ever encountered on the page. A pangolin is the perfect vehicle for communicating what it feels like inside a panic attack, and the topic was dealt with so sensitively and adorably that it’s impossible not to fully embed in this story. An easy favorite.
"Laotian Rhapsody" by Al Song tells the story of a young Dhole magician who wants to do something meaningful with his music. It illustrates the struggle of a young artist against the tide of commercialism and the solution comes from an unexpected source that makes for a lovely story with a very sweet ending.
"Qibla" by Bill Kieffer follows Cecil and Jinx, an alligator and a cat dealing with the difficulties and differences of being in a relationship together, facing religious and speciesist discrimination, and finding common ground to face their difficulties as a united front. The writing is top notch on this one, and I love the inclusion of a reptilian protagonist. The story is tough and honest yet still manages to be loving and hopeful. I enjoyed every moment with these characters.
"Dear Sis" by Matt Doyle is a story told through a letter to the protagonist’s sister. It is a lovely and intimate look at the struggles of the gender-fluid main character but is another one where the ending becomes clear fairly early into the read. Still a well written and beautiful piece.
"Every Last Paw" by Blake Hutchins is a surprising inclusion in a sea of super serious and somewhat dark stories. The tone of this one is much lighter, and though it’s a well written and fun story, it felt off theme mostly because of the sort of grim-dark feel of the pieces leading up to it. That being said, who can resist a fun adventure story featuring an adorable kitten?
"Mixed Blessings" by Kittara Foxworthy is another one that felt slightly out of step with the literary somberness of the rest of the anthology. It’s a sci-fi piece and definitely fits the idea of resistance, but had a younger, lighter tone than most of the other stories. I still enjoyed it, though I found a lot of the plot’s events tended toward very convenient solutions. It’s a solid story and a fun read, nonetheless.
"No Dogs" by KC Alpinus uses dog breeds as allegory for racism and is both a serious read and a heartwarming story with an uplifting ending. It fits well with the tone of the early stories in the book, but also provides a nice bridge from the preceding two as the young age of several of the characters gives it an almost middle grade feel in places. "No Dogs" does a fabulous job of tying up the end of the collection and leaving the reader on a high note.
Overall ROAR 9 is exactly what I’ve come to expect from this series. Quality stories with excellent writing that will definitely not disappoint. A great sample of furry literature and an inspiring peek into the many forms of resistance.
ROAR 9, ed. Mary E. Lowd
Cats… Saviors of the Universe
Another animated series for the young fans — and where-have-WE-been, it’s already getting into its second season! This from Animation World Network: “Nelvana and Discovery have greenlit a second season of redknot’s inaugural series, Agent Binky: Pets of The Universe… Based on the bestselling Kids Can Press graphic novels (written and illustrated by Ashley Spires), P.U.R.S.T. agents Binky, Gracie, Gordon, Loo, and Nola are back on the case and ready to protect their human families from even more aliens, robots, and interstellar threats. Certified and ready for action, the team is determined to go where no pet has gone before! Equipped with even more gadgets, the agents set off on exciting adventures, exploring new locations, and meeting new friends.” It’s scheduled for later this year in Canada, but no word on a date for the USA.
image c. 2021 Nelvana
Raptors on the Range
And more new TV series for the younger folk. This time it’s Dino Ranch, coming later this month to Disney Junior. “The animated series, produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios, follows the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, ‘pre-westoric’ setting where dinosaurs roam. As the young explorers learn the ropes, they discover the thrill of ranch life while navigating the great outdoors through unpredictable challenges.” Seriously, sometimes all you need to do is take a look at one picture and it’ll tell you all you want to know about a series! For the rest, visit Animation World Network.
image c. 2020 Boat Rocker Studios
Bearly Furcasting #37 - Timber Puppers, Jabberwocky, Really Bad Jokes
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Voice Actor and all around fun pup Timber Puppers joins us this week on the Pod. We talk about how to break into the voice acting business as well as Timber's successes in this field. Taebyn cold reads Lewis Carrol's Jabberwocky Poem. Is Romania Hungry? What is a C.O.P.? Can you whip a chain? Why do we ask if we 'can't' do things? Join us and all our habitual listeners as we explore these things and more!
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Teen Is Fearful of Becoming Bitter towards Friends
I've always had this bitter feeling between me and my parents. It's not hate or spite. It's just a unpleasant. I feel like it has to do with differences in political views. I hate this feeling. I feel unwanted in this world in I'm around my parents or any authority figure. The only people that make me feel whole and wanted are my friends. I love my friends, they make me feel wanted, like I deserve love. However, there's this fear in my head. I'm afraid of that bitter feeling and I'm afraid of that bitter feeling spreading. I mean, I've had friends with different political views but I never had any feeling of bitterness with those select friends. All of my friends, and I mean; ALL OF MY FRIENDS make me feel whole and wanted. What I'm afraid of is that the bitterness would spread in some friendships. I absolutely don't want that. I don't think I can bare such an oppressive feeling. I have a good feeling that it will NEVER happen. But I still fear it. So what do you think is the deal? Why is it that my parents and authority give me that bitter feeling? It confuses the hell out of me.
Maxi (age 18)
* * *
Dear Maxi,
It is quite natural for teenagers to resent, disagree with, and even sometimes hate their parents. I would, however, be hesitant to believe that you "always" felt that way. I'm sure that when you were a baby and little kid, you loved and looked up to your parents. As you got older and started to form your own opinions and worldview that didn't mesh with your parents' views--and, also, found them to be authority figures who restricted what you wanted to do (i.e., your "freedom")--you began to dislike their company. This pretty much always happens. My theory is that Mother Nature plans it this way because fledglings eventually have to leave the nest, and it is easier for parents to kick their kids out of the house (or to see them go on their own) during a stage in their lives when they become obnoxious, disrespectful, and petulant.
You see, Maxi, growing up comes in three phases: 1) infancy and childhood, when you depend on your parents as your sole source of nurturing and comfort and you believe they know everything and they are your world and you crave their attention and love; 2) puberty and the teen years, when you suddenly know everything, you're always right, and your parents become utter morons who should be put in an institution for the sake of public safety; 3) adulthood, when you realize that both you and your parents have good and bad points, know some things and not other things, and you are all basically good but flawed human beings. You are currently in Stage 2.
Stage 2 is also characterized by the forming of close bonds with your peers, who you feel more closely reflect who you are, what you think, and how you feel. All of you are in the phase when you resent your parents as authority figures, and this is often expanded to all authority figures (teachers, bosses, police officers, politicians, etc. etc.)
As your friendships progress, you will lose some friends along the way (they will move or you will stop sharing interests or you will find out they are jerks), but you will also form new friendships. Do not become distressed by this because this is also perfectly normal. Do not be upset if you become "bitter" about some of these lost friendships. That is also normal.
Do you see a theme here? The theme is: You are normal. Everyone goes through this to a greater or lesser degree. You are not suffering from any weird psychological or emotional disorder. You're fine.
Eventually, as you mature, in all likelihood you will realize you are not as smart and cool as you think you are and your parents aren't as despotic and mean as you think they are. I feel quite confident that you are not unwanted and that your parents actually love you quite a lot. Over time, you will also get better at forming true, lasting friendships and recognizing which people are just fair-weather friends or, perhaps, even users. You will form better friendships and your relationship with your family will get better (this, again, is a typical pattern but there are always exceptions, but I see nothing in your letter at this time to indicate it will progress otherwise).
I hope this makes you feel better, Maxi. You are just at the beginning of exploring deep, meaningful relationships because you yourself are becoming a more mature, complex, and interesting person. Roll with it.
Hugs,
Papabear
Learning Experiences
Dreamworks Animation has a new streaming show out there for the younger set. Here’s what we got from Animation World Network: “DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse, now streaming on Netflix, is a mixed-media preschool series that follows Gabby as she unboxes a surprise before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside her dollhouse. The series emphasizes personal growth, inspiring kids to turn their missteps and mistakes into something creative and beautiful. True to Gabby’s signature phrase ‘we failed fantastically’, every episode encourages flexible thinking and imaginative problem-solving through resilience and resourcefulness. Through DIY crafting projects, baking recipes, and brain games, every room of Gabby’s Dollhouse is filled with fun activities and magical adventures to keep kids engaged and entertained.” At least for the moment, there are clips up on YouTube.
image c. 2021 Dreamworks Animation
(IVÁN): The Father had ancient Israel turning Satan’s kingdom of darkness into His holy heart’s new sweet earth for you now:
Statement on the Attack on the US Capitol and FWG’s Stance on Hateful Ideologies
Yesterday, the United States Capitol was overrun in what can only be called a terrorist attack by fascists attempting to overthrow the US Government. The Furry Writers’ Guild is in no way a political organization. However, during times like these, the Guild must take a stand and speak out against hateful ideologies.
The Furry Writers’ Guild is an inclusive organization. Our members come from many countries and many walks of life — and we celebrate that diversity. It is one of our greatest strengths.
As our Code of Conduct says:
The FWG welcomes and supports all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to, participants of any age, experience level, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, ability/disability, gender identity and expression, sexual identity and expression, or level or type of participation in the furry fandom.
We oppose — and will take action against — any behavior that supports hatred. We will not accommodate hate speech, for doing so is no defense of free speech. It only silences the speech of others, and we cannot and will not turn a blind eye to bigotry no matter how artfully it is coded.
To make it perfectly clear: If you would denigrate or demean another person based on ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexuality, gender, disability, or lack of means, the FWG is no place for you.
Our Code of Conduct includes a section on reporting inappropriate behavior. I will personally guarantee, if I receive a message regarding dangerous conduct from someone currently in Guild spaces, that our staff will take it seriously and will be swift to act.
We have shown support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the past and will continue to support authors, publishers, and anyone else who is a part of a marginalized community. We always want our members to feel safe and to do our best to uplift their voices. If the Guild can do better in this regard, please get in contact with me or any member of the Guild Administration right away — it’s a top priority.
We know the world is a scary place right now so we want to make sure good stories can keep being released into the world. We hope our members and all furries will do their best at this time to support one another and speak out to support those who need it most. Stay safe out there, friends.
– FWG President Linnea “LiteralGrill” Capps
The Gryphon, by Paula Grover
There has been a glut of gryphon books recently: Jess E. Owen’s Summer King series, K. Vale Nagle’s The Gryphon Insurrection, Dire, by John Bailey, and The Gryphon Generation by Alexander Bizzell (not to mention my own Griffin Ranger series). So now we can add the simply titled The Gryphon to this list.
Stripped down to the basics, The Gryphon is a princess story. With a mostly female cast, it definitely passes the Bechdel Test. Sunsky is the princess, set to inherit the rule of Gryphonia from her wise grandmother Queen Heartsong. Gryphonia is a menagerie of gryphons and gryphon-type creatures. There’s the winged gryphons, who are all female, the opinici, who are winged, male, and have the front legs of a lion instead of eagle talons. Then there’s keythongs and kryphons, wingless male and female, who are doomed to sterile servitude to the winged ones. Then there’s winged hippogryphs, winged horses, and regular horses, who live in the Valley of the Outcasts. There’s also an isolated colony of humans, called hopahs by the gryphons.
This cast of species has an interesting biology, and can all interbreed with each other. Gryphons can give birth to live young, or lay eggs that they keep in a pouch, and produce both winged and wingless offspring from any given mating. Even though contact between the gryphons and equines is strictly forbidden (according to the Gryphonic Code), everyone in this story is very promiscuous (which is why there’re so many hippogryphs). So in addition to her two full sisters, Sunsky has a half-sister named Talona, the result of a ‘courtesy mating’ her father had with another gryphon. With a name like “Talona,” she’s pre-destined to be the bad guy, and her conniving mother wants her to inherit the queenship instead of Sunsky.
When Sunsky is injured and nursed back to health by a dashing winged stallion, of course mating with him is the only polite thing to do. Since she’d already mated with her promised prince, Dreamspinner, when she finds out that out that she’s expecting she hopes all the offspring will be gryphonic. Unfortunately one of the three offspring is going to be a winged hippogryph, and Sunsky is given a choice between renouncing her royal title and going to the Valley of the Outcasts, or turning the ‘choal’ (chick + foal) over to the hippogryphs to be raised by them.
She chooses exile, which sets off the main plot of the evil Talona becoming queen, while Sunsky (renaming herself Sunground) raises her offspring among the winged horses and hippogryphs. Skip ahead a lot of years, and (predictably) Talona’s reign has not gone well, and Sunsky is called on to reclaim her throne.
The overarching theme of this book is tolerance and forgiveness, where Sunsky chooses a Ghandi-type approach rather than a bloody civil war. All the characters and species have to overcome long-standing prejudices, and in some cases admit their own culpability when things go wrong. It is rare to come across such an aggressively non-violent tale.
Stylistically, the book is an odd amalgam of My Little Pony type princesses, with characters that really sleep around (no graphic sex, however). In other ways the cast of gryphon and equine characters reminded me of the excellent Firebringer books by Meredith Ann Pierce. The prose at the beginning is awkward and could use some work, but it gets smoother after the first couple chapters. Unusually, this is a self-contained story, and so a good choice for people who don’t want to commit to a long series.
If you don’t mind the character’s laissez faire attitude concerning fidelity, this is an excellent story for tweens, and a good addition to the growing shelf of gryphon-specific tales.
The Gryphon, by Paula Grover
Interview: Dajan Tafari on Spin the Bottle and Writing Vore
Content Warning: This interview contains discussions about adult works that include the topic of vore content.
Welcome back everyone — it’s time for our first interview of 2021! Today we sat down to interview Dajan Tafari, the author of the recently released Spin The Bottle from Fenris Publishing. Dajan is a lion furry who joined the fandom back in 2012 and was once the type to lurk while making pencil drawings in the fandom. Five years ago he began writing and drawing vore content and the rest is history.
With our introduction out of the way, let’s get to that interview!
FWG: What do you think makes a good story?
Dajan: Well I guess that depends on what you mean by “good.” I’ve read stories that were badly written that I enjoy, and I’ve read well-written works that were a slog to get through. When I write, I tend to prioritize the emotional arc. I know I’ve done a good job with a story if I’ve made my readers feel something: happiness, relief, grief, laughter, anger. I ask myself, what contributes to that final catharsis.
Everything is just one brick in the road that takes the reader to that moment to maximize the emotional impact. I want to read a story that affects me similarly. I want to be moved. The stories that move me are the most memorable, and I’d say that is the most important thing for me when judging if a story (either mine or someone else’s) is “good.”
FWG: You wrote what is likely the first vore focused novella out for the furry market. What got you interested in writing a vore story?
Dajan: Well personally liking vore is a big part of it. Most of the stories I’ve written for FurAffinity were in the vore kink, and I’ve done a fair number of commission vore stories. There’s a lot of great vore art out there, but a good vore story is harder to find. Because vore is such a niche community, often times people have to take what they can get. So you see a lot—and this is more true for non-furry vore writers than furry vore writers by my estimates—of flash fiction single scene stories that are made quickly to satisfy quickly. You get a lot of carbon-copy flashes without much substance.
The problem with that is you miss out on all the stuff that can make erotica so engaging: the tension, the anticipation, the relationship itself. A good vore story has that. Some of the best vore stories I’ve ever read are actually quite long; ten thousand words or more.
I write the kinds of stories that I want to read myself. Most of my works available on FurAffinity are pretty long for short stories. I like to take my time building up to the actual indulgent scenes.
Erotica is all about feelings: arousal, tension, suspense, anticipation, and release. And so writing erotica in general lets me really focus on that emotion-centric writing process. My long stories earned praise that told me that I was doing something right. People would comment on the length and say in one way or another that it contributed to the enjoyment.
I think vore is an especially unique kink that can become incorporated into the world of the story itself. The way the rules of vore operate in a given scenario can influence the genre of the story. The way the society treats it can open up so many doors for plot. I’ve always been fascinated by the unique pred-prey relationships that can be afforded by furry fiction that you can’t see in human stories.
Vore lets me tell unique stories, and so after having moderate success in my freelance work, going to furry conventions and seeing people unashamedly buying vore-related art packs and merchandise from other artists, and then managing to have a vorish story published in Rechan’s and KC Alpinus’s “Thrill of the Hunt” anthology, made me want to go all the way. It made me realize that there’s not just a market for longer stories in the vore fandom. There’s a market for vore in the furry fandom.
When I started writing “Spin the Bottle” I imagined it would just be a short one-off story, maybe six to ten thousand words, but I became really invested in the characters while writing their earlier scenes, and I wanted to see how far I could take this. Once I was about thirty thousand words in, I knew this was the piece that I could take all the way. So I added some more vore scenes to help with the pacing, added a couple more characters to flesh out the arcs, and after a few months of rigorous edits and helpful feedback from my boyfriend, I had a working draft that I started to send to various furry publishers.
FWG: What challenges came with writing about a niche kink? Were there any concerns on if a publisher would pick it up?
Dajan: Oh there definitely was that concern. The furry fandom is wonderfully sex-positive in most regards, but you don’t want to push kinks on people, especially unsuspecting editors. So I started by reaching out via email to the various furry publications. They all have those emails listed to ask for submission guideline clarifications for a reason after all, so I started by just reaching out to see if it was even something they’d accept. It saved everyone a lot of time and potential discomfort. In the end I found two that were willing to publish vore writings at all, so the project basically had to get shelved until they opened for submissions. It’s just like writing any other book, except a single rejection would cut your prospects in half.
FWG: With those kinds of challenges in mind do you think it’s worth it for other authors to try and take on other specific niches similar to vore in their writing?
Dajan: I definitely think they should if for no other reason than to prove that niche material sells. The entire furry fandom is a living example of the good that can happen when people with a niche interest can come together and inspire each other to make great things. I doubt that what I wrote will do for vore what 50 Shades of Gray did for BDSM, but it’s a nice pipe dream. The furry fandom gets stronger when we share more unique stories not less.
When I submit non-erotic stories for publication in the fandom I often see that little blurb in the submission guidelines of “No foxes at Starbucks.” There’s already a desire to break away from clichés. What better way to do that then to open up more publications to these kinks? If more people are writing those stories, and more people are supporting those writers, I think the spaces will be made in one way or another to let non-traditional kink erotica have its place in the fandom. The furry fandom is already such an immense buffet (pun not intended) so why not strive to add one more side dish?
The barrier to entry is high right now, but I hope that if other erotica writers try to carve out the space for their work then maybe that barrier can whittle down over time. I hope that this is the start of a trend and not a lucky outlier, but time will tell. Personally I would love to fill my bookshelf with vore books by the authors I like. Writing is writing, but having something bound in paper adds a certain amount of legitimacy that I’d like to see extended to more furry authors
FWG: So do you have any other future projects in the works? A sequel to your already successful story?
Dajan: I always have future projects. “Spin the Bottle” IS going to get a sequel. The working title is “Truth or Dare” and it will pick up where the first book left off. As I mentioned before, I love exploring pred-prey relationships, and I’m looking forward to fleshing out—or I guess you could say fattening up—the world and side characters as well as exploring the notion of consequences, the effects and aftershocks of the first book’s events.
I also have a book of vore short stories in the works as well as adapting an old unfinished miniseries of mine into a book. And that’s just the erotica. I’ve got plenty of short stories, poems, and non-furry books to write that will keep me busy for a long time to come.
FWG: Would you have any advice for people who might want to write a vore story for the first time?
Dajan: I guess that depends on if the writer is into vore or not. If you’re into vore, you’ll know what you like (and there’s a lot of versatility to the kink). And because there’s so much versatility, if you aren’t into vore, if you’re approaching the kink as an outsider, you want to do your research. The aesthetics of vore tend to be obvious: big bellies, belches, bulges; you know, the three Bs. If you don’t know the nuances of what makes those things sexy (or comforting for my asexual vore-lovers), then you’ll step into the cliches that won’t spark joy.
In erotica, emotion is so critical. To go back to those infamous single-scene stories with no sense of build-up, I don’t typically come away feeling much of anything, especially arousal or satisfaction. So many of them are just, “Mean guy stomps in, says something demeaning to the prey, gulps them down, and then says something else demeaning.” It’s superficial. I’m not saying that those stories are made by people who aren’t in the vore community, but there are a lot of people in the vore community who wouldn’t make those pieces their go-to content, and outsiders who want to try their hand at the craft of vore stories would need to do their homework BECAUSE many people want more than that out of their vore stories.
I think any successful vore story needs to have some sort of arc to it (even if it’s something simple). It doesn’t need a big extravagant plot, but there needs to be a set-up, conflict, and pay-off whether physical, ethical, moral, societal, etc. Talk to vorephiles and come to them with a sense of curiosity. Even if you’re already into vore, talking to other vorephiles is critical. What one person might find sexy, another person might find offputting. Knowing turn-ons and turn-offs is especially necessary when doing freelance writing for others. And learning about the ins and outs of the fetish from other people can often enrich your own appreciation of it. Try to build a sense of community if you don’t have that. Make friends who you can talk to about it. Sharing and bouncing ideas off each other is great for inspiration and developing stories in the early stages.
Spin the Bottle wouldn’t have gotten as far as it did without my boyfriend and other good friends in the vore community to help edit and expand it. Talking to people about your ideas and desires, the things you want to try, other ways to approach the kink, and what you both love about other stories you’ve read is one of the most important things you can do to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the kink and its community so that you can create works that will bring satisfaction to others. No writing can happen in a vacuum, and that’s especially true for vore.
FWG: Any last things you’d want to tell our readers?
Dajan: So as I mentioned above, one of the things I love the most about vore is the versatility of it and the unique affordances that such predatory dynamics can add to the world and the story. If you aren’t into vore, definitely do some research and learn more about it. I think the kink is widely misunderstood. So I actually would encourage non-vore furries and non-vore non-furries to read vore.
The anime Beastars has been making waves in the furry fandom (and outside the furry fandom), and while I would argue that that isn’t vore, it does create a tense and intriguing story that can only be told with the predator/prey dichotomy of a furry world where civilized people consume each other. Vore can put a less grotesque spin on those dynamics.
I’m happy to say that two of my best friends who are not into vore or even furries at all both read my book and even though they don’t share the kink or even fully understand it, they enjoyed the story for what it was. One of them was even kind enough to write a glowing review about its plot and characters for my publisher’s newsletter (anonymously of course). Because vore is a kink and also a unique storytelling device, I would love to see it garner more legitimacy in the furry fandom rather than pushed aside as “the weird fetish.” I’m sure it will be a long time coming before it’s acceptable in the mainstream, but even if you aren’t aroused or comforted by the content, I think there’s a lot to be gained for “normies.”
I set out to publish the first printed vore book (that is to add not self-published), and now that I succeeded, what I want most of all is to see other people enjoy it for the merits of its story and characters that exist beyond the kink, and so it gave me great pleasure to see the Furry Writer’s Guild advertise Zarpaulek’s Vore Anthology (in which my next short story “Coming Out” will appear) over the summer and give more public attention to this sort of content, and I’m incredibly thankful that you took the time to sit down and have this chat with me.
Vore is a kink, yes, but (at the risk of sounding cheesy) there’s something magical and unique in the way it brings people together. After all, my boyfriend and I met online because he liked my vore stories and wanted to talk to me about them, and now we’ve been a couple for four and a half years. Somehow, writing in this niche kink on the internet has yielded some of my proudest successes and profoundest happinesses, and I look forward to keeping the momentum going and seeing not just where the vore fandom takes me but where I can take the vore fandom.
We would like to thank Dajan once again for sitting down with us for this interview. Digital and physical copies of Spin the Bottle are on sale now from Fenris Publishing. You can find Dajan to keep up with his future stories over on Twitter. If you’re a fan of vore be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the release of “The Vore Studio” when it likely releases sometime in 2021.
Bigfoot Family
So, they made a sequel to the Bigfoot movie. Apparently.
Bigfoot, Adam’s father, wants to use his fame for a good cause. Protecting a large wildlife reserve in Alaska sounds like the perfect opportunity! When Bigfoot mysteriously disappears without a trace, Adam and his animal friends will brave anything to find him again and save the nature reserve.
Bigfoot Family
Wait a Season for Their Names, by Alexander Kendziorski
This is your classic animal fantasy novel in the “tradition of” (as they like to say in book blurbs) Watership Down. But instead of common European animals, the book features the trials and tribulations of a pack of African hunting dogs (aka Painted Dogs, or Cape Hunting Dogs). This book has a distinct African flavor, with Afrikaans or native names for the characters, and all the flora and fauna painstakingly identified.
Wait a Season for Their Names is the story of alpha female Aalwyn, her mate Grootboom, and their pack, composed of subordinate sisters and brothers of the two alphas. The title refers to the heavy mortality of pups, most of whom don’t survive their first season. Life is hard in the African bush. Prey is sometimes difficult to find. Hyenas and lions steal their kills and threaten their pups. When an exceptionally aggressive male lion, Moordenaar, enters their territory, they’re forced to leave and take a dangerous trek to find a safer place to call home.
Towards the beginning of the story, the pack is joined by a wandering older male named Blackthorn, who ingratiates himself by providing desperately needed food. His help proves invaluable during the journey (It would’ve been nice to have a map) which takes them from Botswana to Zimbabwe to Mozambique, through war-torn lands and farms.
Along the way they encounter all the problems facing wild dogs (referred to in the book as wolves or painted wolves). Chief among them is rabies, which the characters refer to as The Rage. It’s made clear early on that Aalwyn and a couple of the other characters were given an oral vaccine by some park rangers, but the rest of the pack is vulnerable, and every village dog or strange wolf is suspect. There’s also internal strife, as two of the pack want to breed, something that only the alpha pair is allowed to do.
Other than rabies, humans present the biggest danger. There are hazardous roads to cross, poachers and poison to avoid, and angry farmers with guns. In some areas they cross the land is so barren and desertified there’s nothing to eat at all except hares and wandering cattle left to fend for themselves after the farmers were killed by civil strife. But preying on cattle, even stray ones, can have dire consequences.
Because this is meant to be a realistic animal novel (talking wolves not withstanding), the plot is episodic, without a driving goal other than finding a safe place to live. Most of the characters do behave in a realistic way, sometimes even shocking (such as Aalwyn’s treatment of wayward pack members). But there’s also some artistic liberty taken, such as a scene where Aalwyn bites through a chain. Unless it was a decorative necklace chain, I don’t think that was happening. . . . They also seem a lot more willing to take on dangerous foes like lions and hyenas mano a mano than real-life painted wolves, although wolves in this story do get injured and killed during those fights.
Overall, this is not the best of the genre, on level with masterpieces like Watership Down and Garry Kilworth’s Hunter’s Moon, but it is a decent and interesting work. And it’s nice to see this type of book set outside Europe and North America for a change. Definitely recommended for fans of talking animal fiction, as well as anyone who is interested in stories with an African setting. There is a sequel, with the cheerful title of Death Will Know My Name, but I have not read it (yet).
Wait a Season for Their Names, by Alexander Kendziorski
Fedex Enchanted Forest
Awww, Please don’t take away the singing animals….
Fedex Enchanted Forest
Hero, by AshCoyote
When I saw that Ash Coyote had released another documentary, I admit I was a bit apprehensive. Her previous treatment of marginalized communities ,,in The Fandom left me worried about what her newest work Hero might be like. She has apologized for this in the past, saying, “[W]e received criticism that was very valid. Criticism about inclusion and diversity. Which are things that I’m trying to learn from.” Unfortunately, Hero has proven she has much more to learn.
This documentary follows the story of Hero, a furry who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22. It shows his fursuit being made by WaggeryCostumes while building up to the moment Hero receives it. Fursuits can be a fantastic way for furries to express themselves, and knowing that Hero was able to enjoy the experience of fursuiting with a grim health diagnosis is undeniably a feel-good story, and I’m personally so happy for Hero. However, sharing it with this inspirational narrative ignores fundamental issues that haunt the furry fandom as a whole.
Walela Nehanda has ,,discussed why inspiration porn like this hurts disabled people, especially those with cancer, and I couldn’t agree with them more on the points they raised. For those who do not know, inspiration porn is the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability. Inspiration porn exists so that able-bodied people can put their worries into perspective. “Well, it could be worse; I could be like that person!”
This documentary does just that and serves as nothing more than a way for able-bodied people to pat themselves on the back for doing something when in all reality the furry community actively ignores its disabled members in a way that is almost hostile.
As of writing this review, I am only aware of two conventions that take accessibility issues seriously. Texas Furry Fiesta has an Accessibility Officer, and Harvest Moon Howl Fest intends to be fully ADA compliant. How can we say we care about people who aren’t able-bodied when our entire community can’t manage something that has been standard at almost every single major anime and gaming convention for many years?
Conventions being forced to go digital in 2020 has been one of the only reasons that accessibility has been increased in the furry community, and that’s inexcusable. Between hotels with panel room doors too small for wheelchairs to fit into, lack of seating consideration for panels, ,,incredibly old wheelchair lifts, and having to take elevators through kitchens to reach panels, the community is doing a bad job here. This is only for one kind of disability consideration too — if I listed issues for other kinds of disabilities most people would declare this review too long to finish reading.
Most conventions cannot even bring themselves to donate towards causes that affect marginalized people like those who aren’t able-bodied as they would rather focus on cute animals. Why not do both? Donating to causes that help connect disabled people with service animals (which can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000) is a possibility. What if we took it a step further and helped these people with funds for housing security? Homeless disabled people often find that shelters refuse them as many aren’t accessible. Efforts like these aren’t made, however, as the community feels like they are “doing enough,” and documentaries like Hero cement that belief in their minds.
The closest I could find to this happening was ,,Fur The More supporting ALS charities in honor of Dogbomb. While admirable, this was done for only a single year. Dogbomb was a fantastic man who was well-loved in the fandom but is already being so quickly forgotten. If this is how a “popufur” with a disability is treated, imagine the treatment of disabled furries at large.
This doesn’t even scratch the surface on issues fursuits present themselves. This major status symbol in the furry fandom is inaccessible to most disabled members of the community. Not only are fursuits like this hard to afford for disabled people, ,,26% of whom live in poverty in the United States, but almost no thought has been put into trying to make fursuits easier to use for those who aren’t able-bodied. Can you name a single fursuiter that uses a wheelchair? A fursuiter that uses crutches? A deaf fursuiter? No? Fursuiters like this do exist, and the lack of awareness of them is fostered by the community.
Most people with a terminal illness or disabilities couldn’t even consider affording a fursuit. This one story of joy should highlight just how many more are faced with not only crushing disappointment but exclusion from the community they love. Too bad able-bodied viewers won’t see that. ,,Chadwick Boseman was bullied and ridiculed for his unknown cancer diagnosis, and those within the furry community continue similar mistreatment to disabled people within Furry while trying to feel better about themselves.
The truth of the matter is that Hero’s story will be used so that furries can pat themselves on the back like they did something when they didn’t. They didn’t speak up for better accessibility at conventions, they didn’t donate their time or funds to furries that aren’t popular and able-bodied, and large portions didn’t take seriously a pandemic that kills immunocompromised people like those with cancer.
While the documentary does mention some issues about accessing healthcare, this really isn’t enough to give it a pass here. It’s likely impossible to cover the entirety of issues facing disabled members of the furry community but them being nothing more than a side note shows they were barely a consideration to begin with. While I love this celebration of Hero’s life, this documentary puts into focus how the community only wants to focus on disabled members when it is convenient to them or when it makes them feel better. And the inspiration porn narrative of the film suggests that our community is above such critical issues and that our fandom is good for or on-the-whole empowering for people with disabilities in a way non-furries are not when this is untrue.
I wish instead of this documentary being made to tell one good story, one was made that discussed the major issues the furry community faces when it comes to the treatment of disabled people and how we could do better. The documentary Hero adds to a problem the furry community faces while taking us two steps back to make it worse.
I cannot recommend anyone watch Hero. Instead, I hope readers will consider watching Crip Camp, ,,which is also free to watch on YouTube, as it offers actual insights into the struggles disabled people face and shows the good a community can do. I hope Ash will do better when considering marginalized people within her documentaries in the future, but her current track record gives me little reason to do so.
Hero, by AshCoyote
The Ones Who DON’T Rock Out… as much
One of the things that makes the award-winning anime series Aggretsuko quite fascinating is all the interesting side characters our red-panda hero finds herself surrounded by. Wouldn’t you like to know more about them, too? Well, Oni Press agrees! Aggretsuko — Meet Her Friends is a new full-color comic miniseries written by Cat Farris, with art by Lisa DuBois and Leonardo Ito. “Dive further into the world of Aggretsuko, the hit Netflix show, with these character-focused stories! Up first, meet the enigmatic YOGA TEACHER… Over drinks, Retsuko and her coworkers ponder his mysterious past.” Available now from Oni Press.
image c. 2021 Oni Press
Bearly Furcasting #36 - Captain Boones, General Mayhem, Math, Really Bad Jokes
MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!
Captain Boones talks with us this week about his life as a Lion, smelling ants, and throwing sharp things. Taebyn gives us a rendition of What Does the Pup Say?. We explain the big words we used last week, talk about new shows we are watching, and generally go to random things. Does Netflix still send disks? Did Taebyn have any New Years Resolutions? Was Mr. Spock a fish? Can a story be short if it takes 5 full minutes to set it up? These questions and many more will be answered on this Furtacular episode, grab your favorite podcast fluid and join the fun!
Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.
You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com
Awards Eligibility Post for 2020
With awards season upon us, here is an easy reference list of all the original stories Zooscape published in 2020. We think they’re all award-worthy. We hope you think so too!
Dragon Child by Stella B. James (3,900 words)
Double Helix by Lucia Iglesias (1000 words)
As If Waiting by A. Katherine Black (7,100 words)
The Adventures of WaterBear and Moss Piglet by Sandy Parsons (900 words)
The God-Smoker by Dylan Craine (800 words)
Maker Space by Adele Gardner (4,500 words)
When the Horse Came to the Open House by K. C. Mead-Brewer (700 words)
Love From Goldie by David Steffen (700 words)
Riding Through the Desert by Laurence Raphael Brothers (8,200 words)
Fur and Feather by Ingrid L. Taylor (2,100 words)
A Wake for the Living by Jordan Kurella (3,600 words)
Swift Shadow’s Solace by E.D. Walker (900 words)
Source and Sedition by Koji A. Dae (3,600 words)
The Starflighter from Starym by Tamoha Sengupta (900 words)
Keep Breathing by Karter Mycroft (1,600 words)
Cepha by Eliza Master (1,600 words)
Dinos on Your Doorstep by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (1,800 words)
Philosopher Rex by Larry Hodges (1000 words)
The Good Smell by Tim Susman (2,400 words)
The White Deer by Ian Madison Keller (7,500 words)
Shadowbox on the Tundra by Gretchen Tessmer (700 words)
Hope, Unrequested and Freely Given by Brent Baldwin (1,500 words)
Song of the Raven and Crow by Avra Margariti (2,500 words)
The Sleep of Reason by Michael H. Payne (4,800 words)
The Dragon Maker by Amy Clare Fontaine (1,900 words)
Self-Expression by R. C. Capasso (300 words)
FWG Newsletter: December 2020
HAPPY NEW YEAR FWG MEMBERS! Congratulations, we all survived 2020 and made it into 2021. We’re glad that everyone has been able to keep safe, keep writing, and keep reading this year. Here’s hoping the next one can be a bit better. With that in mind…
The 2020 Cóyotl Awards Nominations Are Now Open!
This year, nominations will be open from January 1 until March 15 at midnight, Pacific time. Voting will take place from March 20 until April 30 at midnight, Pacific time. We highly encourage guild members to check out the Cóyotl Awards Reading List then go and nominate. Nominations can be done on the awards website.
We would also like to make people aware once more that discussions have been taking place about eligibility requirements for the guild on our forums and on our Discord. As it stands currently, the proposed requirements look as follows:
- You’ve had one short story, poem, or novel published in a paying qualifying market
- You’ve had two short stories or poems published in a non-paying qualifying market
- You’ve had sustained income from a self-published work, written commissions, comics writing, visual novel or interactive fiction writing, and/or a writing-based crowdfunding presence.
This will not be brought to an official vote until elections but we would like feedback before then so come join the discussion!
Remember, we now have our Promotion Tip Line to submit to if you have new releases coming out, so don’t hesitate to fill that out so we can feature your book in our next newsletter! This month we have a couple of new releases to share with you:
- Entanglement Bound by Mary E. Lowd from Aethon Books
- Dude, Where’s My Pack? By Kyell Gold from FurPlanet.
We also have two books to share with you that are up for pre-order:
- Freedom Ring by Frances Pauli from Goal Publications
- Symphony of Awakened Gods by Leilani Wilson from Goal Publications
You can find all of the open markets for furry writing in our Furry Writers’ Market! Currently, these markets are open.
- Can You See Us Now? (Deadline: January 1st, 2021)
- Difursity 2 (Deadline: January 1st, 2021)
- iPawd – A Furry Music Adult Anthology (Deadline: January 10th, 2021)
- Beast Volume 1 (Deadline: March 1st, 2021)
- Fur-Milliar Spaces (Deadline: Marth 15th, 2021)
- The Fox Spirit Book… of Love (Deadline: Unlisted)
- #ohmurr (Deadline: Ongoing)
Fenris Publishing is currently open for submissions and Goal Publications will be opening for submissions on January 15th.
One last thing this month: we’ll be at FurCon 2021! We’ll be hosting four panels on writing for the convention as well as hosting another Flash Fiction Competition! The stories must follow the convention theme: FurCon Goes To Hollywoof and must be 250 words or less (titles not included). The winner will receive $25! Anyone interested in submitting should do so here before the panel takes place on Sunday, January 18th. Hope to see your stories there!
– FWG President Linnea “LiteralGrill”