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Moobarkfluff!   Taebyn starts by musing the difference between a leaflet and a pamphlet. Why is PizzaCon still a thing? Are Frog and Toad married now? Why do we tell so many bad jokes? Just what is a Quadalflump? These questions and many more will be answered on this crazy episode, so tune and give a listen! Moobarkfluff!

 

https://www.bonfire.com/store/bearly-furcasting/

Support the show

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

Bearly Furcasting S2E28 - Transfurmation Station, Jokes, Story

Tempe O'Kun interviews voice actor Graham Hamilton about his starring role in Rock Dog 2, the world of cartoon voice acting, My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas, and the impact of the Rock Dog series around the furry world. Graham Hamilton on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10231739/ Episode sponsored by FurPlanet Press: https://furplanet.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=219 Character art by Slate Dragon: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/slate Special thanks to Daniel "Dralen" Hamel for audio editing! Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: http://www.culturallyfd.com Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Plus a Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/gsz8us7 Listen in on TEMPO TALKS with Tempe O'Kun https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPyIK2c7mK-LpbvfDNqfcSW Check out Tempe O'Kun's books "Sixes Wild" and "Windfall" here: http://furplanet.com/shop/?affillink=YOUTU2907 Here's a playlist of his other Culturally F'd videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPS7tnT4hdJwBI-CeLF8Kb_

Welcome to the October edition of Digging Up Positivity. This month we are pleased to see the conventions returning, and with that, all those lovely charities that they support. The featurette of this month is Cassidy Civet, known by many as that critter that appeared at the Eurovision Song Festival, but by all means, this […]

We would like to shout out to Huskyteer for helping to organise this.

The Charles Read Academy in the UK was seeking new YA titles for their library, with a particular focus on queer/LGBTQ+ content. Huskyteer helped arrange things with both Goal Publications and FurPlanet to get a number of furry titles included in this library. By all accounts, they have been a great success so far! The school library wasn’t even able to share a picture of all the books because they were being checked out so quickly!

Not only is it a wonderful thing to see a school library actively seek queer books for their library, but it is great to see young readers enjoying reading them as well. Thank you to the staff at Charles Read Academy for doing this, and thank you to Huskyteer for ensuring that furry fiction has been included.

https://twitter.com/CraLibrary/status/1455597392129110017

The furry titles included are:

• Nexus Nine – Mary E. Lowd
• The Tower And The Fox – Tim Susman
• Huntress – Renee Carter Hall
• Kismet – Watts Martin
• Koa Of The Drowned Kingdom – Ryan Campbell
• Beyond Acacia Ridge – Amy Fontaine
• Of Birds And Branches – Frances Pauli

We would like to shout out to Huskyteer for helping to organise this.

The Charles Read Academy in the UK was seeking new YA titles for their library, with a particular focus on queer/LGBTQ+ content. Huskyteer helped arrange things with both Goal Publications and FurPlanet to get a number of furry titles included in this library. By all accounts, they have been a great success so far! The school library wasn’t even able to share a picture of all the books because they were being checked out so quickly!

Not only is it a wonderful thing to see a school library actively seek queer books for their library, but it is great to see young readers enjoying reading them as well. Thank you to the staff at Charles Read Academy for doing this, and thank you to Huskyteer for ensuring that furry fiction has been included.

https://twitter.com/CraLibrary/status/1455597392129110017

The furry titles included are:

• Nexus Nine – Mary E. Lowd
• The Tower And The Fox – Tim Susman
• Huntress – Renee Carter Hall
• Kismet – Watts Martin
• Koa Of The Drowned Kingdom – Ryan Campbell
• Beyond Acacia Ridge – Amy Fontaine
• Of Birds And Branches – Frances Pauli

TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 36 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.

October certainly was a busy month! We hope you all enjoyed the content throughout Furry Book Month, and that you have been able to find a few new favourite authors and stories to enjoy. If you missed anything during the month, we have our recap here.
Otherwise, this will only be a short newsletter, but if you think we have missed something important, do let us know!

In addition to Furry Book Month, the news broke last month that Fenris Publishing has acquired Rabbit Valley Comics. We’re looking forward to how the Rabbit Valley name moves forward into this new future for them, and have every faith in Fenris Publishing to keep that history intact.

For some people, November means NaNoWriMo. Good luck to everyone attempting the 50,000 words this month. If you have other targets that better suit your writing habits, then we hope you are successful in them all.

Of course, not everyone is looking for a novel in a month. Instead, they’re after some short stories. Thankfully, we have some open markets to aim for!

• Pirating Pups – Deadline November 30th
• FURWARD SLASH: A Furry Adult Techno-Horror Anthology – Deadline November 30th
• Felis Futura – Deadline December 31st
• Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
• Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
• #ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
• Zooscape – Reoccurring submission period.

If instead you’d like to spend the month reading instead of writing, then we have some newly released books and pre-orders from some of our members to check out.

A Swordmaster’s Tail, edited by Tarl Hoch. Released October 1st 2021.

A Wildness of the Heart: Limerent Object and Other Stories, by Madison Scott-Clary. Available for pre-order. Released November 1st 2021.

Resistance, by J.F.R. Coates. Available for pre-order. Released November 5th 2021.

Heretic, by J.F.R. Coates. Available for pre-order. Released November 5th 2021.

The Bee’s Waltz, by Mary E. Lowd. Released November 7th 2021.

Winter Wonders – an anthology featuring guild member Alice Dryden. Available for pre-order. Released December 1st 2021.

C.A.T.S.: Cycling Across Time And Space: 11 Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories about Bicycling and Cats – an anthology featuring guild member Alice Dryden. Available for pre-order. Released February 8th 2022.

For one final time, thank you to everyone who contributed to Furry Book Month and Oxfurred Comma, as well as those who supported us by reading the Q&As and attending the panels. Without the furry writing community, there would be no purpose to the Furry Writers Guild.
Enjoy NaNoWriMo if you’re attempting it.

Stay safe. Keep writing!
J.F.R. Coates

October certainly was a busy month! We hope you all enjoyed the content throughout Furry Book Month, and that you have been able to find a few new favourite authors and stories to enjoy. If you missed anything during the month, we have our recap here.
Otherwise, this will only be a short newsletter, but if you think we have missed something important, do let us know!

In addition to Furry Book Month, the news broke last month that Fenris Publishing has acquired Rabbit Valley Comics. We’re looking forward to how the Rabbit Valley name moves forward into this new future for them, and have every faith in Fenris Publishing to keep that history intact.

For some people, November means NaNoWriMo. Good luck to everyone attempting the 50,000 words this month. If you have other targets that better suit your writing habits, then we hope you are successful in them all.

Of course, not everyone is looking for a novel in a month. Instead, they’re after some short stories. Thankfully, we have some open markets to aim for!

• Pirating Pups – Deadline November 30th
• FURWARD SLASH: A Furry Adult Techno-Horror Anthology – Deadline November 30th
• Felis Futura – Deadline December 31st
• Isekai Me! – Deadline When Full
• Children Of The Night – Deadline When Full
• #ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing
• Zooscape – Reoccurring submission period.

If instead you’d like to spend the month reading instead of writing, then we have some newly released books and pre-orders from some of our members to check out.

A Swordmaster’s Tail, edited by Tarl Hoch. Released October 1st 2021.

A Wildness of the Heart: Limerent Object and Other Stories, by Madison Scott-Clary. Available for pre-order. Released November 1st 2021.

Resistance, by J.F.R. Coates. Available for pre-order. Released November 5th 2021.

Heretic, by J.F.R. Coates. Available for pre-order. Released November 5th 2021.

The Bee’s Waltz, by Mary E. Lowd. Released November 7th 2021.

Winter Wonders – an anthology featuring guild member Alice Dryden. Available for pre-order. Released December 1st 2021.

C.A.T.S.: Cycling Across Time And Space: 11 Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories about Bicycling and Cats – an anthology featuring guild member Alice Dryden. Available for pre-order. Released February 8th 2022.

For one final time, thank you to everyone who contributed to Furry Book Month and Oxfurred Comma, as well as those who supported us by reading the Q&As and attending the panels. Without the furry writing community, there would be no purpose to the Furry Writers Guild.
Enjoy NaNoWriMo if you’re attempting it.

Stay safe. Keep writing!
J.F.R. Coates

Fuzz, Savrin, and Ajax watched some spooky movies, oooo it's a bonus episode since we didn't record a regular one this week ooooooo

Southpaws Podcast - Halloweekend 2021

Furry Book Month is coming to an end for another year. Thank you again to all the people who have contributed to the content we have put out over the month – it has been a great experience for us, and I hope that you have enjoyed the interviews, books, and of course, Oxfurred Comma.

Of course, the month isn’t quite over yet, so if you were still looking for a new book to read then there are still a few ongoing deals and sales until October is over. Check out this page here to see what offers are available.

Over the month, we also put out a number of Q&As with the authors, publishers, and reviewers of the furry writing community. In case you missed one, we have a complete list of those posts here:

• Ben Goodridge – Author
• Armoured Fox Press – Publisher
• Tagenar – Author
• Frances Pauli – Author
• Mary E. Lowd/Zooscape – Author/Publisher
• Tempe O’Kun – Author
• R.A. Meenan – Author
• Sofawolf – Publisher
• Furry Book Review – Reviewer
• Jess E. Owen – Author
• Fenris Publishing – Publisher
• Killick – Author
• Domus Vocis – Author
• Goal Publications – Publisher
• NightEyes – Author
• K.C. Alpinus – Author
• Copper Sphynx – Author
• P.C. Hatter – Author
• Thurston Howl – Publisher
• Kyell Gold – Author
• G.C. Stargazer – Author
• Weasel Press – Publisher
• Madison Scott-Clary – Author
• Huskyteer – Author
• Khaki/Voice of Dog – Publisher
• Mikro Goat – Author
• Mog Moogle – Author
• Renee Carter Hall – Author
• Rabbit Valley Comics – Publisher

Of course, just because Furry Book Month is coming to a close, doesn’t mean we stop our work in helping to further furry writing. If you’re using social media, use the #furrywriting hashtag to get our attention, as we regularly check this for some of the latest news and updates from the writing community.

We hope you have enjoyed Furry Book Month 2021. Keep reading, keep writing, and most importantly, keep supporting the furry writing community!
We’ll be back tomorrow for our regular monthly newsletter.

Furry Book Month is coming to an end for another year. Thank you again to all the people who have contributed to the content we have put out over the month – it has been a great experience for us, and I hope that you have enjoyed the interviews, books, and of course, Oxfurred Comma.

Of course, the month isn’t quite over yet, so if you were still looking for a new book to read then there are still a few ongoing deals and sales until October is over. Check out this page here to see what offers are available.

Over the month, we also put out a number of Q&As with the authors, publishers, and reviewers of the furry writing community. In case you missed one, we have a complete list of those posts here:

• Ben Goodridge – Author
• Armoured Fox Press – Publisher
• Tagenar – Author
• Frances Pauli – Author
• Mary E. Lowd/Zooscape – Author/Publisher
• Tempe O’Kun – Author
• R.A. Meenan – Author
• Sofawolf – Publisher
• Furry Book Review – Reviewer
• Jess E. Owen – Author
• Fenris Publishing – Publisher
• Killick – Author
• Domus Vocis – Author
• Goal Publications – Publisher
• NightEyes – Author
• K.C. Alpinus – Author
• Copper Sphynx – Author
• P.C. Hatter – Author
• Thurston Howl – Publisher
• Kyell Gold – Author
• G.C. Stargazer – Author
• Weasel Press – Publisher
• Madison Scott-Clary – Author
• Huskyteer – Author
• Khaki/Voice of Dog – Publisher
• Mikro Goat – Author
• Mog Moogle – Author
• Renee Carter Hall – Author
• Rabbit Valley Comics – Publisher

Of course, just because Furry Book Month is coming to a close, doesn’t mean we stop our work in helping to further furry writing. If you’re using social media, use the #furrywriting hashtag to get our attention, as we regularly check this for some of the latest news and updates from the writing community.

We hope you have enjoyed Furry Book Month 2021. Keep reading, keep writing, and most importantly, keep supporting the furry writing community!
We’ll be back tomorrow for our regular monthly newsletter.

The final Q&A for the month comes from Andrew Rabbitt of Rabbit Valley Comics. Andrew has a long history in the furry publishing and writing community, and has plenty of insight to share. Note that this interview was done before the recent news that Fenris Publishing has acquired Rabbit Valley Comics.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and the publisher you are representing.

Hello, Andrew Rabbitt here representing Rabbit Valley® Comics.

Since 1997, Rabbit Valley Comics – then known as Another Rabco Disaster – has been serving the furry community through the distribution and publication of artwork, books, comics, magazines, novels, and more. Our Vast Catalog of Other Good Stuff has been available online and in print since the late 1990s. Rabbit Valley Comics started out as a distribution company focusing on the comic Associated Student Bodies by Lance Rund and Chris McKinley. ASB has been available for sale in many formats over the years including individual comic issues, a hardcover collection, a digital download, and most recently a softcover collection. In the early 2000s Rabbit Valley Comics started publishing works including Circles and Spooo Presents; both of these titles are still available to this day. At Rabbit Valley Comics, we’re focused on bringing the best in anthropomorphic literature to market.

Personally, I joined the team as a helper in 2000 and became a full partner in 2004. If you’ve placed an order from Rabbit Valley after 2000, chances are I picked, packed, and shipped it. Outside of the store I enjoy camping, cooking, and cleaning.

What is your favourite thing about the furry fandom?

My favorite thing about the furry fandom is the diversity and creativity. On any given day there are thousands of images shared on social media and video streaming sites as well as furry owned and operated image boards and other media platforms.

Our community excels in creativity. If you can think it, a furry is making it – for the community. A short list of things created for furries by furries would include:

• Writing
• Artwork
• Costumes
• FurSuits
• Shirts, Sweatshirts, and other outerwear
• Adult Novelty Toys
• Adult Diapers
• Underwear
• Stickers

The list goes on and on…

In every major industry you will find furries. Doctors, lawyers, dishwashers, and truck drives…furries can be found in all walks of life and at all socioeconomic levels.

The Furry Fandom transcends politics, religion, race, and gender.

The Furry Fandom is a cultural melting pot where all are free to express their ideas, creativity, and desire to belong.

All this and more is why I love the fandom. Picking a favourite aspect would be impossible.

What made you decide to get involved with the furry publishing scene?

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s there wasn’t many options for a comic artist or writer to distribute their works to the fandom. There were three publishers all still getting their feet wet – so to speak. The fandom was smaller then and 1000 people at a convention was a big deal. I got into publishing to help creators get their work into the paws of adoring fans.

It’s been a very satisfying twenty+ years.

What do you believe makes a good story?

What makes a good story? That’s a good question. I guess, for me, a good story can be boiled down to relatability. Can the reader relate to what is going on in the work? I personally find that if I can relate to a work, then I can safely call the work good.  Sure, spelling, grammar, firm plot, resolved/unresolved conflict, character development, scene setting, etc… are important in story crafting, but that doesn’t mean the work is good – to me.

One can have a perfectly literature rule-following story that just falls flat on its face because it’s not relatable to the reader. Again, to me, a story has to be relatable in order for it to be good.

I don’t need perfect grammar or spelling to decide if something is good. I don’t need consistent subject verb agreement or exacting prose to make a story work. ALL that can be fixed in editing.

What are some of the biggest challenges with publishing in a relatively niche market?

Over the years I’d say the biggest challenge has been in content curation. There are many, many works out in the furry fandom that are ripe for publication and distribution.

From a business standpoint the challenges we consider are saleability, quality, audience, market share, price, and time investment. Of these I’d say that, from my point of view, saleability is the most critical.

One can pour a lot of time and pay a premium price to make a work the best that it can be, one can use marketing to promote the work, but if it isn’t saleable – the is no market for it – then all that effort is wasted. This doesn’t mean that the work is bad, just not right for our market.

Over the years we’ve had a few works fall flat due to not resonating with our customer base. We’ve learned to review works based on what our customers want. This has help us avoid investing heavily in works that are better suited for another market.

What are some of the best parts of publishing furry books?

The best part of publishing furry works for others is helping creators get their works into the paws of readers.

We spend a lot of time and resources making each piece the best that it can be – helping authors with their writing process, artist with anatomy, pointing out flaws and ways to correct them…we invest in our contributors so that they can grow in their craft. To me, that’s the best part of being a publisher.

The other side of the coin is that we’re also distributors. The best part of being a distributor is having a vast catalogue to pick from when a customer asks for a recommendation. Connecting contributors with content is a perk of the job.

What is the ideal writer to work with like?

I’ve never worked with an ideal writer. I enjoy working with writers and editors who accept feedback and work it into their process. As long as an author is willing to see beyond what they’ve written and accept that there is always room for improvement, we’ll have no issues.

Novels vs Anthologies. Which do you prefer working on, and how do they compare in terms of sales?

Novels. It’s much easier to work with a single contributor than a group.

That said, anthologies sell better.

What do you believe is the biggest misconception about the process of publishing, either specific to furry publishing or generally?

Biggest misconception in the whole publishing process is that us publishers are out to take money from creators. We’re not. Many of the furry publishers are doing this as a labour of love. We’re not getting rich on the backs of our content creators.

Rabbit Valley® Comics has always been a passion project to help put content into the paws of readers. Back in the late 90s when Associated Student Bodies had no distribution network,  we stepped up and partnered with the creators to get their comics into the hands of gay critters the world over. After ASB ended we jumped into publishing to fill the void left behind with Circles. We then started publishing novels, anthologies, and other series. Following that we launched the first furry digital book store in March of 2013…

It’s always said “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but just how important is cover art to the success of a book?

Cover art looks good on a webpage, looks good on a table display. It’s what piques the curiosity of the reader. It’s important.

Back when I was in school most of the books didn’t have decent cover art. My copy of The Hobbit is hardcover, leather bound, and only has the words “The Hobbit” on the cover. Nothing else…

Here, in 2021, I think cover art is more important in showing the reader what’s inside than back when I was in school.

I never liked the phrase. Cover art is important.

Is there anything you would like to see more of in furry fiction?

I’d like to see more works from under-represented groups.

This is the last of the spotlights for Furry Book Month 2021. We hope you have enjoyed these insights into the furry writing community. Perhaps you have found a new favourite story or authors amongst all of these. Perhaps you have learned something new about the writing process, or found that spark to write again!
Thank you for reading these and for supporting the furry writing community.

The final Q&A for the month comes from Andrew Rabbitt of Rabbit Valley Comics. Andrew has a long history in the furry publishing and writing community, and has plenty of insight to share. Note that this interview was done before the recent news that Fenris Publishing has acquired Rabbit Valley Comics.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and the publisher you are representing.

Hello, Andrew Rabbitt here representing Rabbit Valley® Comics.

Since 1997, Rabbit Valley Comics – then known as Another Rabco Disaster – has been serving the furry community through the distribution and publication of artwork, books, comics, magazines, novels, and more. Our Vast Catalog of Other Good Stuff has been available online and in print since the late 1990s. Rabbit Valley Comics started out as a distribution company focusing on the comic Associated Student Bodies by Lance Rund and Chris McKinley. ASB has been available for sale in many formats over the years including individual comic issues, a hardcover collection, a digital download, and most recently a softcover collection. In the early 2000s Rabbit Valley Comics started publishing works including Circles and Spooo Presents; both of these titles are still available to this day. At Rabbit Valley Comics, we’re focused on bringing the best in anthropomorphic literature to market.

Personally, I joined the team as a helper in 2000 and became a full partner in 2004. If you’ve placed an order from Rabbit Valley after 2000, chances are I picked, packed, and shipped it. Outside of the store I enjoy camping, cooking, and cleaning.

What is your favourite thing about the furry fandom?

My favorite thing about the furry fandom is the diversity and creativity. On any given day there are thousands of images shared on social media and video streaming sites as well as furry owned and operated image boards and other media platforms.

Our community excels in creativity. If you can think it, a furry is making it – for the community. A short list of things created for furries by furries would include:

• Writing
• Artwork
• Costumes
• FurSuits
• Shirts, Sweatshirts, and other outerwear
• Adult Novelty Toys
• Adult Diapers
• Underwear
• Stickers

The list goes on and on…

In every major industry you will find furries. Doctors, lawyers, dishwashers, and truck drives…furries can be found in all walks of life and at all socioeconomic levels.

The Furry Fandom transcends politics, religion, race, and gender.

The Furry Fandom is a cultural melting pot where all are free to express their ideas, creativity, and desire to belong.

All this and more is why I love the fandom. Picking a favourite aspect would be impossible.

What made you decide to get involved with the furry publishing scene?

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s there wasn’t many options for a comic artist or writer to distribute their works to the fandom. There were three publishers all still getting their feet wet – so to speak. The fandom was smaller then and 1000 people at a convention was a big deal. I got into publishing to help creators get their work into the paws of adoring fans.

It’s been a very satisfying twenty+ years.

What do you believe makes a good story?

What makes a good story? That’s a good question. I guess, for me, a good story can be boiled down to relatability. Can the reader relate to what is going on in the work? I personally find that if I can relate to a work, then I can safely call the work good.  Sure, spelling, grammar, firm plot, resolved/unresolved conflict, character development, scene setting, etc… are important in story crafting, but that doesn’t mean the work is good – to me.

One can have a perfectly literature rule-following story that just falls flat on its face because it’s not relatable to the reader. Again, to me, a story has to be relatable in order for it to be good.

I don’t need perfect grammar or spelling to decide if something is good. I don’t need consistent subject verb agreement or exacting prose to make a story work. ALL that can be fixed in editing.

What are some of the biggest challenges with publishing in a relatively niche market?

Over the years I’d say the biggest challenge has been in content curation. There are many, many works out in the furry fandom that are ripe for publication and distribution.

From a business standpoint the challenges we consider are saleability, quality, audience, market share, price, and time investment. Of these I’d say that, from my point of view, saleability is the most critical.

One can pour a lot of time and pay a premium price to make a work the best that it can be, one can use marketing to promote the work, but if it isn’t saleable – the is no market for it – then all that effort is wasted. This doesn’t mean that the work is bad, just not right for our market.

Over the years we’ve had a few works fall flat due to not resonating with our customer base. We’ve learned to review works based on what our customers want. This has help us avoid investing heavily in works that are better suited for another market.

What are some of the best parts of publishing furry books?

The best part of publishing furry works for others is helping creators get their works into the paws of readers.

We spend a lot of time and resources making each piece the best that it can be – helping authors with their writing process, artist with anatomy, pointing out flaws and ways to correct them…we invest in our contributors so that they can grow in their craft. To me, that’s the best part of being a publisher.

The other side of the coin is that we’re also distributors. The best part of being a distributor is having a vast catalogue to pick from when a customer asks for a recommendation. Connecting contributors with content is a perk of the job.

What is the ideal writer to work with like?

I’ve never worked with an ideal writer. I enjoy working with writers and editors who accept feedback and work it into their process. As long as an author is willing to see beyond what they’ve written and accept that there is always room for improvement, we’ll have no issues.

Novels vs Anthologies. Which do you prefer working on, and how do they compare in terms of sales?

Novels. It’s much easier to work with a single contributor than a group.

That said, anthologies sell better.

What do you believe is the biggest misconception about the process of publishing, either specific to furry publishing or generally?

Biggest misconception in the whole publishing process is that us publishers are out to take money from creators. We’re not. Many of the furry publishers are doing this as a labour of love. We’re not getting rich on the backs of our content creators.

Rabbit Valley® Comics has always been a passion project to help put content into the paws of readers. Back in the late 90s when Associated Student Bodies had no distribution network,  we stepped up and partnered with the creators to get their comics into the hands of gay critters the world over. After ASB ended we jumped into publishing to fill the void left behind with Circles. We then started publishing novels, anthologies, and other series. Following that we launched the first furry digital book store in March of 2013…

It’s always said “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but just how important is cover art to the success of a book?

Cover art looks good on a webpage, looks good on a table display. It’s what piques the curiosity of the reader. It’s important.

Back when I was in school most of the books didn’t have decent cover art. My copy of The Hobbit is hardcover, leather bound, and only has the words “The Hobbit” on the cover. Nothing else…

Here, in 2021, I think cover art is more important in showing the reader what’s inside than back when I was in school.

I never liked the phrase. Cover art is important.

Is there anything you would like to see more of in furry fiction?

I’d like to see more works from under-represented groups.

This is the last of the spotlights for Furry Book Month 2021. We hope you have enjoyed these insights into the furry writing community. Perhaps you have found a new favourite story or authors amongst all of these. Perhaps you have learned something new about the writing process, or found that spark to write again!
Thank you for reading these and for supporting the furry writing community.

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Join Taebyn and Bearly as they broadcast live from BLFC in Reno Nevada on October 23, 2021.  We have several past guests stopping by as well as a very vocal Bird!  Join us won't you? Moobarkfluff every fur!

Support the show

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

Bearly Furcasting S2E27 - LIVE From BLFC 2021

Our final author for the month is Renee Carter Hall, who also has plenty to share about furry writing and her own processes. Please do have a read through – and perhaps click through to her essay on writing anthropomorphic characters.

Tell us a little bit about your most recent project (written or published). Was there a particular inspiration for it?

Right now, what I’m most working on is trying to get some momentum back with my writing generally. I’ve been in a dry spell for a few years — no One Big Reason for it, just a lot of things, external and internal — and, along the way, questioning what I really want to write and where I want to focus my efforts. So I have a handful of furry short stories that have been in the works for a long time that I’m trying to finally finish and send out, because I really love some of these ideas and characters.

My other big project at the moment is a middle grade novel (aimed at ages 8-12), a contemporary fantasy about a boy whose favorite comic-book superhero shows up at his house and ends up revealing that the comic books weren’t always telling the whole story — and that they weren’t always necessarily the hero. That’s still in the early drafting stages, but I’m planning to eventually query agents once it’s done and try to publish it traditionally.

My writing career sometimes feels like a Venn diagram of three circles with only a little overlap — fantasy/science fiction for adults, furry fiction, and children’s fiction — so it’s hard sometimes to figure out what to prioritize.

What is your favourite thing about the furry fandom?

I’m always impressed by the sheer amount of creativity in the fandom, whatever form it takes, and the fact that so much of it is focused on creating original content and not just replicating or re-purposing something from mainstream media (though there’s room for that, too). I forget who said that, basically, “furries make their own stuff to be fans of,” but I appreciate how unique that is.

As an author, I also appreciate that there’s a place where I can share a serious story starring an animal character without worrying that it’s going to be automatically dismissed as weird or juvenile. As much as I want to see furry fiction grow its audience beyond the boundaries of the fandom, and receive its due credit and respect for the speculative art it is, it’s reassuring to know that that supportive space is there for my work.

Why write furry fiction?

Years ago I would have written you an essay for this answer. (Well, actually I guess I did write an essay: “On Anthropomorphic Characters,” the foreword for Will Sanborn’s furry anthology Different Worlds, Different Skins Vol. 2.) 

These days, I suppose I’d boil it down to the fact that storytellers in all eras and all media have always used nonhuman characters to explore what it means to be human. Furry fiction is part of that.

Besides, nobody questions why children like stories about animals. Why are we supposed to outgrow them?

What is your writing process like? Do you outline and plot, or are you a “pantser”?

A bit of both, depending mostly on the length of the project. For a short story, my version of an outline is pretty loose, usually a few pages of notes and brainstorming, maybe lists of key scenes and elements, things like that, and then I jump in and see where things go. For a novella or a novel, I tend to want the plot a little more concrete before I really get going, in hopes of not having to discard so much along the way.

What do you consider your biggest strength as a writer?

In terms of the actual prose, probably dialogue. I love writing dialogue. But also, bigger picture, I like to think I’m good at taking a premise that might otherwise sound pretty absurd and crafting an emotionally moving story from it. (My readers can have the final say on that, though.)

What is your favourite kind of story to write? Does it align well with what you like to read?

I’m most at home with fantasy of one kind or another — some hint of wonder or magic — and I like adding a touch of humor where I can. My reading is fairly eclectic, though, so I do read a lot of genres that I don’t typically write, like contemporary YA, horror, and historical.

Which character of yours do you most identify with, and why?

There’s a lot of me in Leya from Huntress— her longing, her drive, her perfectionism, and her questioning. Sometimes, though, I also like Dinkums from Real Dragons Don’t Wear Sweaters, wanting to be taken seriously as a fearsome creature of legend despite being pink, fuzzy, and cute. Whenever I wish I could write some kind of edgy, complex, epic tome that will win prestigious awards; whenever I feel like all I’m doing is writing silly, shallow little stories that will never really matter — yeah, that’s Dinkums.

Which authors or specific books have most influenced your work?

Some of my biggest influences aren’t actually authors, even though they’re all storytellers. I grew up on the creative works of Jim Henson, Chuck Jones, and Steven Spielberg, to name a few, and I can sometimes see little glimmers in my work of the same type of humor or warmth or an ordinary character thrown into an extraordinary situation.

For furry fiction, books like Bambi, Ratha’s Creature, Watership Down and the Redwall series shaped my love of animal fantasy. And though I know them only as a byline, I’ll always feel a certain debt to furry author Todd G. Sutherland, whose story “Wings” inspired my own “Dog Days,” which became my first story published within the fandom.

What is the last book you read that you really love?

Probably Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker. It’s a middle grade novel that’s made up of these spooky intertwined stories being told to a group of fox kits, and it’s kind of fun that you can look at the situations either from the animal characters’ or the human reader’s perspective — like, there’s a story that’s basically a zombie story, from the fox characters’ point of view, but as you read it, you realize it’s also describing the effects of rabies. The tone of the book is so deliciously creepy and atmospheric without being relentlessly dark — there’s also bravery and hope — and it just really opened up a new perspective for me in terms of what you can do in middle grade animal fantasy.

Besides writing, how do you like to spend your free time?

I’ve always been an avid reader, and it’s pretty rare for me to go more than a day or two between books. I also have an amateur’s appreciation for animation and film in general. Beyond that, I’m kind of boring, really — with the full-time day job, writing is about the only hobby/side hustle I have time and energy for these days.

Do you have any advice to give other writers?

From a craft perspective, and especially if you’re just starting out, take advantage of whatever resources are available to you to keep learning. When I started out writing for publication in the late ’90s, I learned mostly from how-to books and magazines (and of course, from reading fiction), but now there’s a whole lifetime’s worth of podcasts, blogs, communities, videos, and online courses to explore, available from anywhere with an Internet connection, and much of it free. I guess that could feel overwhelming to a new writer now, but to me it’s just an amazing buffet of opportunities.

From a process perspective, know that there’s no right or wrong way to be a “real” writer, whether it’s in terms of how often or regularly you write, how fast or slow, short stories or novels, etc. We’re all starting from the same blank page, and someone isn’t more legitimately a writer than you are simply because they work in a different way or produce more or less. It’s hard not to compare yourself to others, and I struggle with that daily, but do what you can and try to forgive yourself on those days you fall short. 

Is there anything you would like to see more of within furry fiction?

I’d always like to see more stories from women and stories that feature female characters. Thankfully, there are many more female furry writers now than were visible when I first came into the fandom about 20 years ago, but there’s always room for more of a presence on both sides of the desk.

I’d also like to see more YA, especially since it seems like the fandom keeps getting younger (or maybe it’s just me getting older!) and there’s not a whole lot of animal fantasy published in the mainstream at that YA level.

Where can readers find your work?

The hub for everything is my website, http://www.reneecarterhall.com, where readers can find links to all of my books, and the best way to keep up with new releases is to sign up for my mailing list.

As far as social media goes, I’m most active on Twitter, as @RCarterHall. I don’t spend as much time in fandom spaces as I used to, but I’m still on FurAffinity as Poetigress, and there’s plenty to read there.

That is the last of our author spotlights for the month, but we still have one more Q&A to come tomorrow. Check back here then for our final Publisher Q&A of Furry Book Month 2021.

Our final author for the month is Renee Carter Hall, who also has plenty to share about furry writing and her own processes. Please do have a read through – and perhaps click through to her essay on writing anthropomorphic characters.

Tell us a little bit about your most recent project (written or published). Was there a particular inspiration for it?

Right now, what I’m most working on is trying to get some momentum back with my writing generally. I’ve been in a dry spell for a few years — no One Big Reason for it, just a lot of things, external and internal — and, along the way, questioning what I really want to write and where I want to focus my efforts. So I have a handful of furry short stories that have been in the works for a long time that I’m trying to finally finish and send out, because I really love some of these ideas and characters.

My other big project at the moment is a middle grade novel (aimed at ages 8-12), a contemporary fantasy about a boy whose favorite comic-book superhero shows up at his house and ends up revealing that the comic books weren’t always telling the whole story — and that they weren’t always necessarily the hero. That’s still in the early drafting stages, but I’m planning to eventually query agents once it’s done and try to publish it traditionally.

My writing career sometimes feels like a Venn diagram of three circles with only a little overlap — fantasy/science fiction for adults, furry fiction, and children’s fiction — so it’s hard sometimes to figure out what to prioritize.

What is your favourite thing about the furry fandom?

I’m always impressed by the sheer amount of creativity in the fandom, whatever form it takes, and the fact that so much of it is focused on creating original content and not just replicating or re-purposing something from mainstream media (though there’s room for that, too). I forget who said that, basically, “furries make their own stuff to be fans of,” but I appreciate how unique that is.

As an author, I also appreciate that there’s a place where I can share a serious story starring an animal character without worrying that it’s going to be automatically dismissed as weird or juvenile. As much as I want to see furry fiction grow its audience beyond the boundaries of the fandom, and receive its due credit and respect for the speculative art it is, it’s reassuring to know that that supportive space is there for my work.

Why write furry fiction?

Years ago I would have written you an essay for this answer. (Well, actually I guess I did write an essay: “On Anthropomorphic Characters,” the foreword for Will Sanborn’s furry anthology Different Worlds, Different Skins Vol. 2.) 

These days, I suppose I’d boil it down to the fact that storytellers in all eras and all media have always used nonhuman characters to explore what it means to be human. Furry fiction is part of that.

Besides, nobody questions why children like stories about animals. Why are we supposed to outgrow them?

What is your writing process like? Do you outline and plot, or are you a “pantser”?

A bit of both, depending mostly on the length of the project. For a short story, my version of an outline is pretty loose, usually a few pages of notes and brainstorming, maybe lists of key scenes and elements, things like that, and then I jump in and see where things go. For a novella or a novel, I tend to want the plot a little more concrete before I really get going, in hopes of not having to discard so much along the way.

What do you consider your biggest strength as a writer?

In terms of the actual prose, probably dialogue. I love writing dialogue. But also, bigger picture, I like to think I’m good at taking a premise that might otherwise sound pretty absurd and crafting an emotionally moving story from it. (My readers can have the final say on that, though.)

What is your favourite kind of story to write? Does it align well with what you like to read?

I’m most at home with fantasy of one kind or another — some hint of wonder or magic — and I like adding a touch of humor where I can. My reading is fairly eclectic, though, so I do read a lot of genres that I don’t typically write, like contemporary YA, horror, and historical.

Which character of yours do you most identify with, and why?

There’s a lot of me in Leya from Huntress— her longing, her drive, her perfectionism, and her questioning. Sometimes, though, I also like Dinkums from Real Dragons Don’t Wear Sweaters, wanting to be taken seriously as a fearsome creature of legend despite being pink, fuzzy, and cute. Whenever I wish I could write some kind of edgy, complex, epic tome that will win prestigious awards; whenever I feel like all I’m doing is writing silly, shallow little stories that will never really matter — yeah, that’s Dinkums.

Which authors or specific books have most influenced your work?

Some of my biggest influences aren’t actually authors, even though they’re all storytellers. I grew up on the creative works of Jim Henson, Chuck Jones, and Steven Spielberg, to name a few, and I can sometimes see little glimmers in my work of the same type of humor or warmth or an ordinary character thrown into an extraordinary situation.

For furry fiction, books like Bambi, Ratha’s Creature, Watership Down and the Redwall series shaped my love of animal fantasy. And though I know them only as a byline, I’ll always feel a certain debt to furry author Todd G. Sutherland, whose story “Wings” inspired my own “Dog Days,” which became my first story published within the fandom.

What is the last book you read that you really love?

Probably Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker. It’s a middle grade novel that’s made up of these spooky intertwined stories being told to a group of fox kits, and it’s kind of fun that you can look at the situations either from the animal characters’ or the human reader’s perspective — like, there’s a story that’s basically a zombie story, from the fox characters’ point of view, but as you read it, you realize it’s also describing the effects of rabies. The tone of the book is so deliciously creepy and atmospheric without being relentlessly dark — there’s also bravery and hope — and it just really opened up a new perspective for me in terms of what you can do in middle grade animal fantasy.

Besides writing, how do you like to spend your free time?

I’ve always been an avid reader, and it’s pretty rare for me to go more than a day or two between books. I also have an amateur’s appreciation for animation and film in general. Beyond that, I’m kind of boring, really — with the full-time day job, writing is about the only hobby/side hustle I have time and energy for these days.

Do you have any advice to give other writers?

From a craft perspective, and especially if you’re just starting out, take advantage of whatever resources are available to you to keep learning. When I started out writing for publication in the late ’90s, I learned mostly from how-to books and magazines (and of course, from reading fiction), but now there’s a whole lifetime’s worth of podcasts, blogs, communities, videos, and online courses to explore, available from anywhere with an Internet connection, and much of it free. I guess that could feel overwhelming to a new writer now, but to me it’s just an amazing buffet of opportunities.

From a process perspective, know that there’s no right or wrong way to be a “real” writer, whether it’s in terms of how often or regularly you write, how fast or slow, short stories or novels, etc. We’re all starting from the same blank page, and someone isn’t more legitimately a writer than you are simply because they work in a different way or produce more or less. It’s hard not to compare yourself to others, and I struggle with that daily, but do what you can and try to forgive yourself on those days you fall short. 

Is there anything you would like to see more of within furry fiction?

I’d always like to see more stories from women and stories that feature female characters. Thankfully, there are many more female furry writers now than were visible when I first came into the fandom about 20 years ago, but there’s always room for more of a presence on both sides of the desk.

I’d also like to see more YA, especially since it seems like the fandom keeps getting younger (or maybe it’s just me getting older!) and there’s not a whole lot of animal fantasy published in the mainstream at that YA level.

Where can readers find your work?

The hub for everything is my website, http://www.reneecarterhall.com, where readers can find links to all of my books, and the best way to keep up with new releases is to sign up for my mailing list.

As far as social media goes, I’m most active on Twitter, as @RCarterHall. I don’t spend as much time in fandom spaces as I used to, but I’m still on FurAffinity as Poetigress, and there’s plenty to read there.

That is the last of our author spotlights for the month, but we still have one more Q&A to come tomorrow. Check back here then for our final Publisher Q&A of Furry Book Month 2021.

A dog from the future explains a pleasant interstellar society in this sci-fi audio series. This series explores the topics of transhumanism, animal uplift, space travel, realistic artificial intelligence, terraforming, and a future you'd want to live in. Allison & The Cool New Spaceship Body https://shipfolk.neocities.org/Shipfolk.html Music: "Dew" by Jinpa https://soundcloud.com/user-975748551-495337716 Writing & Narration: Tempe O'Kun https://www.furaffinity.net/user/tempo321/ Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: http://www.culturallyfd.com Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Plus a Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/gsz8us7 Listen in on TEMPO TALKS with Tempe O'Kun https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPyIK2c7mK-LpbvfDNqfcSW Check out Tempe O'Kun's books "Sixes Wild" and "Windfall" here: http://furplanet.com/shop/?affillink=YOUTU2907 Here's a playlist of his other Culturally F'd videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPS7tnT4hdJwBI-CeLF8Kb_ #hopepunk #scifi #science #fiction

For our penultimate author of the month, we speak to Mog Moogle, author of arguablythe most infamous parody story ever published in the furry writing community – but don’t worry, we aren’t here to discuss TBAGS! Instead, Mog is here to discuss his more conventional stories and how he goes about crafting them.

Tell us a little bit about your most recent project (written or published). Was there a particular inspiration for it?

I recently wrapped up a YA fantasy novel. It was an underdog coming-of-age story. The setting was a lot of fun. An order of knights that ride dragons. The main character has a disability that doesn’t allow him to telepathically link with the dragons, so he’s forbidden to actually be a dragon rider. If I had to pin it down to a particular inspiration, I would probably say that Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern was an influence. I know there will be similarities, but it wasn’t a direct one-to-one.

Also finished edits on the urban fantasy noir novella, got it to draft 2, as well as edits on the medieval fantasy, taking it to draft 2. Both of those are distinctly furry, unlike the YA fantasy that has humans and sentient feral dragons.

What is your favourite thing about the furry fandom? Why write furry fiction?

I like the people. I like interacting with them and my best friends are furry. It’s a tolerant place, a safe place, where I can be myself. That’s something that just kind of seems lacking in most of the rest of the world. I do miss the conventions a lot. I would do writing panels almost all day at conventions. I miss helping other writers in that in-person way.

Why do I write furry fiction? That’s a question and-a-half, isn’t it? I suppose the simple answer would be I really enjoyed reading it, and decided I wanted to try and write it. I found of all the creative things I have attempted, writing has been what I’m best at and enjoy the most.

What is your writing process like? Do you outline and plot, or are you a “pantser”?

My writing process usually starts with an idea. Cliché, I know, but that idea is just something that pops into my head and I have to write it down quickly or I lose it. I have a text file of one line sentences that are the ideas that pop into my head. That gets a little more fleshed out if it’s something I am particularly obsessing over.

When it comes to larger projects like the novels, I do outline. It’s very basic, usually has the key points I want to hit, but I am very much a pantser in letting the characters get to them on their own. I like that, because I surprise myself often, and find that I’ve accidently foreshadowed when I’m reading back. That’s all done subconsciously, and it tickles me to read back and see I accidently a good. Also, letting the characters take charge and move the story without me tightly regulating them leads to interesting developments. In the medieval fantasy, two rivals fell in love. When I was writing that, I remember thinking, ‘well, I didn’t see that coming.’

What do you consider your biggest strength as a writer?

Characters. That’s not something I can objectively say from my own observations, because I am attached to each of them in my own way. My opinion would be biased, I’m sure. But, time and again, one of the biggest compliments I get are how my characters seem relatable and people get invested in them. I am really grateful for that, because I do invest a lot of myself in them. I am normally a very empathic person, so conveying those emotions that I feel with them to the reader is a huge compliment.

What is your favourite kind of story to write? Does it align well with what you like to read?

I like to write the stories I would like to read. The urban fantasy noir story, for example, I had not scene that mix of genres. I’m sure it exists somewhere, but I thought it would be interesting to read one, so I wrote it. I would say it does align well with what I like to read, because I find myself reading a lot in the genres I most often write. Right now, I seem to be on a big fantasy kick. All three of the last big projects have been a flavor of fantasy. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the last novel I read through was a steampunk fantasy, and before that, it was Koa of the Drowned Kingdom by Ryan Campbell.

Which character of yours do you most identify with, and why?

I don’t think I can narrow that down to one character. Some of me goes in all of them. There are characters I really enjoy writing, some more than others, but to nail it down to a specific one would probably be impossible. I guess I could cheat and say that the self-insert character of Mog, (not Professer Mog, (yes that’s misspelled but it’s supposed to be,) in a few stories I wrote for a friend would most directly be identifiable to me.

Which authors or specific books have most influenced your work?

Wow, that’s also hard to pin down. I suppose if we are going back to the very beginning, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien and The Giver by Lois Lowry are what made me fall in love with reading. By extension, that means I fell in love with writing a little later down the line. Andy Wier with his light hearted but techy sciencey writing has been a fun inspiration of late. That lets me know a story can be goofy and accurate.

In fandom, two of the biggest influences would be Faora Meridian, of which I really enjoyed Cold Sleep and his Blood and Water stories. Ryan Campbell for his fantastic worldbuilding and vivid imagery while having an amazingly approachable writing style with an economy of words. Several friends in the various writing groups and organizations like Jaden Drackus, T.J. Minde, NightEyes Dayspring, Slip Wolf, Ocean Tigrox…and many many more. Tim Susman and MCA Hogarth on the more mainstream side of things. Rukis was an early inspiration. Yeah, I could go on for a while and still not name all the authors and works that influenced me.

And, I certainly don’t want to forget to mention Dwale. It was my go-to for anything related to poetry, and my Leo for Top to Bottom is definitely partially credited to it.

What is the last book you read that you really love?

Hmm…would it be pretentious to say Piety of the Damned by Mog Moogle? I mean, that was technically the last book I read that I really loved. But if we’re talking about something I didn’t write, then it would have to be The Martian by Andy Wier. I was hooked from the opening line.

Besides writing, how do you like to spend your free time?

Pina coladas and walks in the rain? No, not really. Don’t like pina coladas and walking in the rain just gets me wet. I used to BMX a lot, but since I tore the ACL, there is much less of that. Occasionally, I’ll get hooked on a video game and feel the need to play through it. I do like stuff outdoors. Recently cowboy camped on the river. Sleeping on rocks isn’t so fun, but being so far out that you can see the Milky Way is always a treat. I like to walk around the falls not far from me. But, these past few months, a lot of my free time has been writing, reading, or thinking about writing. Hammered out two novel drafts in three months.

Do you have any advice to give other writers?

There is one thing I say at almost every panel I’m on, because it is very universal. The only incorrect way to write is not to write. Writing is like any skill. Sure, you can call it talent, but what most people mistake for talent is actually hard work, dedication, and thousands of hours of practice.

Is there anything you would like to see more of within furry fiction?

I had to think about this for a long time. Things are moving in good directions overall. I do wish there would be more calls for submissions, but the past few years have thrown wrenches in about everything. So what I finally came up with is I would like to see more of us getting mainstream crossover. Ursula Vernon, Tim Susman, Watts Martin, they’ve all done so and shown we’re just as good, and in a lot of cases better, than some fairly big mainstreamers. So it would be nice to see more of that for sure.

Where can readers find your work?

Well, I’m around here and there. I recommend doing a search on Furplanet’s, SofaWolf’s, and Weasel Press’ websites for Mog Moogle to see the various anthologies I am in. As for something more direct, there’s my SoFurry page, which is the most up to date public releases and one-off works.

https://mog-moogle.sofurry.com/

I co-host a furry literary review podcast called Up Fur Review. (I promise we’ll get back to releasing episodes soon,) and I do that with TJ and Jaden Drackus. You can find us on twitter @UpFurReview

I recently started streaming the writing, and that has been loads of fun with a lot of great interaction and co-working with others that watch the stream.

https://www.twitch.tv/mog_moogle

Links to everything can be found on the twitter, along with writing updates, stream notifications, pictures of food, and other twittery stuff @Mog_K_Moogle

Tomorrow we speak to our final author, and after that we shall be concluding the month with another publisher. Please do come along for both of those as we bring Furry Book Month to a close for another year.

For our penultimate author of the month, we speak to Mog Moogle, author of arguablythe most infamous parody story ever published in the furry writing community – but don’t worry, we aren’t here to discuss TBAGS! Instead, Mog is here to discuss his more conventional stories and how he goes about crafting them.

Tell us a little bit about your most recent project (written or published). Was there a particular inspiration for it?

I recently wrapped up a YA fantasy novel. It was an underdog coming-of-age story. The setting was a lot of fun. An order of knights that ride dragons. The main character has a disability that doesn’t allow him to telepathically link with the dragons, so he’s forbidden to actually be a dragon rider. If I had to pin it down to a particular inspiration, I would probably say that Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern was an influence. I know there will be similarities, but it wasn’t a direct one-to-one.

Also finished edits on the urban fantasy noir novella, got it to draft 2, as well as edits on the medieval fantasy, taking it to draft 2. Both of those are distinctly furry, unlike the YA fantasy that has humans and sentient feral dragons.

What is your favourite thing about the furry fandom? Why write furry fiction?

I like the people. I like interacting with them and my best friends are furry. It’s a tolerant place, a safe place, where I can be myself. That’s something that just kind of seems lacking in most of the rest of the world. I do miss the conventions a lot. I would do writing panels almost all day at conventions. I miss helping other writers in that in-person way.

Why do I write furry fiction? That’s a question and-a-half, isn’t it? I suppose the simple answer would be I really enjoyed reading it, and decided I wanted to try and write it. I found of all the creative things I have attempted, writing has been what I’m best at and enjoy the most.

What is your writing process like? Do you outline and plot, or are you a “pantser”?

My writing process usually starts with an idea. Cliché, I know, but that idea is just something that pops into my head and I have to write it down quickly or I lose it. I have a text file of one line sentences that are the ideas that pop into my head. That gets a little more fleshed out if it’s something I am particularly obsessing over.

When it comes to larger projects like the novels, I do outline. It’s very basic, usually has the key points I want to hit, but I am very much a pantser in letting the characters get to them on their own. I like that, because I surprise myself often, and find that I’ve accidently foreshadowed when I’m reading back. That’s all done subconsciously, and it tickles me to read back and see I accidently a good. Also, letting the characters take charge and move the story without me tightly regulating them leads to interesting developments. In the medieval fantasy, two rivals fell in love. When I was writing that, I remember thinking, ‘well, I didn’t see that coming.’

What do you consider your biggest strength as a writer?

Characters. That’s not something I can objectively say from my own observations, because I am attached to each of them in my own way. My opinion would be biased, I’m sure. But, time and again, one of the biggest compliments I get are how my characters seem relatable and people get invested in them. I am really grateful for that, because I do invest a lot of myself in them. I am normally a very empathic person, so conveying those emotions that I feel with them to the reader is a huge compliment.

What is your favourite kind of story to write? Does it align well with what you like to read?

I like to write the stories I would like to read. The urban fantasy noir story, for example, I had not scene that mix of genres. I’m sure it exists somewhere, but I thought it would be interesting to read one, so I wrote it. I would say it does align well with what I like to read, because I find myself reading a lot in the genres I most often write. Right now, I seem to be on a big fantasy kick. All three of the last big projects have been a flavor of fantasy. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the last novel I read through was a steampunk fantasy, and before that, it was Koa of the Drowned Kingdom by Ryan Campbell.

Which character of yours do you most identify with, and why?

I don’t think I can narrow that down to one character. Some of me goes in all of them. There are characters I really enjoy writing, some more than others, but to nail it down to a specific one would probably be impossible. I guess I could cheat and say that the self-insert character of Mog, (not Professer Mog, (yes that’s misspelled but it’s supposed to be,) in a few stories I wrote for a friend would most directly be identifiable to me.

Which authors or specific books have most influenced your work?

Wow, that’s also hard to pin down. I suppose if we are going back to the very beginning, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien and The Giver by Lois Lowry are what made me fall in love with reading. By extension, that means I fell in love with writing a little later down the line. Andy Wier with his light hearted but techy sciencey writing has been a fun inspiration of late. That lets me know a story can be goofy and accurate.

In fandom, two of the biggest influences would be Faora Meridian, of which I really enjoyed Cold Sleep and his Blood and Water stories. Ryan Campbell for his fantastic worldbuilding and vivid imagery while having an amazingly approachable writing style with an economy of words. Several friends in the various writing groups and organizations like Jaden Drackus, T.J. Minde, NightEyes Dayspring, Slip Wolf, Ocean Tigrox…and many many more. Tim Susman and MCA Hogarth on the more mainstream side of things. Rukis was an early inspiration. Yeah, I could go on for a while and still not name all the authors and works that influenced me.

And, I certainly don’t want to forget to mention Dwale. It was my go-to for anything related to poetry, and my Leo for Top to Bottom is definitely partially credited to it.

What is the last book you read that you really love?

Hmm…would it be pretentious to say Piety of the Damned by Mog Moogle? I mean, that was technically the last book I read that I really loved. But if we’re talking about something I didn’t write, then it would have to be The Martian by Andy Wier. I was hooked from the opening line.

Besides writing, how do you like to spend your free time?

Pina coladas and walks in the rain? No, not really. Don’t like pina coladas and walking in the rain just gets me wet. I used to BMX a lot, but since I tore the ACL, there is much less of that. Occasionally, I’ll get hooked on a video game and feel the need to play through it. I do like stuff outdoors. Recently cowboy camped on the river. Sleeping on rocks isn’t so fun, but being so far out that you can see the Milky Way is always a treat. I like to walk around the falls not far from me. But, these past few months, a lot of my free time has been writing, reading, or thinking about writing. Hammered out two novel drafts in three months.

Do you have any advice to give other writers?

There is one thing I say at almost every panel I’m on, because it is very universal. The only incorrect way to write is not to write. Writing is like any skill. Sure, you can call it talent, but what most people mistake for talent is actually hard work, dedication, and thousands of hours of practice.

Is there anything you would like to see more of within furry fiction?

I had to think about this for a long time. Things are moving in good directions overall. I do wish there would be more calls for submissions, but the past few years have thrown wrenches in about everything. So what I finally came up with is I would like to see more of us getting mainstream crossover. Ursula Vernon, Tim Susman, Watts Martin, they’ve all done so and shown we’re just as good, and in a lot of cases better, than some fairly big mainstreamers. So it would be nice to see more of that for sure.

Where can readers find your work?

Well, I’m around here and there. I recommend doing a search on Furplanet’s, SofaWolf’s, and Weasel Press’ websites for Mog Moogle to see the various anthologies I am in. As for something more direct, there’s my SoFurry page, which is the most up to date public releases and one-off works.

https://mog-moogle.sofurry.com/

I co-host a furry literary review podcast called Up Fur Review. (I promise we’ll get back to releasing episodes soon,) and I do that with TJ and Jaden Drackus. You can find us on twitter @UpFurReview

I recently started streaming the writing, and that has been loads of fun with a lot of great interaction and co-working with others that watch the stream.

https://www.twitch.tv/mog_moogle

Links to everything can be found on the twitter, along with writing updates, stream notifications, pictures of food, and other twittery stuff @Mog_K_Moogle

Tomorrow we speak to our final author, and after that we shall be concluding the month with another publisher. Please do come along for both of those as we bring Furry Book Month to a close for another year.

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Bearly and Taebyn are joined by Rayne Raccoon, Tick Tock, and Lux Operon to discuss what they did at BLFC 2021!  Join us and relive some great memories!

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