Why did you become a writer?
It’s something I always loved to do. My father was a journalist for several reputable news publications. I was always awe-struck by his immense talent with the written word. When I was old enough to be taken seriously as an adult, I wrote news articles and columns in an attempt to match the depth of his prose. But he encouraged me to find my own voice and aspirations as a writer. I took his advice, branched out and never looked back. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What inspired you to get into the furry fandom?
When The Lion King was released in theaters in 1994, I was nine. I was captivated by the masterful storytelling and rich character development. Prior to that, I never imagined in my wildest dreams identifying with anthropomorphic animal creatures because of their humanity. To me, that was a fascinating dynamic. I remember walking out of the theater, thinking I was more of a lion than a human because I identified with their personality traits. I considered myself brave, protective, energetic and strong. It was difficult for me to juxtapose myself with another human, fictional or not.
When I was 14, I accidentally stumbled across discussions about the furry fandom on the alt.fan.furry newsgroup. By that time, the newsgroup was about seven years old and was fully established. As someone who was obviously underaged, I passed myself as an adult, joined the newsgroup, and interacted with people who shared a love for furry media like I did. This was my fun, little escape from the banality and chaos of my human existence.
Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from everywhere. One of my guiding principles for generating ideas for furry fiction is to ask: What if I put a series of furry characters — who are already amalgamations of animal and human characteristics — and put them in situations that typically involve humans? I immediately think of the 2016 Disney animated film Zootopia. That movie perfectly balanced the humanity of their anthropomorphic animal characters with the uniqueness of their species. The ideas I come up with almost always feature the challenge to maintain that balance.
Will you read my manuscript and give me feedback?
Since I don’t want to get sued for plagiarism, no thank you. But on a more serious note, I feel that if I read someone’s manuscript, I would be obligated to read anyone else’s manuscript that I get. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or bandwidth to read manuscripts and provide detailed constructive feedback or individualized writing tips. However, I am interested in authoring a non-fiction book on the craft of furry writing. If or when that book is published, I will update this FAQ with a link to it.
Do you write story commissions?
No. For many years, I used to write commissions as a way to make a quick buck during more financially desperate times. However, I had a hard time decoding and translating other people’s ideas into my unique prose and approach. After a while, it felt like I was forcing a square peg into a round hole. As much as I love collaborating with people and other authors on projects that necessitate it, I’m unable to take commissions.