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sapphic-september · 2 years ago

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Welcome to the new home of Sapphic September!

Since 2020, Sapphic September has been run and cross-posted by two friends on two separate accounts, @solar-settings (Zee, she/her) and @cora-writes-things (Cora, she/her). Now, we’ve decided to streamline the process by creating an official account for Sapphic September and conducting everything here!

If your question isn’t answered here, please check out our blog’s designated FAQ page, which is updated regularly and includes answers to questions not listed in this post!

What is Sapphic September?

Sapphic September is a prompt fest that runs throughout September and is dedicated to creating sapphic fanworks, like fanfiction, fanart, and more!

What falls under the term sapphic?

Sapphic is an umbrella term that encompasses all women who are attracted to women, and also often includes non-binary folks who are attracted to women. It can include lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, gay, queer, poly, asexual, transgender, and non-binary people, as long as they have some level of attraction to women. Sapphic is sometimes used as a descriptor for relationships between women or media that centers these relationships. WLW (women loving women) and NBLW (non-binary loving women) are other terms used alongside sapphic.

What kind of fanworks do you accept?

We accept all kinds! Fanfiction, poetry, fanart, graphics, fancomics, zines, fanvids, textiles, cosplays, you name it; as long as it’s sapphic and falls under the given prompts, it’s welcome here!

Which fandoms do you accept? Can I write for more than one ship or fandom?

All fandoms are welcome! Furthermore, you can write for more than one ship or fandom, only write for your OTP or favorite fandom, or create one big fanwork inspired by the prompts — as long as what you create has a connection to the given prompts, it’s welcome!

Can I write/draw/create mature or NSFW content?

Yes, you may, but please remember to tag mature or NSFW content so that it reaches its intended audience! We reserve the right to reblog or choose not to reblog any content as we see fit.

Where can I post my creations?

Anywhere! If you post your works here on Tumblr, be sure to tag them as #sapphicsept[year] and/or #sapphic september [year] — we want to see your creations! If you post your works on AO3, tagging them as Sapphic September will make it so that other participants (and us!) can find your work. :)

When will the prompts be released?

We will post the prompts here on Tumblr on August 1st at 10:00:00 am CST so that people can get a head-start if they wish.

Do I have to use all the prompts?

Nope! You can use one, some, or all the prompts, whatever inspires you.

Can I combine prompts?

Yes, feel free!

What if I’m late? Can I still join?

Absolutely! At least one of our mods still has drafts for prompts from two three years ago now that have yet to be finished and posted, so it’s never too late to join! You can even take a peek at previous years’ prompts and see if any of them inspire you: 2020 (from @solar-settings’s profile), 2021 (from @cora-writes-things’s profile), and 2022.

Who created the graphics?

One of the mods! @cora-writes-things created them with Canva and Unsplash, with input from our other mod, @solar-settings.

Where do I go if I have other questions not answered here?

Great question! Drop us a line through our ask box and we’ll get back to you as soon as we’re able. :)

#sapphic september #sapphicsept #sapphic september 2023 #sapphicsept2023 #femslash #wlw #nblw #f/f #f/f+#sapphic #sapphicsept2022 #sapphic september 2022

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fansofvow · 4 years ago

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Interview with Eve Golden Woods!

Many of you know who is Eve is. She's a writer and artist, a part of Dreamfeel studios whose beautiful game If Found won Best LGBTQ Narrative and Best LGBTQ Indie game at the first ever Gayming Awards presented by EA games. I am really excited I had the chance to ask Eve some questions about herself, her time at Lovestruck and her creative process.

Congratulations on the two Gayming Awards (Best LGBTQ Narrative, Best LGBTQ Indie Game) for "If Found" from your game studio, Dreamfeel. What was the inspiration behind making the game?

If Found... was a game that emerged out of a collaboration between Llaura McGee, the founder of Dreamfeel, and artist Liadh Young. Liadh's background is as a comic artist, and so when they started working together Llaura had the idea of showing off Liadh's art by making a diary game, and using an erasing mechanic she had previously developed to let the player move through the diary in a fun way. By the time I came on board at the start of 2019, the game had already been in development for a while, so in some ways my work on that game was similar to the work I did for Voltage, because it was taking existing characters and concepts and writing a lot of scripts for them. Unlike Voltage, though, my work for Dreamfeel was a lot more collaborative and I had a lot more creative input. I really enjoy taking something and helping to make it the best version of itself that it can possibly be, but I was also really happy that I got to reflect a lot of my own experiences in If Found. Llaura and I both grew up on the west coast of Ireland, and although If Found... isn't autobiographical for either of us, it was definitely really meaningful to be able to tell a story that reflected our own experiences of growing up as queer teens in a similar kind of environment. Since the game came out we've had fans reach out to us and tell us that they also connected to the experiences of the main characters, and as far as I'm concerned, that makes me feel like I achieved everything I wanted to.

You are a writer and a visual artist. Does one come easier to you than the other?

I used to think of art and writing as talents, and I always felt like my art was at a very mediocre level (that's probably still true, lol). So when I was younger I focused a lot more on writing. It was only later that I started genuinely trying to improve as an artist, but when I did, I think I had a much healthier mindset, and approached it as a skill I could learn with patience and effort. Because of that, even though I still have a lot more confidence in my writing, I find art more fun and relaxing, and I don't stress about it as much.

Did you always know you would follow a creative path?

Kind of? Both my parents are artists, and I grew up surrounded by artists and writers, so it was something that was always very familiar and accessible to me. On the other hand, I didn't exactly have a clear idea of how to make it into a career, or what kind of work would be involved. But there's never been a point in my life where I wasn't doing something creative, even if it was only writing fanfiction.

What did your path to working professionally as a writer/artist look like?

I did a creative writing masters in college, but after that I spent years teaching English as a second language. That was really fun and I got to live abroad, but it was so busy and tiring that I didn't have time to do any writing outside of the occasional fanfic. I only started to take art seriously again when I became interested in games and comics as ways of telling stories. I did some critical writing, which led me to speak at a few local events and get involved in zine fairs. That was how I met Llaura, the director and lead of the Dreamfeel studio, and it's also what gave me the confidence to start applying for actual writing jobs.

Is there any work of art, visual or written, that you look to for inspiration?

So many! I try to read and watch as widely as I can, although there are touchstones I always return to, like the works of Ursula Le Guin and Terry Pratchett. Right now I feel very passionate about the actual play podcast Friends at the Table, which manages to combine really thoughtful worldbuilding and storytelling with cool, fun characters and great action scenes. I'm also reading a book called The Memory Police by Youko Ogawa, which has extremely beautiful prose.

Do you have a favorite piece of your own art, whether it is something you’ve drawn, a screenshot of something you’ve written or something else?

My favourite piece of art is usually whatever I finished most recently (I think that's true for a lot of people). Especially with visual art, once a bit of time has gone by you look back on it and start to notice all your mistakes, which is very annoying. But actually I do still really like the first piece of Fiona fanart I did last year. I managed to use some effects to give it a kind of nineties anime quality that I find really fun, and I think it conveys an emotion pretty effectively. That's always one of the hardest things to predict with visual art, whether the different parts will come together to create the exact mood you're looking for.

I also really like the compass I did for Bycatch. Krissy (@xekstrin) was the one who suggested filling it with fingernails, which was such a good, gross idea! As soon as I heard that I knew it was perfect and that I had to try and draw it.

Many people who read this blog know you as a writer for Lovestruck. When you look back on your time there, what stands out in your mind?

Lovestruck was very important to me when I first started because it was my first ongoing, regular, paid writing work. It gave me a lot of confidence and helped me to get into the habit of writing consistently and rapidly, which is a really useful skill to have. I know I was right to leave when I did, though, because I am just brimming with energy to work on my own projects, and channeling that power into something that you can't control will always end up disappointing you. Also, I made a ton of incredible friends, through Lovestruck itself but then even more so through VOW (@vowtogether), and that is more than worth all the difficult parts.

Is there any character that you would have liked a crack at writing?

Oh gosh, what a fun question! There are so many, but one I do sometimes think about is Axia, just because I know there are a bunch of fans who want her route, and because I had fun writing her as a villain in Zain's route. I can see in my head the shadow of a storyline that takes place after Zain's route is over, where she's in prison and trying to understand how she lost the battle with Zain and MC. I think there's, like, a gap there, where you could see her downfall forcing her to reconsider her assumptions about power, and that could build into a very interesting redemption story. But maybe it's for the best I never got to do that, because I would have wanted full creative control over it, and also I think the story in my head is very different to the sexy, in control, menacing version of Axia that her fans enjoy.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can talk about?

Most of my current work is under NDA, but I will say that I'm doing something very exciting with other VOW members that we should be able to talk about soon(ish). Maybe I can even give a little teaser... It's not a game, but it is something you can read, and my part involves cakes, swamps, and a museum.

Do you have a favorite quote or song lyric?

It's a big long, but there's a section from The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin that has stayed with me ever since I read it:

"For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of deserving, the idea of earning, and you will begin to be able to think."

It's such a profoundly radical way of imagining the world, so different to everything I was raised with, but whenever I think about it I feel like I can see something very beautiful and powerful that I hope to come closer to understanding some day.

And of course, "Solidarity forever, the union makes us strong."

I was a big fan of the show Inside the Actor’s Studio. Host James Lipton asked every single guest the same 10 concluding questions. I’ve picked 3 of them:

-What is your favorite word?

My favourite word: for sound, I like words you can really roll around on your tongue. Chthonic, alabaster, insinuation. For meaning, I think simple words that encapsulate big concepts have a kind of power to them. We use them so often we forget how big they are, how much weight they really have, but they give us the space to imagine new possibilities. Love. Freedom. Revolution.

-What is your least favorite word?

I've heard that "moist" is a lot of people's least favourite word but it doesn't actually bother me. My least favourite word is probably one where I feel like the sound doesn't match the meaning. One of the Irish words for rain is báisteach, which I feel has a much weightier and more onomatopoeic sound than rain. Rain is just very flat and uninteresting.

-What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Oh, so many! I love history, and I think being a historian/archaeologist would be fascinating. Or something that had a physical component to it, like being a potter or a carpenter. I don't think I'd be any good, but I'd love to take the time to learn.

What would be your advice to anyone who wants to pursue a creative career?

All the work you do matters. Even the failed experiments, the things you hate when they're finished. It all helps to make you better. Also, creative career paths are often really unexpected, so chase any opportunity that seems remotely interesting. Don't work for free for anyone who can afford to pay, but work for yourself and put it somewhere. On a blog, twitter, whatever. You'd be amazed how many people get noticed and get offered opportunities because of something they made in their spare time. You'll probably have to work another job for a long time, so don't be hard on yourself if you're too tired to devote much energy to creative work. Try to make art consistently, but don't feel like that has to mean every day. Don't chase after celebrities. Make friends with your peers.

#vowtogether #vow interview #writing #art #lovestruck #dreamfeel #iffound #gayming #gaming #mod atlas

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knifeonmars · 7 years ago

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Comics I’m Reading: August 2017

Astro City

I always have a problem finding something to say about Astro City. It’s so consistently good that for long time readers it seems self evident. I will say this though, I’m glad that it finally seems to be getting around to the main thrust of the meta arc which has been going ever since the serie’s revival.

Lobster Johnson

I’ve been big into the so called Mignolaverse stuff for years now, but Lobster Johnson remains the only one that I bother following in singles. I love the pulpy tone, the stonefaced protagonist and the enduring vein of darkness which runs throughout the universe. And the art is a consistent delight, I love the cleanliness of the lines, even when the art team changes the book always looks like itself.

Nightwing

Nightwing is a book I read somewhat intermittently. It’s not a bad book by any measure, but it’s very standard as far as superhero action goes. It’s not the most challenging or experimental book in my pile, but as a pure superhero book it is very solid.

The Wild Storm

This one has been a bit of a letdown. I’m a massive Warren Ellis fan, but my interest has always been more in his shot in the arm action madness, more Moon Knight than Trees. Unfortunately The Wild Storm is more the latter than the former, and while it certainly doesn’t lack Ellis’ signature charms, it’s not the most exciting book. There is a lot of exposition and unfortunately the art feels too static and literal to hold my attention during these stretches, which largely boil down to various characters talking at each other. Even Ellis’ signature misanthropic wit has started to lose its appeal, as I feel like I’ve seen it before, even as someone who never real the original Wildstorm material outside of Sleeper and Planetary.

I’ve kept hoping that things would pick up after the first arc had finished laying the groundwork, but at this point the book’s tone and direction is established as being not something which I’m interested in. I do still plan to check in on the various spinoffs when they launch, but The Wild Storm is likely to come off of my pull list soon.

Curse Words

Now here’s a book to make you remember why you love comics. It’s vibrant, energetic, and with a great premise and an enjoyably compromised protagonist. For all that I’m willing to forgive the fact that the past couple of issues have been a little slow, and the relationship drama which is being set up feels familiar for an indie book.

Doom Patrol

Doom Patrol is just about the shining star of my DC reading right now, at least in terms of single issues. It’s just come back from hiatus after wrapping its first arc, a practice which I heartily endorse as a way of keeping creative teams and stories consistent. Nick Derrington is a runaway train of an artist and I look forward to whatever he’s going to be drawing for as long as he cares to do it.

Aliens: Dead Space

I’m not an Aliens guy and I generally don’t have an interest in Dark Horse’s licensed comics, but James Stokoe can get me to read virtually anything. As usual, Stokoe delivers, the art is engaging and unique, and unlike pretty much anything else you’ll see on the market, not to mention well outside the norm for licensed comics. Narratively things are a little less impressive, it’s got a dual time frame gimmick to telling things, but thus far it hasn’t blown me away with the story. This is a book to buy for the art far moreso than for the story.

Iceman

I don’t read many standard superhero comics at this point, but I wanted to give Iceman a chance based on the character’s new direction and the creative team. It’s distinctly okay, if a bit more timid than I’d like. I’m glad that an actual queer person is finally picking up the ramifications of Bendis’ major character change, but I just wish the book felt a bit more singular, as it is. The obvious comparison for me to make is with Midnighter, DC’s recent gay male led series, and I must admit that I’ve been spoiled by Midnighter’s bombastic high octane approach, which leaves Iceman looking positively staid by comparison. Iceman largely looks and reads like any other Marvel book these days which, for me at least, isn’t all that exciting.

Secret Weapons

This one was a surprise find for me. I took notice of it back when I first saw some preview art, as for the longest time my problem with Valiant as a whole is that so many of their books look the same: photorealistic art with digital coloring, just about the last thing which interests me. The more stylized art of Secret Weapons helped to draw me in and get me to try out a series which I wouldn’t normally have paid any attention to. The Valiant universe mythology is a little complex at this point, but this book manages to lay things out in a fairly accessible way, at least for a wiki loving information junkie like myself, and I’m already invested in its team of super losers.

The Anthologies

I love anthologies, but I also love to let them pile up. In this capacity, faithful old Dark Horse Presents has been joined by Sun Bakery and Paklis from Image comics, both one man anthologies. DHP is a classic which always manages to deliver something interesting, I recently read a large backlog to get caught up on Carla Speed McNeil’s excellent Finder series. Sun Bakery is also really solid, it’s got a real indie comics zine vibe to it, and frankly that’s something which I’m quite into these days. Paklis I still haven’t cracked, but the art is absolutely gorgeous through, so I’m confident that it will end up being worth my time.

#comics #what i'm reading #words #capsule reviews

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