ISSUE 301
Hey you all! Thanks for joining us for another edition of Furry Weekly! It’s time for issue #301!
As always, we do have some announcements to get through, and this week we want to tell you about our break in addition to our usual announcements, so read on below! We do want to continue calling your attention to the “Recruiting” section as well!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ONE WEEK BREAK
This marks our fifth consecutive issue, which means we’ll be on break next week! Our next issue is set for the weekend of August 17-18! Please look forward to that, and continue to send us your work!
RECRUITING
We’re still looking for a good bit of help! If you want to get involved in the fandom, this might be for you! Check out the roles we have open at Furry Weekly:
- Art Corner Host
- Furry of the Week Host
- Radical Raffles Host
- Species Spotlight Host
- Fursuit Designing Tips Co-Host
- Available Artists Host
- Cover Artist
- Content Artist
- Content Migrator
- Editor
You can reach out to Yeshua, or Carkas if you’re interested in helping out, or have any questions. If you want a description of the roles, check out this document! If you have any suggestions for other roles or things we could bring into Furry Weekly, please let us know as well, we’d be happy to hear your ideas! All in all, we still need lots of help in general, so please do consider joining us or sharing with other friends in the fandom if you can! We’d really appreciate it!
SEND US YOUR STUFF
Our goal here at Furry Weekly is to showcase the creativity the fandom has to offer, and if you haven’t noticed, most of our segments center around featuring folks in the community! So we want to remind you that you can submit your content to us! We actually have two new ways for you to send us your stuff:
Email us: Email us at furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com! You can submit your work (e.g. artwork, writing, quote, original species), tell us you are interested in appearing in a segment like Furry of the Week, Fursuit Focus, or Character Interview, or suggest someone to be featured in one of these segments.
Fill out our form: Check out this Google Forms link and fill it out based on the content you want to submit!
Remember that if you either email us or fill out our Submissions Form, you’re giving us permission to feature you or your work here on the magazine! We will always link back to you if you or your work appears on Furry Weekly!
READER SURVEY
We’re always looking out for what you, our readers, have to say about Furry Weekly! Like we said above, our goal is to showcase a little bit of everything in the fandom, especially giving a small spotlight to all kinds of creators and folks in the community. So we want to know what you think about what we’re doing now as well as what you might want to see from a furry magazine. So whether you’re an avid follower of Furry Weekly, or maybe you just found us, we want to hear what you like, what you don’t like, and what you would like us to do in the future! That’s why we have a short survey on this topic. We would seriously appreciate it if you took just a few minutes to take it and give us your feedback! You can do this multiple times as well! The link is below!
Click here to take our reader survey!
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That’s it for the announcements! We know it’s a lot, but thanks if you read through it all, or even just some! Time now to get into today’s issue, which we hope you will enjoy! Let us know what you think, there are tons of ways to contact us, but you can also reach us on our social media! We’re @FurryWeekly on both Twitter and Instagram
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SEGMENT LINEUP
[❌] Furry of the Week
[✔] Art Corner
[❌] Writing Showcase
[✔] Fursuit Focus
[✔] Species Spotlight
[❌] Animal of the Week
[✔] Art 101
[✔] Writing 101
[❌] Fursuit Designing Tips
[✔] Photography 101
[❌] Available Artists
[✔] Radical Raffles
[❌] Character Interview
[❌] Convention Calendar
[✔] Furry Quote
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ART CORNER
Hi, folks! My name’s Purple. I’m new to the Furry Weekly team, and I’m proud to present my first segment for Art Corner! For this week, I’d just like to share pieces from folks who have crossed my timeline recently, and discuss why they’ve really caught my eye.
This icon features a stunning display of color, using a relatively monochrome palette while continuing to be visually interesting and dynamic. The blues of the background have just enough green to contrast with the character’s fur; and yet, the character's eyes match those rich teals, bringing forth a sense of unity between the scenery and the subject. The pop of pink on the snow leopard’s nose serves as a perfect contrast point to draw a viewer’s attention to the main subject.
The artist’s choices in the use of line and shape bring a gentle motion and soft aura to this piece. Lines are kept wavy or curved, evoking carefree and calm emotions; this is especially evident in the rendering of the hair and northern lights, which flow across and down the piece like rivers. Even the curving in the trees and the fallen snow on them evokes a softness that one would expect from a calm, cozy winter night - the kind a snow leopard would truly love! All of the repeated curving of lines and shapes creates a gently flowing rhythm in the piece, which contributes to its unity and balance.
IcefoxWorks has created a gentle, stellar winter scene in this icon for a commissioner. Its choices of color and careful handling of a primarily monotone palette is a huge key to its greatness, and the work is supported by repetition of curves and waves to create a harmonious softness. I hope you feel as much stillness and peace as I do when you observe this artwork!
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There is so much movement in detail present in this artwork! First, though, I want to discuss the beautifully soft and playful expression of this character. The shape of the eyes creates a calm, almost tired, look, but the stuck-out tongue, pulled-up paws, and blush perfectly contrasts that with a warm, friendly energy. The detailed lines surrounding the eyes amplify this display of personality.
Color is utilized in this piece very well, being used to define fur fluff and create lines for definition in the face and outline of the paws. It teeters between lined and lineless flawlessly, with colored lines contrasting in just the right spots to create detail, texture, and volume in all parts of the character. The white outline drawn around the character creates a unity with the eye highlights and whiskers, with the negative space being filled rather simply with the color and some hearts. Details in the mane juxtaposed with the relative simplicity of the rest of the character create a good way to break up the oranges, frame the face of the character, and keep the elements of unity and variety dynamic.
Junebug’s piece is a visual delight. Such a warm, loving energy is created with the flow of this piece and its elements, giving the art charm and whimsy! I can’t help but smile when my eyes meet the character’s.
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I love this dynamic full body artwork of Wings of Fire character Peril, whom I know the artist Saturn cherishes dearly. The use of blues in the background compliments the oranges of the dragon; the coolness makes her seem so, so much warmer in comparison, while also pulling the blue in her eyes. The spires tower in the background, rising from the darkness, helping create an eerie and even threatening feeling. The dragon herself is carefully, intricately detailed, with skilled use of a variety of digital brushes to create texture and volume in the scales and body.
My favorite part of this piece, however, is the chosen pose for the character. The wings, slightly slanted and asymmetric, fan out against the sky as the dragon leans her head forward. The details in the teeth and one raised “paw” craft this uneasy, almost horror-ish vibe across the piece. The implied movement through these subtle post choices - jaw, wings, paw, tail - make this feel like a snapshot frozen before battle or disaster.
When I look at this work, I first lock eyes with the figure, which is what I imagine I’d do if I were to encounter such a beast in real life. This art feels lively, dynamic, and powerful. It’s a beautiful depiction of a dragon, even if you’re unfamiliar with the source material!
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Thank you for taking time to view, read about, and appreciate these three beautiful pieces from some of the talented artists in our fandom!
If you’re an artist who would like a chance to be featured, tag your work with #artcorner and #furryweekly on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr. You can also submit your work to myself or my co-host Jordan on Discord at jordanc2404. We also have a submissions form you can fill out, or you can email us at furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com to tell us you’d like to be featured!
Remember to take care of yourself and treat others kindly. Wishing you the best until next time!
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FURSUIT FOCUS
Hey you all! This is Yeshua and I’m back to bring you another segment of Fursuit Focus! This is where we get to know some of the fursuiters here in the community, and heck, I’m seriously excited for today’s fluffy individual!
Time to get to know Dexter!
What a colorful wolf! Dexter’s fur colors along with the style of the fursuit really fit the “big fluffy cartoon animal” look that’s one of the trademarks in the fandom! Just one look at Dexter and you can tell he’s a very friendly boyo; look at those eyes and smile! Miesdo Creations did a phenomenal job not just with the expression, but every other feature of the suit! Those wolf ears are perked up, and the tail looks ready to wag! Plus, the paws and claws look fantastic! I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention just how good all the fur looks! The orange stripes on Dexter’s arms, ankles, and tail along with the smaller orange markings on the face – plus the orange tips on the ears all look great with the blue and white fur that dominates the rest of his design. It’s a small detail, but I especially like the subtle markings next to his eyes! Very neat character and once again, huge props to the fursuit maker for bringing him to life superbly!
Dexter has been fursuiting for just over a year as of writing this – more on that later – and he already has a pretty good idea of the things he likes to do the most when he suits up! Something he enjoys a lot is public fursuiting, particularly going on furwalks with friends. Whether it’s at a mall, or maybe on the sidewalks of a city, Dexter loves coming across people! He says he’s had mostly good reactions to his suit, and appreciates being able to brighten up someone’s day a little by being a big, fluffy animal just roaming around: “people overall react so [happily] and want to take pictures with you; just being in character to make them smile gives [me] such a warm feeling!”
Another fursuiting activity Dexter likes is dancing! A big part of this is going to raves! At Nordic Fuzz Con 2024, Dexter spent quite a bit of time at parties:
“I partied almost every evening in full suit for around like five hours. Of course I did take some breaks to get hydrated [and] cool off a bit in front of the fans, but damn, that was such an amazing experience!”
No doubt Dexter would be a really cool wolf to party with! Aside from raves, he also just enjoys dancing in general! If he’s in fursuit, sometimes he might just bust out a move whether there’s music or not, “I feel like that gives a bit more character to my [fursona] as well!”
Dexter is also a very picture-friendly wolf! He enjoys taking some time to get some photos done, although he recognizes it can be a challenge sometimes. He will always try to look for ways to make his fursuit photos interesting, especially considering his environment. If he’s in an open area, he might try to find places or things he can lean against, climb, lay on, or anything else! Dexter is also a fan of props, so you’ll see them often in his photos! If you scroll through Dexter’s social media, you’ll definitely see how creative and just overall fun he can be with his fursuit photos!
When it comes to a setting for photos, Dexter doesn’t really have a major preference. He likes all sorts of environments, but if he had to choose, nature settings would be his favorite! He says it’s difficult to describe, but taking photos in nature just make him happy! He did point out his fursuit is not exactly the best suited for photos in nature because of his bright colors… but, “on the other hand, that could also be interesting because I pop out more!” And he’s not wrong!
Dexter says he is also working on doing more videos. He says it’s another good way of showing how cute and silly he acts while fursuiting! I mentioned at the beginning how friendly and approachable Dexter looks, and he truly embraces this when he suits up! “[I love] doing silly things. It’s like my dog brain just activates. When I see something I find funny or I can do something weird … I’ll do it … [I] just do stuff that looks cute [or] goofy!”
Dexter’s road to fursuiting has been quite a long one, but it was clear to him for some time that he knew he wanted to do it! He first learned about the furry fandom around the time he was twelve, and was a closet furry for about eight years. After deciding to join the fandom, he was able to join some online groups in his native Netherlands. That’s how he met one of his friends – Coda – who actually helped him realize he wanted to be a fursuiter! After a while of knowing Coda, Dexter asked him if he could try on his fursuit sometime, and Coda agreed. I’ll let Dexter finish this story:
”... the first thing we did when I got in his suit was walk to the McDonald’s close to his house. I never had such an amazing time before; it felt so good to look in the mirror and see myself [as] a big black dragon with green markings. Inside [the McDonald’s] were so many people that wanted pictures with me, it felt so cool. Just acting all cute and silly felt so good, from that point I was sold, I wanted a suit!”
Later on as he continued interacting in the fandom, Dexter met a new friend Missy, who is best known as Miesdo Creations! Eventually, Dexter managed to commission Missy, and he’s been fursuiting ever since! Like I said at the beginning, Dexter has had his fursuit for a little over a year now, which means he got it early to mid 2023: “I’m as excited every time I see him as the day I got him!”
Dexter burst into the fursuiting scene so quickly after getting his suit, but there’s still a lot more he wants to do, including some new things! One of those is snowboarding in fursuit! Dexter is already a fan of snowboarding, and seeing other fursuiters do it has definitely inspired him to want to try it. I won’t lie, I’ve also thought about doing the same thing, so I’m totally with Dexter here! He does acknowledge that it can be challenging, but definitely doable: “ … you have to be careful with going down because the vision is way worse, but if you limit your speed it’s such a cool activity to do in suit, especially because it’s cold outside which is perfect for suiting!” All makes sense to me! And I’ll definitely be keeping tabs on Dexter for when he inevitably goes snowboarding in fursuit!
Keeping with the theme of cool outdoor activities, Dexter also wants to go bouldering in fursuit! He’s interested in climbing once just with his head and tail because as he explains, you need to have good grip with both hands and feet, so some big ol’ hand and feet paws won’t cut it, unfortunately.
Finally, getting into some more common activities he’d like to try, Dexter says he’s actually never done something like bowling or mini golf in fursuit! He says those are much more simple activities and would love to do them with friends! Bowling in fursuit is surprisingly challenging in my experience, so I’d be interested to hear what Dexter thinks! You can definitely expect to see Dexter bowling soon, since he says there’s an annual furry bowling event in the Netherlands that he definitely plans on going to!
Dexter also wants to take some fursuit photos in the snow! He says the Netherlands doesn’t get a lot of it, but if he goes snowboarding sometime, he’ll definitely be able to tick off both of those things!
No doubt there is a lot ahead for Dexter in the fursuiting scene, so if you’ve liked what you’ve seen from him here, I definitely recommend you keep up with him! He is constantly sharing his fursuit adventures! Dexter encourages anyone who wants to try fursuiting to definitely give it a go! Of course, in his experience he was able to borrow a friend’s suit, so if you find yourself in a similar situation, he’s got some advice for you: “ … you could always ask if you are allowed to try [on their fursuit], just to experience it! Of course, also take no for an answer, not everyone is comfortable lending their suit to someone, but asking doesn’t hurt!” Definitely some good stuff to keep in mind!
I’ll leave you all with Dexter’s final remark on fursuiting, which was short, but sweet: “I wish everyone the best experience, trust me, it will be a blast!”
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I don’t know if you all could tell, but I had a lot of fun writing about Dexter! Like I said, definitely give him a follow if you enjoyed what you saw from him!
We’re always on the hunt for other fursuiters to show off, so if you want to appear here on the Fursuit Focus segment, just use the tags #furryweekly and #fursuitfocus when you post your fursuit photos and videos to social media! You can also reach out to me or our usual host, tahlmorra, or you can email us at furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com to tell us you’d like to be featured! We also have a Submissions Form you can fill out if you prefer!
If you’ve made it this far, seriously, thank you! I hope you enjoyed today’s segment! This is Yeshua signing off, and I hope to see you all next time either here, or you can definitely catch me over on the Character Interview segment over the next few weeks.
Until next time, take care!
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SPECIES SPOTLIGHT
Hello readers, and welcome back to an exciting week of Species Spotlight! This is Danielle making a return as a guest host. Issue 301 marks Furry Weekly’s seventh anniversary issue. Yay! We’re glad you’re here with us to enjoy another celebratory milestone.
Before we put the spotlight on this week’s original species, I wish to let all of you know that we’re still looking to recruit more hosts for this segment. If you enjoy diving into species lore and/or find original species fascinating, then this might be for you! Feel free to message our boss, Yeshua, or our HR, Carkas, if you’re interested in hosting Species Spotlight.
Let’s get playful and mischievous with a semi-robotic species called Terriaccs by LuckiiBee!
Terriaccs (tear-e-acks) are long, semi-robotic mammalian creatures renowned for their playful and mischievous nature. With no physical gender differences, they maintain an air of mystery and uniformity. Each Terriacc features a distinctive visor or terrarium face, showcasing visible skulls or heads within the screens, blending organic and technological aesthetics in a captivating display.
Their elongated bodies and necks grant them a serpentine grace, complemented by their long, expressive mammalian ears. Their furless tails, lined with dynamic screen patterns, are both a visual delight and a tool for communication and pranks. Navigating their environments with bird-like feet, they are agile and swift, while their large hand paws, equipped with shiny claws, are perfect for both delicate manipulation and playful antics. The Terriaccs thrive on interaction and humor, making them beloved tricksters in their diverse worlds.
In the ancient times of the galaxy, on a distant planet known as Veridia, the Terriaccs were born. Veridia was a world of lush, sprawling forests and vibrant ecosystems. A paradise teeming with life. It was here that the Terriaccs first emerged, not as a natural species, but as a creation of the brilliant and eccentric scientist named Dr. Lyria Voss.
Dr. Voss was renowned for her groundbreaking work in bioengineering and robotics. Driven by a vision of creating a harmonious blend of organic life and advanced technology, she embarked on an ambitious project. She sought to design a species that could thrive in Veridia’s diverse environments while also embodying a sense of joy and playfulness to bring happiness to the world. To learn more about the Terriaccs’ lore, click here.
Terriaccs have a diverse diet that sustains their semi-robotic biology. Originating from Veridia, they are omnivorous, eating both plants and animals to maintain their unique systems. They enjoy lumifruit for vitamins, nutrileaves for energy, and fungal gourds for proteins. They hunt insectoids for protein, catch small fish and amphibious creatures for omega fats, and occasionally hunt small mammals. Nano-nutrients in liquid or capsule form repair and optimize their cybernetic parts. They also ingest bio-compatible energy cores to power their mechanical systems.
Terriaccs turn mealtime into games, organizing food hunts and sharing glowing foods in communal glow feasts, fostering social bonds, and making eating enjoyable. They practice sustainable foraging and hunting, ensuring their feeding habits don't disrupt Veridia's ecosystems, always taking only what they need. Overall, the Terriaccs' diet is a blend of organic and technological elements, supporting their lively and mischievous way of life.
The Terriaccs' lack of gender differences stems from their unique origins as a creation of the brilliant scientist Dr. Lyria Voss. When designing the Terriaccs, Dr. Voss envisioned a species that embodied harmony and unity, free from the constraints and complexities of traditional gender roles. By eschewing physical gender differences, the Terriaccs maintain a sense of mystery and uniformity, fostering a deeper connection among individuals and reinforcing their collective identity. This absence of gender distinctions allows for a more fluid and inclusive social structure where individuals are valued for their personalities and abilities rather than pre-defined gender norms. As a result, Terriacc society thrives on collaboration, cooperation, and mutual respect with each member contributing their unique talents to the community regardless of gender.
Essential components of their unique biology and culture:
-Terrarium/visor faces
-Long furless tails with screen lines
-Elongated bodies and necks
-Long mammalian ears
-Bird feet
-Big hand paws
-Shiny claws
These traits were carefully designed by Dr. Lyria Voss to create a species perfectly adapted to their environment on Veridia. For more information regarding these traits, please take a look here.
Terriaccs are an open species, which means you’re welcome to create your own while keeping in mind their unique traits and essential information. This includes making adoptables, bases, and more. Please be sure to give credit to LuckiiBee for the species as well as to share your creations so that she can check them out.
Looking to make your own Terriaccs? Feel free to check out these free to use bases by LuckiiBee here.
Feel free to join the open species hub server on Discord to immerse yourself with species information as well as a community to share your own species and art.
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Thank you for tuning in to this week of Species Spotlight! I hope you enjoyed learning about the Terriaccs today. There are plenty of creative original species out there, and we’ll be sure to hunt them down.
Ready for us to explore your original species? Feel free to fill out this form if interested. You can also submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com, or you can directly message me on any of my platforms.
As Coyote Peterson from Brave Wilderness says, stay wild, and we’ll see you on the next species adventure!
Disclaimer
All information and art pertaining to the species belongs to LuckiiBee.
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ART 101
Paws, hooves, and talons: Just as hands can prove to be a difficult anatomical structure to conquer, feet can prove to be tricky as well. But not for the reasons you might think.
Hi all, Shroom here! It's time to begin part two of our long lesson in the art of anatomy.
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When we discussed hands last week I mentioned that the reason for their difficulty was due to the inherent complexity of their forms and the variety of gestures they can encompass. Feet are different when it comes to their complexity. In part, because they’re having to deal with something that may very well warrant an article of its own eventually: WEIGHT.
Bipedal subjects, whether human or furry, plantigrade or digitigrade, will have their form and weight be felt in the feet. Regardless if it’s a static or dynamic pose, the foot is going to experience a bit of “squash” and “stretch”. If you’ve dealt with animation or perchance have glanced in its direction, squash and stretch principles are often utilized in the ability to communicate and exaggerate motion.
These techniques can be more stylized or more subtle. Here is a rough animation I did several years ago that uses squash and stretch in subtle ways. Mainly in the blinking eyes, the fireflies, and Shroom’s smile. There’s a bit of a “bounce” and “stretch” in these movements.
We can utilize these principles when it comes to form and motion. Thus, bringing us back to the foot.
Quick terminology: In this discussion, we'll define plantigrade as walking on the soles of the foot and digitigrade as walking on the toes. The difference lies in weight and how it's being distributed.
Hands can be condensed into mittens, so you may be thinking that feet can be condensed into socks. And you’re not entirely wrong. The issue lies in the variety of fursona species and the difference between a plantigrade foot and a digitigrade one. So, let’s start with the basics and then move beyond.
We’ll use the general “sock” method to communicate the forms of the foot. For consistency’s sake, we’ll break down the foot into four shapes just like we did for the mitten method. One for the toes, one for the length of the foot, one for the heel, and one for the ankle.
If you’re having difficulty breaking it down, think of the foot as a sloped triangle. From there we can apply the sock method to fill in the details.
Now of course these are human based breakdowns and we’re not here for that. When it comes to furries, we have to consider the toes and the ankles. Furries are interesting because the foot is attempting to mimic the digitigrade leg of typical animals. So, there’s a bit of translation that needs to happen in order to account for this.
Here the greatest concern lies in the paw placement. You can also go buckwild and just put a regular foot on your furry characters and that’s fair game. Remember, these are guidelines, not rules.
But if you were to lean into the digitigrade style of typical animals, we have to play around with the length of the foot itself.
The sock method allows for us to simply stretch the distance between the toes and the ankle. This mimics the shape of classic digitigrade legs. From here, we can account for and apply the different styles of feet that come with the variety of species of fursonas.
But what about all that weight and form talk earlier?
It comes into play when we have to consider HOW that weight is being placed onto the foot. Recall that for plantigrade feet, the weight is distributed across the length or sole of the foot, typically seen from the heel to the ball of the foot. Think about if the character is standing on their toes or if they’re leaning back on their heels. That weight is seen in how we “squash” and “stretch" the different parts of the sock method.
Digitigrade deals specifically in the toes. Because the entirety of the figure’s weight is being placed upon the feet, it’s the toes that are going to experience that exaggeration. How much you squash those forms translates to the amount of pressure a figure is placing on them. From walking to running to stomping into the ground, each action will elicit a different amount of pressure on the foot.
If you’re not sure how different fursonas’ paws or hooves or talons would translate this weight, examine the mannerisms of the animals they’re based off of or the closest equivalent. References, references, references! In order to properly replicate something within your drawings, you need to understand how it works.
Studying the animals in question allows you to replicate them more easily.
For practice, I’ll once again recommend the site I often turn to for studying: Line of Action. We’ll still be able to utilize the "Hands & Feet Drawing" option on the main page. As per usual, you can adjust the focus, subject, mode, and time interval of each image so it can best fit your pace. For each image, breakdown the foot as it is presented using what you've learned. Then translate it to your character of choice!
Have fun with stylization and that messy sketchbook of yours!
And a quick tip, if you like the way one of your favorite artists has drawn something, study it! Take a moment to break down how it was done using what you’ve learned. If something caught your eye, it was likely for a reason. And there is joy in understanding how something was done.
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If you have any suggestions for future segments or simply have some questions regarding anything I’ve discussed feel free to reach out to me! Regardless, I hope to catch you all real soon as we further our art journeys together!
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WRITING 101
Finally, the oppressive heat broke its grip over the East Coast. Clouds block the sun and a fresh breeze helps move plenty of air through this Baltimore suburb. In a small backyard fenced by white vinyl pickets and copious shrubs, a familiar pinkish-red snake occupies a low-slung adirondack chair while the Camera floats nearby, observing the garden party before them. Cornhole is set up before them, sloped with the yard’s grade, and a few partygoers chuck beanbags back and forth in a race for twenty-one points.
“I would have brought my gimbal and other camera,” says Phoenix, holding a plate of summer cookout food in one slender hand and a plastic fork in the other. “But I obviously don’t need either.”
The Camera whizzes happily at the compliment. Phoenix chuckles as he pokes some coleslaw onto his fork and takes a bite.
“Mmm… good food.”
They watch the cornhole game progress, though it’s more accurate to say that Phoenix and the Camera watched the prolonged stalemate. By the time Phoenix finishes his coleslaw, macaroni, and pulled chicken sandwich, neither team gains a significant advantage. The snake sighs and relaxes in the chair, eyes closed and hood folded down his neck.
“It’s nice to have a break....”
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Hello friends, and welcome to Furry Weekly’s Writing 101! I’m Bryce Griffin, here to get all you writers out there the inside scoop on literature tips and tricks. Let’s get started!
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Occam’s Razor
Like Chekhov’s Gun, Schrödinger’s Cat, or Murphy’s Law, Occam’s Razor is named after a real individual who coined the term or modern concept. In this case, 14th-century English philosopher William of Ockham originally conceived this principle, known in Latin as lex parsimoniae. In today’s English, it is known as the principle of parsimony or the law of parsimony. It is a problem-solving principle that advocates for construing solutions using the smallest possible set of elements. In other words, “Entities are not to be multiplied without necessity.”
Of course, this is a significant oversimplification of the concept, its history, and its application. However, the point still stands. When multiple avenues of reasoning exist, all of which equally explain some hypothesis to satisfaction, then the explanation that utilizes the fewest elements should be preferred.
How could something like a philosophical concept apply to writing? Let’s think about it for a second. When crafting prose, we are constantly presented with opportunities to describe scenery, characters, dialog, body language, the weather, scents in the air, and anything else that comes to mind. You may be tempted to expand on these aspects along with many more. After all, we need to show rather than tell, right?
There is a limit on how much we should show. Yes, showing the reader what characters are doing or showing the scene with strong detail is an excellent way to present visceral detail to your reader. However, too much detail will quickly degrade your writing’s quality. If you take time to explain the countless details making up the scene in your mind, then you will end up complicating the narrative beyond what is reasonable. What should the reader focus on if you present everything in detail and show it as an important aspect of the story?
This is where Occam’s Razor comes into play. You should know what you want to show your reader and how you want to show it. This allows you to be more efficient with both your time spent writing and the audience’s time spent reading. Communicate only what is needed to progress the plot, flesh out a scene, or show how a character is acting. Hence, the simplest explanation is often the best explanation.
This is possibly one of the most difficult philosophies to implement in writing. You must not only know how to skillfully bring an entire world with its characters, scenery, and plot to life, but also do so as simply and gracefully as possible. It takes skill to make good use of Occam’s Razor; but, with time and plenty of practice, you’ll learn how to do so in a way that works for you and your writing.
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Want me to take a look at your work? Got a general question for Writing 101? Just shoot me a message on Discord! I’ll be happy to answer any writing questions or even critique your work.
Thanks for joining me in Furry Weekly’s Writing 101. I hope you enjoy the rest of the magazine!
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“Hey, Phoenix!”
The snake’s silvery eyes flutter open. He looks around, gaze briefly unfocused.
“Huh?”
“Come play some cornhole!”
Apparently, the cornhole matchup concluded while Phoenix rested his eyes. He shook his head, hood flopping slightly from the motion.
“Oh… yeah, absolutely!”
He hauls himself out of the low chair and stands up straight, brushing his shirt with his hands. He glances back at the Camera and catches the machine’s curious glance.
“Make sure to film my good side, okay?”
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PHOTOGRAPHY 101
Hello, friends and photografurs! Welcome back to this week's Photography 101! I'm your co-host, Jaden! My philosophy with learning anything, and especially with photography, is that no matter how much experience you have you should always try to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to improve yourself. Well for this issue, that's exactly what I did
So while I was at my local camera shop, mentally preparing to spend a small fortune on film, I was hit with devastation… they were completely out of the colour film I needed! They did, however, have tons of black and white film but… I never shot on black and white film before; I've never even used black and white filters on my DSLR! I had absolutely no packs of film left at home and not getting film today would mean I don't have film to shoot on, so I decided to bite the bullet and push myself out of my comfort zone.
The camera I decided to use for this adventure was a Polaroid SX-70 since I've been using it a lot lately and felt most comfortable with calibrating its settings. Next, to ease myself into the transition, I decided to shoot things that were familiar to me or things that I've shot before. For me, those were things like the many nature paths in my area, and I took lots of pictures of plants and other trees.
After calming myself and getting rid of the fear of wasting the film I spent too much money on, I decided to trek out and start shooting. At first, a lot of my photos were turning out pretty ok, but to me they seemed a bit dark, and that's when it hit me: the exposure dial should be set at neutral! If you missed my previous segments on polaroid cameras, this might be a little bit of a shock to you since you'd know that for coloured film you have to set the exposure about 1/3 darker than neutral for most lighting conditions, but after I overcame that hurdle I was taking black and white photos that I was super satisfied with!
I haven't stepped out of my comfort zone since issue 281 when I used a camera with a broken sensor, but it was very worth it and I learned a lot! I enjoy giving myself fun challenges and I'm excited to test how colour filters change black and white compositions in the future! So take my experience as encouragement to step out of your comfort zone whenever you’re faced with the opportunity! Of course, some challenges could come up, but once you get past them, you’ll more than likely have learned something new!
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That concludes this week's segment! If you have any questions or would like to share your photos, don't be afraid to shoot me a message!
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RADICAL RAFFLES
Hello, everyone! Danielle here once again, and I’m here to bring you some fun raffles to potentially participate in for Furry Weekly’s seventh anniversary issue.
Before we get into the raffles, I wish to remind all of you that we’re looking to recruit more hosts for this segment. If you enjoy coming across raffles, then this might be for you! Feel free to message our boss, Yeshua, or our HR, Carkas, if you’re interested in hosting Radical Raffles.
We have eight raffles for you this week! Let’s take a look at them.
First, we have a 19k pin-up raffle by Piper!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Reply with your safe for work (SFW) reference.
Prize:
★ Pin-up
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end once Piper reaches 20k followers. As of July 31st, Piper has over 19.8k followers. There’s still lots of time to enter!
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Celebrate with a 6k raffle by Luke!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
Prize:
★ Portrait
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end once Luke reaches 6.5k followers. As of July 31st, Luke has 6,124 followers. There’s plenty of time left to enter!
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Next up, we have a ready to fur foam base giveaway by Opal Mutt!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Comment with a reference or idea.
Prize:
★ Custom foam base
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end on August 5th at 6 pm EST. Be sure to enter while you can!
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Up next, we have an art raffle by BipolarWolfy!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Tag a friend, and post a SFW reference.
Prize:
★ Potato your character here (YCH)
If BipolarWolfy reaches 900 followers, there will be two winners!
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end on August 16th. There’s lots of time left to enter!
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Become nostalgic with a Gameboy raffle by Draconicatt!
How to Enter:
★ Follow. like, and repost. New followers are welcome!
★ Optional: Post a SFW reference.
Prize:
★ Animated pixel Gameboy YCH
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end on August 31st. There’s plenty of time to enter!
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Feel the beat with a music player YCH raffle by Aries!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Comment your favorite song.
Prize:
★ Music player YCH (two winners)
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end on August 10th. There’s under a week left to enter!
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Next up, we have a back to Twitter raffle by Capsule9!
How to Enter:
★ Follow, like, and repost.
★ Comment a SFW reference.
Prize:
★ Manga rendered headshot or half body (four winners)
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end on August 12th. There’s still lots of time to enter!
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Last but certainly not least, we have an art raffle by Wormboy!
How to Enter:
★ Follow and repost.
★ Comment a SFW reference.
Prize:
★ Artistic liberty illustration
Deadline:
★ This raffle will end on August 15th. There’s still lots of time to enter!
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Those are all the raffles I have for you this week. There's always more out there, and we'll make sure to find them and bring them to you every week.
Would you like us to showcase your own raffle? Feel free to fill out this form if interested. You can also submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com, or you can directly message me on any of my platforms.
Thank you for taking a look at this week’s raffles. Stay tuned because more radical raffles are coming your way!
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FURRY QUOTE
Howdy, all! Tide again. I hope everyone is doing well. This week I wanted to continue the theme of what it means to live and so decided to pick a piece of wisdom from Milo, who is perhaps better known by his stage name Little Alpha Pup.
“Success without happiness is not real success. The most successful thing you can do in your life is be truly happy.”
We live in a world where so many people work just to live. Where existence becomes focused exclusively on survival and not enjoying the journey. Even for those who make salaries large enough where basic living expenses are not a concern, life just becomes about maintaining that income. But where is the beauty in life if all we are doing is furthering other people’s existences? This isn’t to say everyone should go out and start a business and be their own boss, but that if serving others does not serve yourself in some way then you are missing the opportunity to experience what life really has to offer.
However, it is not sufficient to pursue happiness. In fact, pursuing happiness will often lead to never finding it. Rather you must find happiness and appreciation in everything around you. Keep doing the things that bring you joy. Don’t let working stop you from living. It’s the little things everyday that hold us together until we have the time for things like furmeets or cons and whatever other hobbies you have. So remember to stop, take a deep breath, and look around. Look at the most vivid color around you and appreciate the brightness it brings. Look at the most worn and dull object and appreciate its story and the use it has seen. Like Milo says, the most successful thing you can do in life is be truly happy, and to be happy, start by looking at the world around you with wonder.
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That’s it for this week’s Furry Quote. Now that you’re all caught up, take a few minutes to breathe and find appreciation in the things you normally would overlook.
Do you have a quote or topic you’d like us to discuss next? Feel free to fill out this form with your idea(s). You can also submit content by emailing furryweeklysubmissions@gmail.com, or you can directly message me on Instagram.
Thanks for stopping by, and until next time.
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Once again, thank you for reading and submitting content! We will see you next time!
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