fiction Archives · Joi Massat

Searching for Erotic Non-Erotica

In my mind, the typical exploration of sexual psychology in literary fiction is one of these:

A character meets someone at a bar, then has a one-night stand. The one-night stand represents their alienation and the thrill of something secret.
A character has a weird kink or paraphilia, one that’s probably criminal or sadistic in nature. It represents the depravity of humanity or the downfall of society. The story perhaps unintentionally suggests that anyone in real life with a weird kink or paraphilia is a depraved human emblematic of the downfall of society.

I’m so bored.

Prison School Said “No Sex Forever”

Sad but true: sometimes we can only embrace our LGBTQ+ identities through watching the straightest cis-est shit of all time.

Behind the Cast of Catgirl System

On a whim, I decided to write about characters from this story I’m making, what inspired them, and how I made certain story decisions with them. Let’s get rollin’!

Interview with David M. Donachie, Creator of Gamebooks and More

This author, illustrator, game designer and lover of mice agreed to chat with me about living a creative life.

Here are just a few of the things he’s had a hand in: a series of free Dragon Warriors modules with Red Ruin Publishing, a TTRPG where you pilot a spaceship made of dice, and the versatile GNAT System for gamebook adventures—which he used to write Heart of Keros, a free, excellent adventure and Merit Award winner from the 2023/2024 Lindenbaum Competition (which is where I first found his work).

I DO Have Irons in the Fire…u just cant see them yet >:( grrr

I feel like I’m working on fifty creative things but forty-nine of the things aren’t out yet!

Let’s Just Chat About Catgirl System

Time feels short and distractions seem many. Right now I don’t want to write much other than Catgirl System, and other projects (including my blog posts) threaten to screech to a halt. So…why not smash them together into an unholy conglomerate? Join me for a LitRPG chat around the fire.

Take a Break: Let Your Body Catch Up with Your Mind

If there’s “no good reason” why you should feel burned out, yet you feel burned out, consider a rest. After that, your feelings might go, “Wait, it doesn’t seem hard anymore. …Huh.”

It sounds fake when I put it that way, but it’s been true for me.

A Catgirl System Ultimatum

I will finish this story in Summer 2025.

The Artist Who’s Never Been Driven At All?

Some artists have a “creative mania.” They work day in and day out, like motors that feed on air. To outsiders, their path to artistry is simple—in the same sense as the simplest way to break into a bank is to pull out the battering ram. Just work tirelessly. Hammer it out. And it may even seem to happen spontaneously, involuntarily.

For me, though, it would take not only passion to reach this state (and…drugs?), but a lot of stifling work.

Thriftin’ for Gamebooks: 7 Good and Great Titles

A gamebook: you can read it and play it.

Whenever I go to a thrift store or find a Little Free Library, I am on the prowl for playful, gamey fiction. While I haven’t found much, I have uncovered some surprisingly nice titles.