This website contains information about the Association for the Promotion of Anthropomorphic Writing, Incorporated, (APAW, or APAW, Inc.) a Maryland-based, federally-recognized non-profit organization interested in furthering the development of anthropomorphic, or "furry" writing.
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"Furry," often collectively referred to as the furry fandom, is a group of fans who embrace and celebrate the depiction of animals with human features, emotions, and physicality (anthropomorphization) in prose, art, games, and other popular media.
Furry fans, called "furries," participate in the fandom by consuming and/or producing creative works, from artwork, to costumes, prose to music and art, jewelry to beauty supplies. Many create an anthropomorphized animal persona based on a real animal or something from mythology or fiction, called a fursona, which they use to interact with the community.
Often, furries are inspired or brought to the fandom through popular media depicting anthropomorphized animals. Whether it's a movie like Disney's Zootopia, a video game such as Dean Dodrill's Dust: An Elysian Tail, or a book like Richard Adams' Watership Down, there are many ways people find the furry fandom and there are equally as many ways they contribute to both the fandom, and the greater community around it.
Furry also includes other fandom communities as well, should they choose to identify as furry: it's not uncommon to see fans of franchises like Pokemon, My Little Pony, Star Trek, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls, and many more participating at local furry meets and large-scale conventions such as Midwest Furfest, Anthrocon, Furry Fiesta, and Further Confusion.
We also like puns and wordplay.
There is a body of dedicated fiction and non-fiction writers within the furry community. While furry has roots in the mainstream science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction communities, there are few resources in the mainstream which directly address and support the unique needs of the furry metagenre. APAW was created out of a desire to provide an education, marketing, and social support network for furry writers not just in the furry fandom, but also within the mainstream genre writing communities.
APAW's mission is principally centered around the promotion, support, education, and enrichment of the furry fiction community through programs and services to participants. While we hope to someday assist the needs of non-fiction writers, such as historians, biographers, essayists, and analysts, our starting focus lies with fiction.