Tag: writing

Hi! News from No, Mine! Studios

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Happy Friday!

I’m still recovering from surgery, but I am anxious to get back to studio fun as soon as possible!

One of the reasons behind this anxiety is Yeetcosystem: The Game! There is a great team of developers working behind the scenes to make this project a reality. More news to come! But if you want to support us in getting the word out, we do have preliminary Yeetcosystem social media profiles up on BlueSky and Instagram, and even a Discord channel! (This was set up by a lovely volunteer who wishes to remain behind the scenes. I am still learning Discord. What is the Discord term for a “noob”? I need to ask my teen.)

GIF: Pixel art characters from game running around an industrial plant wearing construction outfits and carrying tools. Yeetcosystem, 2025-2026. Based on character by Suzanne Skaar, 2021. All rights reserved.

Also on the horizon:

I am also pleased to announce that I’ll be heading to GDC this year as part of the 2026 Pixelles Ensemble Cohort! It will be my second time at GDC, and my first time tagging along with the Pixelles: a Montreal-based organization dedicated to promoting gender diversity in the gaming industry. Thank you to these amazing organizations for this opportunity!

Arts community update:

In the fall, I was accepted into Tacoma Arts Live’s (TAL) Accelerating Creative Enterprise (ACE) program. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to connect with other artists and creative entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, TAL just announced that they will be selling the Tacoma Armory and sunsetting programs like ACE in June. Many artists and entrepreneurs are losing their home base, and cool programs like the one’s offered by Tacoma’s Dockyard Derby Dames will have to find new homes. I love the people, and I love the (supposedly haunted) space. I’m going to do my best to soak up the creative energy of this space as much as possible before the venue and non-profit close their doors. Please do the same! Follow Tacoma Arts Live for upcoming projects and support local artists!

In game screenshot of the “Rawrmory.” 8/1/2022 progress, “Suciasaurus Scrolls: A Grit City Adventure” (a.k.a., the dinosaur game). Suzanne Skaar, 2020-2025. All rights reserved.

In slightly more humorous No, Mine! Studios news:

Healing from a procedure that made me contemplate ripping my own arm off did inspire a new probably not kid friendly side project. Axi the Accessibility Axlotl is also on Instagram and BlueSky!

Did you know that axlotls can just regenerate damaged limbs without fighting health insurance first?

They truly have the dream life.

Axi the Accessibility Axlotl is the mascot no one should need, but we still have to work harder to address accessibility issues in public spaces, work places, and school. If you have a topic that you want me to address through this project, reach out via the studio email nominestudios@gmail.com, subject line, “Axlotl.”

If you print out and post any of the images at your work or school (get permission on this, because the axlotl does have an ax, so…), take a picture and tag the studio’s and/or axlotl’s account(s)!

As always, thank you so much for your support! It means the world to me.

Cheers,

Suzanne

Happy New Year!

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

It feels wrong to write this without acknowledging the tremendous amount of sorrow that has hit our communities and homes.

Midnight marks a new day and a new year, but it doesn’t erase the pain, suffering, and disappointment.

I spent much of the year grieving, but 2020 brought me so many reasons to be grateful. Pre-pandemic closures, my writing was published overseas for the first time, and in my adopted hometown’s print literary anthology, Creative Colloquy. School closures meant being able to spend more time with my daughter. Changing my work style to accommodate additional childcare responsibilities led to taking new risks. In June, I started work in earnest on my video game. I even got up the nerve to try standup this year (from the comfort of my home).

The moving of meetings online post-pandemic has made it easier to engage in community decision making processes. In June, I successfully lobbied the Pierce County Democratic Party to recognize CS gas and tasers as deadly force. In 2021, I want to see this momentum continue at the State and national levels, and for the first time in a long time, I am optimistic that it will.

Gen-Z has taken to the streets and used social media and other avenues to challenge not only police brutality, but racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, economic inequality, and climate change. Emma Goldman said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution.” In the darkest of times, the new revolutionaries have embodied joy, humor, and hope. I am grateful my daughter has such positive role models.

Please stay safe and enjoy the holiday.

Happy New Year!

Suzanne

Gif: Animation sequence for as yet untitled video game. Suzanne Skaar. 2020. All rights reserved.

Dinosaurs and other Updates

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Summer has been fairly busy. On top of entertaining a kid during a pandemic and planning for homeschool, I’ve had other projects in the works. I was asked to submit work to a by invitation-only call for cyberpunk stories to a journal overseas. Regardless of whether my story gets picked up for publication, it was an honor to be asked, especially as I haven’t written in this genre before. I’ve been volunteering locally as I’ve been able. Remote meetings are a lifesaver for individuals with chronic illnesses/ conditions like migraines, arthritis, and motherhood (ahem), so I hope this trend continues after the pandemic. The ability to turn off the video and audio functions is especially appreciated. A laughing, streaking kid in the house did elicit momentary panic at one point.

In the relatively quiet moments and through the chaos, I have begun to make significant progress on my biggest project to date [Master’s thesis be damned]: an indie narrative game combining many of my favorite subjects.

Here is a peek at the main character:

Mini Dino Pixel Art.
Mini Dino Pixel Art (side view). Suzanne Skaar. 2020. All rights reserved.

Dino Front view Idle 8 19 2020
Front view Dino character, idle. Suzanne Skaar, 2020. Animation/ pixel art. Work in progress. All rights reserved.

My last programming class was in high school, more than 20 years ago, so I have been teaching myself Unity, a development platform which is free to users up to a certain revenue bracket. Brackeys tutorials on YouTube have been on repeat for months in the house. They are awesome: go check them out! Thanks to the site Beepbox, I have also been working on digital music composition for the first time. I first started using Audacity for podcasts a few years back, and it continues to be a great tool for artists. [While I’m not ready to share some of my serious attempts yet, my co-conspirator did willingly lend her vocals to this “parenting dance anthem.” It was created using Beepbox and Audacity.] 

Other snippets of the game art are up on the No Mine! Studios Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages. I’ve set myself a soft deadline of December (6 months from when I started) to get basic art in place so I can focus on research, writing, and mechanics. This game is a one mother show. If you are on the above platforms, please follow for updates, like, and share. Your support means a lot!

Dinosaur animation

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

Spoiler alert: Swearing ahead.

I haven’t posted much at all since schools closed and I took over homeschooling/ entertaining my mini-me during my normal working hours. The work I have done has been in short bursts, then set aside to focus on the crisis of the day.

And then came last week. Protesters rightfully gathering to speak out against police brutality inspired our country’s “president” to declare war on the nation. I’m honestly surprised he made it to his last year before unleashing the military on citizens. He wasted no time detaining babies and children and tearing apart immigrant families.

I guess all those weekends playing golf saved the rest of the country this long.

But here we are. Tear gas and pepper spray and rubber bullets are being used on peaceful protesters in a country whose constitution states right to assemble as fucking rule number one. Journalists are being targeted and arrested on camera, just like in other authoritarian regimes. In Seattle, attendees at the peaceful gatherings were detained from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon because the courts closed on Monday and police officers are choosing to violate their duties to protect and serve the people.

My city, Tacoma, imposed a curfew yesterday. Tonight there’s a vigil in honor of Manuel Ellis, who died at the hands of Tacoma police. [Click the link to help his family with legal fees.]

This happened despite our community and state voting for deescalation legislation. Manuel’s death was EXACTLY what this legislation was designed to prevent. And yet…

I digress. I promised a new dinosaur animation. I made this last night while trying to take a break from thinking about what’s going on right now.

If you liked this video, please donate to a local protesters’ bail fund or your local ACLU. [If you hated it, donate double.]

Keep fighting however you can. You don’t have to be on the frontlines to make a difference.

Suzanne

New Work

~ Suzanne Skaar ~ Leave a comment

I am honored to have a poem included in The London Reader’s Winter 2019 issue: “Motherhood: Stories of Love, Loss, & Life.”

Per the publication, “10 percent of revenue from this issue is donated to Women’s Aid, a grassroots federation in the UK working to provide life-saving services and to build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated. Find out more about the charity at womensaid.org.uk.”

To purchase this publication or learn more about The London Reader, check out

www.LondonReader.uk

Thank you for your support.

Suzanne