Catherine Winters
LightNews LightNews
banner
catherinewinters.com
Catherine Winters
@catherinewinters.com
2.5K followers 1.3K following 5.6K posts
She/her, creator of procedural art bots, games, and VR stuff. Not AI.

🎮 Making After Work, a game about rummaging around in your coworkers' desks: https://cornonthecob.games
📖 Querying my queer science fiction heist novel.

https://catherinewinters.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
catherinewinters.com
Catherine Winters @catherinewinters.com · Nov 5
F/NB WAYFARERS x MURDERBOT x SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN

Everything fell apart when the human came aboard. Instead of nice meals and quiet cargo runs, Tai's stuck with bickering crewmates, sinister criminals, explosions, and worse, a human who wants to be friends. #QuestPit #SF #A #Q #R #LGBT
Mood board/Agent's guide for my novel CARGO - a queer SF/heist/romance - 113,000 words "Did you hear? There's a human on board." A graphic of the wall of a spaceship with sticky notes and polaroid photos taped up. There are twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling. alien ship's cook (fussy, anxious) + terrifying monster (ordinary human) PITCH: Tai’s terrified of humans. Everyone is. Violent pack hunters, humans are notorious for their strength, sharp teeth, and carnivorous appetites. But the ship’s cook is safe among the multispecies crew of the cargo hauler Coreward Baker: everyone knows the warrior species rarely leave their own space. Then Captain Raz hires Clarke, a human horticulturist. Even after Tai overcomes their fear, they can’t stand Clarke. She’s bossy. Annoying. Useless in the galley, bad in a space suit. She might as well be cargo. Worse, she’s intent on befriending Tai—and why can’t they stop thinking about her, anyway? That’s when things go wrong. As Tai starts to realize their feelings for Clarke, they’re horrified to learn that nobody on their crew of dropouts and runaways is quite who they seem, least of all Clarke. And it’s no coincidence. Raz reveals they’ve each been handpicked for a heist he’s spent years planning—and no one’s allowed to say no. PRIORITIES: make dinner remain cozy haul cargo go for drinks pull off one last score try not to fall in love FIRST PAGE: “Did you hear? There’s a Human on board.” I choked on my noodles and turned to stare at the diners at the next table. Like most of the restaurant’s patrons, the pair had hidden their profiles, a halfhearted attempt at anonymity. “Gross,” the speaker’s crewmate said, oblivious to my alarm. “I hope it leaves soon.” “Don’t let it hear you say that,” the first worker laughed. She made a show of looking for Humans, her eyes darting from table to table. It. I frowned. I knew the workers’ language distinguished between people and things, and ‘it’ was an unkind choice of words at best. The second worker shuddered. “I don’t know why we let them come here.” The first laughed. “Are you going to stop them?” COMPS: Murderbot by Martha Wells Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wisewell The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers TROPES: Non-binary narrator masking anxiety with sarcasm lying to themselves non-human perspective (afraid of humans) neurodivergent main characters metaphorically disabled protagonist slow-burn friends-to-lovers and enemies to lovers in the same relationship disabilitynorm and queernorm setting found family loveable pet/terrifying monster
catherinewinters.com
Honestly, I kinda like their chances here.
rangen.co.uk Ameronis RanGen @rangen.co.uk · 4h
Add some pre-built basic characters into the mix to see how things turn out. #WritingPrompt #amwriting #writers #DnD
January 12, 2026 at 7:46 PM
catherinewinters.com
#JanuaryWorldbuilders 12: The main thing that's plaguing society is probably the plague. That's a big one.

Easily identified by its distinctive rash, we'd identify the Rings as caused by a bacterium. The last major outbreak on the Turquoise Coast occurred eight years ago, killing thousands. (1/3)
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 19h
Howdy, #JanuaryWorldbuilders! What's plaguing your fictional world's society? (Remember, just pick one or use the MC's society if you have several). Is there classism? Racism? Misogyny? Queerphobia? Is the government run by greedy tyrants? Or are things going relatively okay right now?
MonthlyWorldbuilders prompts daily feed card #JanuaryWorldbuilders Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 2: Society 12 (for real this time.) What are some issues plaguing your world's society? The background image shows a blurred magic tree with a waterfall coming down between two halves of its trunk. It’s nighttime and the night sky is magical with lots of blues and pinks and purples
January 12, 2026 at 6:54 PM
catherinewinters.com
#WIPSnips January 12: "tentacle". Moss, just because you've been a client of their firm for a century, it doesn't mean you need to hire second-generation womanizing invertebrate lawyers. You can just not do that.
Centuries earlier, Moss waited in a storage facility waiting room with her solicitor, a young man of perhaps sixty. She had spent the entire trip ignoring Mr. Akh’s advances, and by now his inane chatter had become quite tiresome. It was surprisingly easy, Moss had found, to convince aliens unfamiliar with Tithriki biology that she was younger than her 406 years. People without exoskeletons tended not to read anything into her size, and hiding her profile and changing her voice to that of a young woman tended to do the job just fine. In fact, if she made her voice young enough, they became exceedingly disinterested in verifying her profile at all. Unfortunately, it also made for a very irritating trip. Mr. Akh’s mother had been the same way, and if this boorish tendency didn’t breed out in a generation or two, Moss was resolved to break ties with the family’s law firm altogether. “Perhaps after this,” the man purred, “we could go—“ “They’re ready to see you,” the receptionist said, saving Moss from further irritating and hamtentacled flirting.
January 12, 2026 at 6:34 PM
catherinewinters.com
A lot. Too much. I write more notes and worldbuilding docs and character background than I do actual words in a manuscript. #AwesomeCharacters
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social ❄️Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta ☃️ @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 1d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Technical question today! How much backstory/history for your character have you created that isn’t part of the actual story?

Do you write it down, or is it in your head? What sort of scenarios do you explore?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
January 12, 2026 at 5:16 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
anotherindiewriter.com
Random BlueSky people when I have a project I want to succeed: GOOD LORD THEY ARE THE MOST ANNOYING PERSON I KNOW ON THIS SITE.

Me: ...but you do know who I am.
January 11, 2026 at 10:14 PM
catherinewinters.com
“Is it for real?”

Hmm. We’ll see. But the homophobic “gay men shouldn’t be allowed to watch Heated Rivalry because MLM fiction is for straight women” replies sure are.
purplechrain.bsky.social Alex @purplechrain.bsky.social · 2d
The latest HR nonsense: A gay man in Utah attends a watch party for the gay hockey show wearing a “Gay AF” t-shirt & is forced to leave the bar because multiple women complained to management about the presence of a man who they feared might get turned on by the TV show.
“Went to a watch party at a local bar last night, *not a gay bar. I was the only male there. I sat in the back, watched and just kept to myself. Said hi to a couple people when I ordered. I was asked by the staff to leave after episode 2 because my presence was making the women uncomfortable. I asked them, very calmly, quietly and politely. I asked if I did anything wrong? 🧵1/5 Bartender was so kind and said "not at all". I asked if I was disturbing anyone. She said no, and apologized over and over. They had 6+ people ask to speak to the manager. Because a guy is here and afraid I was going to be turned on, one said. Another I was there to watch people get turned on. I was wearing a black t shirt that said "GAY AF" on the front. I stated, but "I'm gay, this is a queer story and I wanted to share this experience with ally's." 🧵2/5” “At this point, the entire room was staring at me. They paused the show. I work from home, I live in Utah and my circle is VERY small since moving here. I was hoping to meet some new friends. Talk book vs show with some folks. Hear a different perspective on the story. I collected bag <-- a Marc Jacobs Tote bag. OBVI, gay. Grabbed my book and paid my tab, tipped the kind staff. As I'm walking out the door, the room clapped. Then the show resumed... 🧵3/5 I don't know how to feel about it. I'm friendly, I'm a book guy. I get along with everyone. I don't understand how my presence was threatening or uncomfortable. I didn't read the book or love the show because of the smut. I love it because it was a realistic love story. A love story I NEVER see in tv shows. I lived through being caught and outed. I live every single day hiding who I am at work. I call my husband my Partner or Significant other. Because Utah....🧵4/5” “The 1 place I thought i could be authentically me. I was ejected from. Thank you to everyone on Threads who has not treated me differently. I know that most of the fandom identify or live a life very different from mine. What really has my head spinning. Why read a book or obsess over a tv show featuring two gay men, then in real life treat them like monsters. This show and book is healing a lot of my community. Only to be shown the outside world is still very much the NHL. Don't be the NHL🧵5/5”
January 11, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
purplechrain.bsky.social
The latest HR nonsense: A gay man in Utah attends a watch party for the gay hockey show wearing a “Gay AF” t-shirt & is forced to leave the bar because multiple women complained to management about the presence of a man who they feared might get turned on by the TV show.
“Went to a watch party at a local bar last night, *not a gay bar. I was the only male there. I sat in the back, watched and just kept to myself. Said hi to a couple people when I ordered. I was asked by the staff to leave after episode 2 because my presence was making the women uncomfortable. I asked them, very calmly, quietly and politely. I asked if I did anything wrong? 🧵1/5 Bartender was so kind and said "not at all". I asked if I was disturbing anyone. She said no, and apologized over and over. They had 6+ people ask to speak to the manager. Because a guy is here and afraid I was going to be turned on, one said. Another I was there to watch people get turned on. I was wearing a black t shirt that said "GAY AF" on the front. I stated, but "I'm gay, this is a queer story and I wanted to share this experience with ally's." 🧵2/5” “At this point, the entire room was staring at me. They paused the show. I work from home, I live in Utah and my circle is VERY small since moving here. I was hoping to meet some new friends. Talk book vs show with some folks. Hear a different perspective on the story. I collected bag <-- a Marc Jacobs Tote bag. OBVI, gay. Grabbed my book and paid my tab, tipped the kind staff. As I'm walking out the door, the room clapped. Then the show resumed... 🧵3/5 I don't know how to feel about it. I'm friendly, I'm a book guy. I get along with everyone. I don't understand how my presence was threatening or uncomfortable. I didn't read the book or love the show because of the smut. I love it because it was a realistic love story. A love story I NEVER see in tv shows. I lived through being caught and outed. I live every single day hiding who I am at work. I call my husband my Partner or Significant other. Because Utah....🧵4/5” “The 1 place I thought i could be authentically me. I was ejected from. Thank you to everyone on Threads who has not treated me differently. I know that most of the fandom identify or live a life very different from mine. What really has my head spinning. Why read a book or obsess over a tv show featuring two gay men, then in real life treat them like monsters. This show and book is healing a lot of my community. Only to be shown the outside world is still very much the NHL. Don't be the NHL🧵5/5”
January 10, 2026 at 2:56 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
courtneymilan.com
ohhhhh so none of them know yet that they’re not getting $50K after tax withholding, do they
crobertcargill.bsky.social C. Robert Cargill @crobertcargill.bsky.social · 1d
I just found out last night that the $50k enrollment bonus only pays out after 5 years of service, and reader, the laugh I let out when I read that woke the dog from across the house. These absolute fucking grapes aren't seeing a dime of that money. No way they can ride out 5 years of this job.
dennycarter.bsky.social Denny Carter @dennycarter.bsky.social · 1d
ICE recruitment is going well.
January 11, 2026 at 9:43 PM
catherinewinters.com
The $50k ICE bonus is the scratch-off lottery ticket of compensation packages, except usually with a lottery ticket, you don’t go to the Hague or federal prison or get PTSD if you lose. And if you win, usually the lottery commission pays out instead of being notorious for not paying its winners.
crobertcargill.bsky.social C. Robert Cargill @crobertcargill.bsky.social · 1d
I just found out last night that the $50k enrollment bonus only pays out after 5 years of service, and reader, the laugh I let out when I read that woke the dog from across the house. These absolute fucking grapes aren't seeing a dime of that money. No way they can ride out 5 years of this job.
dennycarter.bsky.social Denny Carter @dennycarter.bsky.social · 1d
ICE recruitment is going well.
January 11, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
emmettmacfarlane.com
How many of the commentators, op-ed writers, and politicians *outraged* about the SCC's decision striking down mandatory minimums in child porn laws have said anything about X, or quit X, as a result of it propagating CSAM?
January 11, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
faithfalkner.com
I'm once again asking my fellow Minnesotans to turn off face unlock and fingerprint unlock on their phones, and to use a strong PIN number.

Furthermore, Minnesota is Canada.
January 9, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
badhandbooks.bsky.social
A note from The Management.
Thanks to former governor Kristi Noem (and business leaders who lick the boots of fascists), I'm 99.999% unemployable in South Dakota (speaking up is bad for business here). If you like the idea of having someone in this state who is unafraid of MAGA and who speaks clearly and loudly...if you like the idea of a mission-driven horror publishing company doing massive things while lifting up marginalized voices and rising through the ranks from right here in deep-red America...if you want to do something, but don't know what else to do, support Bad Hand Books. With a share. With a purchase. It's this or nothing, friends. It's this, or we pull up stakes and leave. That's no lie. The media infrastructure, the dominant culture and the politicians are all actively hostile to what we're trying to do. But you can do a lot with a Bad Hand. Help me do more.
January 11, 2026 at 8:13 PM
catherinewinters.com
This turning out to be Bluesky, the official app for sports, explains why everyone on my feed is so into the WNBA. I thought I’d self-selected for something.
byronchenko.bsky.social John Byrne @byronchenko.bsky.social · 1d
The playoffs are alive on BlueSky, the official app of sports.

@dennycarter.bsky.social
Enjoying BlueSky vs not enjoying Twitter
January 11, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
stinky-doggy.bsky.social
Oh, THAT BlueSky. I just call it The Official Sports App so I got confused
January 11, 2026 at 4:42 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
byronchenko.bsky.social
The playoffs are alive on BlueSky, the official app of sports.

@dennycarter.bsky.social
Enjoying BlueSky vs not enjoying Twitter
January 11, 2026 at 4:29 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
socalledsaints.bsky.social
Are you talking about the official app for sports, bluesky?
January 11, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
faithfalkner.com
I love sports. It's gotta be one of my favorite genders.

Furthermore, Minnesota is Canada.
byronchenko.bsky.social John Byrne @byronchenko.bsky.social · 1d
The playoffs are alive on BlueSky, the official app of sports.

@dennycarter.bsky.social
Enjoying BlueSky vs not enjoying Twitter
January 11, 2026 at 4:48 AM
catherinewinters.com
HEAVY spoilers: yes. #AwesomeCharacters
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social ❄️Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta ☃️ @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 2d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Are there key characters in your story who never meet?

What would happen if they did? How might it occur?

If not, are there any meetings that were a long time coming?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
January 11, 2026 at 3:27 AM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
vriccithode.bsky.social
This is quick! Be sure to use the "other" box to expand on your anger
eldris.thellian.com Gabrielle Steele ⚔️ Author ⚔️ @eldris.thellian.com · 2d
Discord is doing a public consultation about whether or not to include genAI. Go tell them we don’t want it!!!

discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

#BookSky #SkyWriters #WritingCommunity
January 10, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
jesbattis.bsky.social
If you loved the gay hockey series, you might also enjoy every other book by queer and trans authors that's received zero marketing push. Especially books by queer BIPOC authors who were told, "sorry we already have a book like yours on our list."
January 10, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
proptermalone.bsky.social
inside you there are two wolves
wrongopinionman.bsky.social Chekov's Oak Table @wrongopinionman.bsky.social · 2d
Nfc wild card who do you think america is more likely to identify with:

-fuckboy elitist nuclear physicist from LA with a gorgeous wife

Or

-small town porn addict who just likes to sling the pigskin around sometimes
January 10, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
bookspotlight.bsky.social
recommend me a good gothic romance pls 👀
January 10, 2026 at 8:57 PM
catherinewinters.com
#BluePitHype 3, A2:Raz is afraid of aging. Doctor Moss is afraid she’ll get used to living forever. Quirin’s afraid of being lost. Anento’s afraid he’ll let Quirin down. Thyllis is afraid the pope will find her. Besk’s afraid he’ll be rejected. Clarke’s afraid of being alone. Tai’s afraid of Clarke.
bluepit.bsky.social #BluePit - A Storytelling Hype & Pitch Event @bluepit.bsky.social · 2d
Welcome to the 3rd day of #BluePitHype!

DAY THREE: Character Interviews - Question 2

Today, we have some questions for your characters! Last will be posted in 30 minutes!

3 days left until #BluePit on Jan 13th!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #Writers #AmQuerying #GameDev #Comics #TTRPG
#BluePitHype Q & A January 10th CHARACTER INTERVIEW For today, we have some questions for your characters! Question 2: What is your character afraid of? 3 DAYS To #BLUEPIT ON JAN 13th! @BLUEPIT.BSKY.SOCIAL
January 10, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Catherine Winters
amphipodgirl.bsky.social
I'm looking for books with transmasculine protagonists that might help me understand myself. I recently read Rules for Ghosting and found it relatable on so many levels. What's your top rec? I especially like romance, mystery, and sff. No sad endings please! 🌈📚💙

Special love to those who boost!
January 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM
catherinewinters.com
#BliePitHype Day 1, A1: Tai’s proud that, despite being raised on their post-scarcity homeworld, they fit in among the blue-collar freighter crew of the Coreward Baker. Going from fully-automated luxury gay space communism to a life where you have to contend with money and manual labour is tough.
bluepit.bsky.social #BluePit - A Storytelling Hype & Pitch Event @bluepit.bsky.social · 2d
Welcome to the 3rd day of #BluePitHype!

DAY THREE: Character Interviews - Question 1

Today, we have some questions for your characters! Next will be posted in 30 minutes!

3 days left until #BluePit on Jan 13th!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #Writers #AmQuerying #GameDev #Comics #TTRPG
Alt Text: #BluePitHype Q & A January 10th CHARACTER INTERVIEW For today, we have some questions for your characters! Question 1: What is your character proud of? 3 DAYS TO #BLUEPIT ON JAN 13th! @BLUEPIT.BSKY.SOCIAL
January 10, 2026 at 7:57 PM