Karina Steffens

Online Volunteers Needed - Octocon 2025 This year, Octocon is running a full programme online on both days of the convention (Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October 2025), and we need volunteers

Ever wanted to learn how to stream convention panels? @octocon.bsky.social is looking for new online producers for next weekend (Sat 11th/Sun 12th) and there's still time to get you up and running with some training + free online membership! 2025.octocon.com/online-volun...

See you there!

My Octocon programme schedule. Text version: https://prog.octocon.com/people/0068

It's almost time for #Octocon2025! This year, we're in-person and online on Saturday 11th and online on Sunday 12th. Here's my programme schedule for both days: prog.octocon.com/people/0068

@octocon.bsky.social #Octocon #Fantasy #Fandom #ReadingCommunity #Scifi #ScifiConvention #BookSky

A pika sits on a mossy rock.

Tighter crop of the same pika, focusing on its head.

An even tighter crop, focusing more on the pika's eye.

An extremely tight crop of the pika's eye, emphasizing their reflection of an early morning mountain scene.

"Pat, why do you carry that ridiculous 600mm lens on long hikes?"

Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.

Check out the @octocon.bsky.social website to see what happened at #dublincomiccon when I took Octo on a photoshoot for their big #OctosDayOut adventure 🐙

Poster states: Octocon Online. Did you know #Octocon2025 will be online? Here’s why online conventions are the best! Attend from anywhere in the world! Awesome workshops and panels exclusive online. Save money on the cost of travel and accommodation. Attend from the comfort of your own home. www.ocotocon.com. Features Octocon logo.

Did you know #Octocon2025 will also be online this year? Attend from anywhere in the world from the comfort of your one home for exclusive panels and workshops.

2025.octocon.com

#octocon #scifi #fantasy #readingcommunity #Fandom #Cosplay #Cosplayers #Horror

Yep yep. Caring means one is invested emotionally, it doesn't have to be that the character is likeable or that the plot has big life threatening stakes.
(I wrote an entire novella where the stakes for the end of act II were "high-pressure banquet poetry", see On a Red Station Drifting)

Purple poster stating: "Octocon is proudly supported by SDCC - South Dublin County Council. www.octocon.com" Poster includes the SDCC logo, Octocon logo, and our mascot, Octo the Octopus.

We would like to thank South Dublin County Council for their support in bringing you #Octocon2025.

https://2025.octocon.com/

#Octocon #SciFiConvention #Fantasy #ReadingCommunity #OnlineConvention #Fandom #Cosplay #Cosplayers #writingworkshop #crochet #crocheting

Sent out two poetry submissions to @uncannymagazine.bsky.social. Who knows, right?

#preDV September 29th, 2025 12PM - 5PM ET Join us for our practice vent, #preDV on Bluesky! Come with your best pitches and receive4 feedback from agented authors. All participants are welcome to also give feedback and make friends during the community event before Oct 8th's #DVpit. More info at dvpit.carrd.co

#DVparty October 2nd - October 7th 2025 October 2nd (Day 1): Post a moodboard/art October 3rd (Day 2): Introduce your main character October 4th (Day 3): Opening LInes October 5th (Day 4): Your Story as a meme/gif October 6th (Day 5): Your Story's theme song/playlist October 7th (Day 6): Hype your next project Post on Bluesky with the #DVparty hashtag. Open all day. Please use alt-text if you post images. No AI generated images allowed. Have fun and make friends leading up to #DVpit! More info at dvpit.carrd.co

📣Announcing #PreDV and #DVParty!📣

Excited to bring back #PreDV & #DVParty leading up to #DVPit!

Practice your pitches during #PreDV on Mon, Sept 29, 2025!

Get to know your fellow participants during #DVParty from Oct 2-Oct 7!

Follow this account or dvpit.carrd.co for all official announcements!

Day one at the @octocon.bsky.social fan table, at #DublinComicCon

Important Alert! We are being impersonated Unfortunately, the DVpit url has been claimed by an unknown party which is claiming to be us with services that we do not endorse. We are NOT affiliated with Cecil Butler or his payday loans. At this time, please be advised that all the official information for DVpit only comes from @dvpit.bsky.social, dvpit.carrd.co, or our discord server. We implore you to be safe and protect your information. Thank you!

Graphic showing dvpit.com is NOT AFFILIATED WITH #DVPIT at this time!

🚨IMPORTANT DVPIT ALERT!🚨

Unfortunately, the DVpit url has been claimed by an unknown party claiming to be us with services that we do not endorse.
All the official information for DVpit only comes from this account, our discord, or dvpit.carrd.co
We implore you to be safe & protect your information

My creative writing lessons are beginning again on Monday 15th September! And they're still priced at just €50 for a block of six sessions.

Hope to see some of you there, spaces are limited!

www.davidgreenwriter.com/creative-wri...

I'll be helping with @octocon.bsky.social fan table at Dublin Comic Con this weekend! Wirh a few days to go, my new cosplay is *not ready* yet 😨 Husband is working full steam on the gun, and it's not even steampunk 😬

Space Unicorn!

PLEASE REPOST! WRITERS! Uncanny Magazine will be open to Short Story Submissions from August 25 to September 8! Uncanny Magazine will be open to Poetry Submissions from August 9 to August 26. WE WANT TO SEE YOUR SHINY WORDS! buff.ly/9AyStcb

The Orient Express is one of history's most famous train journeys. Different routes were taken. I for one would love the purple route. Source: buff.ly/XrpuWsd

You can be part of bringing #Octocon2025 to the masses and have an inside track in all the fun. Think you could fulfill these roles? Then get in touch via the link below:

2025.octocon.com/join-the-oct...

#Octocon #SciFiConvention #Fantasy #Fandom #Cosplay #SciFi #Horror #ReadingCommunity #Comics

Flyer states: “Guest – Online. Khan Wong. Saturday 11th October 2025 - Maldron Hotel, Tallaght, Dublin and Online / Sunday 12th October 2025 – Online. www.octocon.com” Images include Khan Wong, Octocon mascot Octo and Octocon logo and QR code on an bright blue outer-space backdrop.

Image of Khan Wong's book: Down in the Sea of Angels.

Our next #Octocon2025 online guest is @khanwong.bsky.social. Khan has a past as a poet, cellist, arts funder and internationally known hula hooper. His debut novel, The Circus Infinite, was published by @angryrobotbooks.bsky.social.

https://2025.octocon.com/khan-wong-online-guest/

#Octocon

A lot of the committee and staff of Octocon are disabled. So, accessibility is a high priority for us. If you feel there is something more that Octocon could be doing please reach out!

Congratulations!

Delighted to have been nominated for two British Fantasy Awards this year for Best Fantasy Novel (A Shadow Over Haven) and Best Non-Fiction (Autism and Writing) alongside some amazing writers I deeply admire.

Thanks to everyone who voted for me, I really appreciate it 🙂

Is this new? I didn't see it when I visited in February

A big congratulations to @davidgreenwriter.bsky.social for being nominated for two @britfantasysoc.bsky.social.

#Octobooks #Fantasy #FantasyLit #Supernatural #IrishLit #Octocon2025 #Octocon

Trans women are women. Pass it on.

Disney has joined the fight against AI’s theft of creative work, suing Midjourney & calling it “a bottomless pit of plagiarism”.

Midjourney engineers once told me their actions were justified because art is ‘ossified’.

End the plagiarism machine.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/b...

Absolutely loving Murderbot.

I read this aloud to my husband who began giggling and biting his tongue 🤣

"Common spotted" wild orchids in Cabinteely Park's meadows.

No matter WHO the original author is and how much you dislike their views, there is NO EXCUSE for plagiarism and stealing an author’s words. I’m actually disgusted an ‘author’ in the community would not only blatantly plagiarise a trad book word for word 🧵⬇️

The best one so far was the shortest one yet. It's like they *want* to torture us.