Tag: English bulldog

Do you Have a Writing Companion?

John Guillen12 Comments

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Photo Credit: List of Images

A writing companion? What’s that? I mean, writing companion sounds like someone in the same room as you as you write just being noisy or nosy or annoying. Or am I thinking the wrong thing?

Yeah. Although the writing companions I am thinking of can certainly meet one or more of those criteria, I’m thinking of something else. Something a little more…furry. Yep, you guessed it. CATS. I hesitate just a bit to include them here because I’ve never had a single cat or kitten in my life. But WordPress is full of writers who have cats. And I’m sure they’re nice and all, but don’t cats climb on EVERYTHING? Reading a book? There they are. Using the stove? There they are. Writing at your desk? There they are. See, so I don’t know how writers ever get anything done. One minute they’re typing away at their keyboards with ideas flowing every which way and the next they’re lying on the bed giving all their attention to their needy cat. Cats are not writing companions! They’re writing distractions! Ha!

But our other furry friends are quite the opposite. I can imagine sitting at my desk at some point in the future with my English bulldog snoring away on the floor beside me. I get up from my chair and walk around to stretch my legs and take a quick ten minute break. I return to find my bulldog still snoring away. See, he’s a writing companion. He stays with me as long as I need, but he does so without interrupting my flow. He’s a respectful companion unlike your cat crawling all over your keyboard and desk trying to type out a letter in some secret cat language. And pretty much every dog would do the same as the one mentioned above. Just lie there until you’re ready to move. And the next night will do it all again.

Those are the two writing companions that came to mind when I sat down to write this post, but I’m certain there are others I chose not to mention. So tell me, do you have a furry writing companion who keeps you company as you pound away on the keyboard?

Characters and Their Pets

John Guillen26 Comments

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Photo Credit: The Atlantic

We all know that there are a million things going on in most books that may or may not affect the story. Could one of those things that doesn’t be whether or not your MC has pets? I’m not sure it’s a clear cut answer. Let me think a little about this.

Katniss and her family have a goat. But then she of course hunts, so she’s not exactly a PETA spokesperson. Elvis Cole has a cat that frequents his house, but I don’t think the cat is necessarily his. Or maybe he is, can’t remember exactly. I think the cat was shot at some point too. Let’s see…Harry has Hedwig. Those are just about all the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I’m wondering if any of these say anything about their owners. Maybe that they’re responsible. And affectionate. And maybe lonely at times? I’m not sure. But maybe you know better than I do.

You all should know by now that I’m not currently writing because I’m focused on other things that I feel are more important, BUT in my current WIP Andrew and Sydney have decided to get a dog. An English bulldog that they intend to name Arnold. See, I’m not sure what it says about them that they’re doing this. I mean, they’re making some major changes and the bulldog is one of them. He’s all set to join the family very shorty after Sydney moves in. Maybe they’re paternal. Maybe they’re bored. Maybe…I don’t know why the heck they’re getting a dog? The point is that perhaps there doesn’t always have to be a particular reason for a writer to do something. At least I don’t think so.

Tell me about your characters’ pets. I think cats and dogs should be the most common, but who knows? Birds, snakes, turtles, whatever. I want to hear about them. And tell me why you chose to give your character at all.