Friday, January 20, 2006
Cats and Writing"As an inspiration to the author, I do not think the cat can be over-estimated. He suggests so much grace, power, beauty, motion, mysticism. I do not wonder that many writers love cats; I am only surprised that all do not."
- Carl Van Vechten
Well...yeah except when they're in your lap, hanging off the top of the monitor, chasing the moving mouse on the screen with their little kitty paws and laying on top of the printer, turning it off and on...and off and on.
I have LOTS inspiration with eight cats in my life.
Despite the above, I wouldn't trade them for anything. They remind me that sometimes I just I have to BE and nothing else. They keep my lap warm while I write and provide much amusement.
I frequently end up putting my cats in books. Wiggle is in Ordinary Charm, for example. Kara, Niccolo's immortal familiar in the Embraced series, was actually one of my cats. When she died--which hurt BUNCHES--I decided she needed to be included in my books. Self-indulgent of me, definitely, however I think Kara ends up being important to Niccolo. The cat keeps him from going off the deep end and anchors him emotionally.
Which is what they do for me, too, after all.
So, as I inhale cat hair and try to make room for the TWO cats wanting to occupy the same space in my lap, I keep this in mind.
