Writing With Pets

Tessie thinking, “Yeah, your character development needs work in Chapter Three.”

I think all writers’ households should have pets (barring allergy issues and such). There are definitely good reasons to keep furry family members around, such as:

1) They make great, noncritical first readers, as long as you’re willing to read stuff out loud (which you should be doing anyway, since it’s a great way to catch errors or moments of awkwardness.)

2) Long walks are good for thinking out complicated plots, and dogs help with that.

3) It’s important to read a lot to keep up with the field, and cats help with that by insisting–insisting–that you settle down in the comfy armchair with a cup of tea so they can sit on your lap and purr.

4) They are good to hug after rejection letters.

So I’m pleased to announce that, as well as Karma the Puppy of Infinite Appetite, we now have a new furry family member: Tessie. She is still quite shy, but crept out of hiding this morning to sit on my lap in the comfy armchair, so I think she’s going to be great addition.