It was my turn to pick the topic this month. My question for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog was:How do your pets/kids/plants (something you take care of) influence your writing? Do they help you, or distract you? Do you include them in your stories?
People rarely inspire my fiction, but the animals in my life often have. I’ve even named a kitten after one of my characters, then used his personality to guide the character’s behavior.
I’ve asked what my darling, long deceased Mystic would have done if she’d been human and in such a situation. Her ghost informed me she’d never act as silly as humans do and would never have gotten into such a situation. When I reminded her of some of the stunts she pulled in life, she just stared at me with that cool cat stare that says “You’re thinking of someone else, but I’m too polite to correct you.” LOL! She was good at that.
My family had horses when I was a teen, and horses are often supporting characters in my stories. Occasionally they have more personality than my humans. Horses are more than a mode of transportation. They have feelings and reactions and quirks, and they most certainly are not cars that can run forever without tiring. Horses are fairly fragile, and die from misuse or accident, in real life and in my fiction.
Churchill, my current owner cat, is purely a distraction. He insists he needs to lie upon my keyboard. No way, my lad. That’s one of the few battles I’ve won.
How do animals affect your writing? Do you like stories with animals as significant characters?
