Today is the final day of the 25th Annual Cat Writers’ Association Conference, and I’m sad for it to end. The time went by fast, with presentations, networking, and good meals among old and new friends. People won awards, made connections, and learned things about cats and cat writing. I enjoyed it all, from the fiction panel in which I participated to the book sales and signing event. If you are a cat writer, artist, blogger, photographer, or pursue any creative aspect of the cat, you, too, might consider joining the Cat Writers’ Association. It has been very helpful for me. (And fun, too!)
But what exactly is a cat writer, you ask.
When you Google Cat Writer, you really don’t get a whole lot of joy. Most of the links go to various paws of the CWA. But there you have it: If there is a Cat Writers’ Association, then it logically follows that there are cat writers. That these fur-tive storytellers are difficult to define makes perfect sense when you consider the mysterious and unique nature of the animal they emulate.
It’s really very simple: cat writers write cat-centric books and stories. They write both fiction and non-fiction, anything that features felines in a majority of the content. (A cat on the book cover or sitting on Grandma’s lap in chapter seven does not a cat book make.) Cat non-fiction includes but is not limited to cat memoir, cat help, cat poetry, and cat behavior. Cat fiction can be just about anything: cat mysteries, cat cozies, and cat sci-fi are only a few of the more popular sub-sub genres.
Why write cat? What is it about the feline species that propels it to such literary popularity? When did writers first begin to introduce cats as a vital part of their stories? Why do readers lap them up like a saucer of cream?*
Do you have a favorite cat book or cat writer? If so, let me know, and I
will do my best to reply. (Be aware that I’m still having problems with that.
For some reason, no matter how many times I log in to Blogger, it doesn’t
recognize me and my comments just disappear! I’ve tried everything short of a
new computer, which isn’t going to happen. Sometimes it works perfectly though, just to
drive me crazy.)
*(PS: milk products, including cream, are not good for adult cats and will likely cause diarrhea)
Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:
Happy reading!
I love the term "cat-centric" and I believe it is certainly an appropriate tag. I have several favorite cats, the best being my cat, Liberty, who died last October after a very long and happy life.
ReplyDeleteCats seem perfect for mystery stories because they are little mysteries themselves.
All the best to you, Mollie...
Yes, they do!
ReplyDelete