HOW A WRITER IS LIKE A CAT, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

 

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

I just adopted a cat—another one—and as I watched this new boy do his cat thing, it suddenly occurred to me why my writer’s lifestyle fits so fluidly with that of the clowder*.  There are exceptions of course, like when Tyler thinks breakfast should be at five in the morning. I’m not an early riser and I don’t do anything before coffee. But in many ways, we are very much alike. 

Crazy in the wee hours.

Writers are known to get some of their best story ideas in the middle of the night. My cat Tyler seems to think that’s a pretty good time to dash around the house like a mad thing—not so different from me typing feverishly on my laptop at 3:00 a.m. 

Solitary among others.

Cats are aloof, no matter where they are. There may be ten other cats in the room, yet each of them rests in their own little bubble. Though some writers are gregarious, many are introverts whose way of adapting to life with people is to create a personal space for themselves alone. 

Tight focus.

Have you ever watched a cat go after a moth? They are fixated on their prey to such an extent that their skin twitches and their pupils dilate. It’s as if there is nothing else in the world. When I’m writing, I become so focused in my work that time ceases to exist. A gun could go off and I might not notice. 

Photo by Bill Stephan on Unsplash

Routine.

Anyone who knows cats has learned, one way or another, that cats thrive on routine. They have an established schedule and are unhappy when that schedule is interrupted or changed. Writers often share that respect for routine and can get very nasty when someone intrudes on their designated writing period. 

Some people won’t like us.

Just as some humans suffer from ailurophobia, there are those who don’t like writers either. “Dislike” may be too strong a word. Perhaps “misunderstand” would be more accurate. There is a misconception that a writers’ life is easy, merely jotting down stories on paper and picking up million dollar checks. If that were truly the case, I’d be jealous too, but unfortunately it’s not. 

Naps.

All creative endeavors require rest. Napping with cats restores energy to both cat and human.

Photo by Tucker Good on Unsplash

 

There are other ways writers are like cats, at least I enjoy thinking it’s so.

That’s all for meow.

 

*Clowder: a group of cats.

Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy where cats save the world. She also pens a bit of cat poetry. 

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.wordpress.com

Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

@MollieHuntCats

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AN INTROVERT TAKES ON THE WORLD, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

  “Writing is something you do alone. It’s a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.” John Green

Writers are notoriously known to be introverts. It makes sense. Who else would choose to hole themselves up alone in a room for hours on end immersed in one’s own thoughts and imaginings? When the other kids are yelling for you to come out and play, you shut the blinds and pretend you’re not there. When given a choice between going to a party and staying home, home wins out every time. When you do go to the party, you wind up talking to the cat. Sound familiar? This is me, for sure.

Some people think introverts make better writers, because they are more aware of their surroundings, more at home in their heads. But writing is only half of a writers’ job. The other half is shameless self-promotion in the form of readings, presentations, and author events, all of which require taking your introverted little self out in public. What could be more alien or abhorrent to a true introvert than talking in front of the masses? Public speaking scares most people, but for an introvert, it’s a version of absolute hell.

There are solutions though, and no, it’s not imagining the audience naked. For me, it’s slipping on an alter ego, one that can withstand the rigors of crowds and confusion; one that is not the least bit bashful or shy.

Let me introduce you to ~Mollie Hunt Cat Writer~ (or MHCW for short). MHCW is part Wonder Woman, part Audrey Hepburn, part Hillary Clinton, and part my mother. She is talkative, friendly, self-assured, assertive, and a little bit loud. She is thick-skinned and cannot be offended or hurt. She is part cat. These are her super-powers.

The template for this alter-me was first invented when I did antique and collectible sales, so I guess she’s part hawker* as well. I needed her because, on my own, no one would notice me let alone buy my wares. I’d had some acting experience which I used to develop  a persona that worked for the situation. Now I carry that into my writer’s life, not to sell stuff but to sell myself.

The world is a scary place. People may not like me. I may mess up and forget words. Things may screw up that are out of my control. I may spill coffee down the front of my dress. But whatever happens, MHCW can deal with it.  I have to believe in her, because otherwise I would never leave my house.

If you want to see how it works, just come watch me speak at the International Cat Writers Association Conference in Houston. (Yikes!)  I’m giving a presentation called “Changing the World Through Fiction: 7 (plus 1) techniques to effectively promote your point of view.”

*For more on hawking, check out my blogpost, Hawking Your Wares, from November 19th, 2017.

Check out more blogposts by Mollie Hunt at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more  

Happy reading!

WRITING IS LIKE…, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Google the phrase, “Writing is like…” and you get pages of insights from all across the board.

Writing is like building a bridge while you’re on it. Writing is like giving yourself homework. Writing is like a sport… prostitution… sex.

But what is writing really like to real writers, the ones who have been successful enough for us to know their names?

Today I am passing on the wisdom of others, fellows actually on the writing path.

 “If you are not a reader, don’t even think about writing.”  

~Jean Auel

“There is a certain degree of faith required in writing fiction… You have to take a deep breath, let go of your usual control, and then begin walking in the dark.”   

~Elizabeth Berg

 “Time enough to think and cut and rewrite tomorrow. But today- explode- fly apart- disintegrate. The other six or seven drafts are going to be pure torture. So why not enjoy the first draft in the hope that your joy will seek and find others in the world who, reading your story, will catch fire too?”   

~Ray Bradbury

 “Writing is like being in love. You never get better at it or learn more about it. The day you think you do is the day you lose it.”   

~James Lee Burke

“Two questions form the foundation of all novels: ‘What if?’ and ‘What next?’”   

~Tom Clancy

 “I never started a book that I expected to finish.”   

~Steven King

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”   

~Jack London

And a special favorite of mine:

“Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.”   

~Kurt Vonnegut

Do you have any favorite quotes about the writing path?

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!

YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN, UNLESS YOU’RE A WRITER. by Mollie Hunt

When I quit my job of 15 years, I vowed to my workplace friends I’d come back to visit. Over a year and I haven’t been back yet. 

My parents spent their final days in a lovely assisted living community where they, and I, made many friends. At their funerals, I promised I would see everyone again. I’ve not fulfilled that promise either. 

It’s not that I don’t mean it– I do. But life goes on. Things change. Time passes, and nothing is ever the same. Though the phrase, “You can’t go home again”, classically refers to one’s childhood, at 64, I have a whole compendium of things to which I can never return. 

Except, I can. 

In words and stories, I have visited those rooms of childhood, run through the spring-lit gardens of youth, dropped in and said hello to history, caressed the sounds and scents of days gone long ago. I have dwelt in dreams, righted wrongs, and even taken my share of revenge. (“Never wrong a writer. They get their revenge in print.”)  

In Placid River Runs Deep, I went back to my childhood summer place, got to visit with my grandmother, and watch the sun set over the hills once more. 

In Broken Roses, I killed the man who abused me. 

In L. E. Catts and the Seven of Swords, I courted a bad-boy old flame. 

In my cat mysteries, I see a better stronger different version of myself.

Through writing, there is no place I cannot go.

Happy Reading!

Be sure to visit my Website, Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and More,  

and my Facebook Writer’s Page at Mollie Hunt, Writer.

Check out Cat's Paw, my latest Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery on Amazon.

Happy "Mew" Year

Happy "Mew" Year, every one! New Year's is a time for new calendars, blank pages, and fresh starts. However, even as we step out with a new spring in our step, some things don't change and I'm okay with that. For example, I hope that I will always have a "mewse" in my life.

Cricket, Toots, and Delilah are always up for a reason to celebrate and help their mom show off her mad Photoshop skills. ;-)

You see, like many writers, I'm a cat lover. I'm not sure why there seems to be such a natural bond between authors and felines, but I suspect it is because most writers are introverts.which means that we need solitude to recharge our batteries. Our furry companions are okay with this because most of them prefer one-on-one interactions as well. It may also have something to do with the fact that a writer in the act of writing becomes a bit of a captive audience. After all, by sitting down we made a lap. Obviously, we made it just for them, right?

When I first began writing, I used a desktop computer. I sat sideways in front of the desk so that my lap would be available for Tess, my earliest mewse. When Tess left us for the Rainbow Bridge, other cats were waiting in the wings to take her place. Over time, I gave up the desktop for the freedom of a laptop. I now spend my writing time in a recliner or on my bed, depending on the noise level in the house and the location of said noise. I will be as far from the sound as I can possibly get since I need peace and quiet in order to write.

In my house, the opening of my laptop has much the same impact on my cats as opening a can of tuna. As soon as my fanny hits my seat and the laptop is open, there is a cat in my lap. While I love their company, it sometimes makes writing physically difficult. For example, Busby, my current mewse, is a large cat weighting approximately twenty pounds. When Busby is passed out on my lap, he is usually lying on my arms, making typing difficult. However, we make it work as this post proves. (He is "helping" me now.)

Busby sends his love!

However, my mewses don't limit themselves to physical interactions. One mewse, a cat named Zombie, became the inspiration for my sweet paranormal romance series set in the fictional town of Kudzu Korners, Georgia. Dial V for Vampire, the first book in the series, will be published by Fire Star Press in 2016. *squee* Expect to learn more about Zombie closer to release date.

My cats have played such an important role in my life that it seems only natural that all of my stories contain animals, especially cats. All of my cats are rescues so I also donate a portion of the proceeds from my book sales to help animals in need.

I'm looking forward to 2016 with my mewses. I can't wait to see what we accomplish together!

Tell me about your furry family in the comments. Dogs? Cats? Rats? Even better, post pictures!

About the author:

Isabella Norse scored major "cool mom" points by playing the same video games as her sons and their friends. In these virtual worlds she slayed demons and destroyed machines bent on galactic extermination while simultaneously wooing cocky assassins and sexy aliens. She fell in love with the make-believe worlds and rich characters that inhabited them and now writes her own tales of love, romance, and adventure.

Still a gamer – and still cool – Isabella lives in Georgia with her husband and a herd of rescue cats. She loves to hear from readers and can be found here:

Website:  http://www.isabellanorse.com/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorIzzy

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