Do you put animals in your novels? If so, which ones?
On the animal theme, today I'm over at Catt Hughes' blog answering her wonderful questions. And courtesy of India Drummond, here is the cutest cat video I have ever seen.
Happy Tuesday!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
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I do put animals in my novels-- domestic ones. So far, cats and dogs that belong to characters in the book. Fairly straightforward.
ReplyDeleteSo far no animals. They'd be messy in space.
ReplyDeleteAww, that was so adorable! That reminded me of my cat (now my mom's cat since I grew up and moved out) when she had kittens. One of the kittens looked just like the kitten in the video.
ReplyDeleteI love animals in books and I sometimes sneak animals into my own writing. My coming soon novel, INTIMATE HEALING, has more dogs then humans in it. I had a few very entertaining funny dog scenes in that novel, to offset the emotional darker scenes, but my editor had me delete them as they really didn't add to the story.
animals in a novel are cool.
ReplyDeleteI haven't included animals in my first book or my current WIP. That's partly because the series is set in New York and I don't know what the rules are with people keeping pets in their apartments, but also because I tend to be a bit tough on my characters. I don't mind hurting them, but I don't want to hurt someone's pet dog or cat.
ReplyDeleteI like animals in novels too. I think they add another layer to them. And, that is just so adorable with the mother cat hugging her baby. So cute!
ReplyDeleteIn my second I have several animals. The POV runs a farm and I have chosen a few animals to give names, I couldn't resist.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have noticed Network blogs won't allow me to comment, but if I go direct to your blog I can.
I usually put animals in my novels because I cannot have them in real life. I'm allergic to just about anything. So not fair. Would love to have a cat or dog.
ReplyDeleteI love animals but I haven't used anything other than a dog yet. That video is ADORABLE!
ReplyDeleteAh, that's so cute! I tend not to put animals in novels, but maybe I should!
ReplyDeleteI do have a kitten in the novel I'm querying now. Pets give another connection to the reader ...
ReplyDeleteI like them too, largely because I think you can tell so much about PEOPLE by the animals they keep and their relationship, but yes... about half the time they get dumped as a detail that doesn't drive the story. Sad, that...
ReplyDeleteI seem to have a cat in almost every story. For my MC she goes through a tough time and nothing seems to cheer her up but the attitude of a cat just adds that little extra drama I desire.
ReplyDeleteMy latest MC has a cat named Pessy because everyone around her is being optimistic and she wants someone who is willing to be pestimistic when she's around. Hence the name Pessy.
I've got some animals in my novel, but they're not major characters.
ReplyDeleteThat video, though, is adorable.
Cats. Kittens. Maybe birds. More cats. Oh ok, a dog here and there.
ReplyDeleteBugs. Ahem.
Awwww I love this clip - soooooooooooooo sweet!!! Yay!! take care
x
Oh, that is a squee moment!!
ReplyDeleteAw, that video is so cute!
ReplyDeleteMost of the animals I add you won't find in someone's house or at a zoo. LOL Dragons and unicorns, etc...
I do put animals in sometimes! I open my book with a cat (that never reappears, though I've been amazingly lucky in that my agent and editor have not suggested getting rid of it yet!) and one of my characters has a dog who appears now and then. I'm determined to make him important one day. Maybe he'll save a life.
ReplyDeleteThat video is AMAZING!
Love that video so much.
ReplyDeleteI've brought my dad's old toy Schnauzer back to life in one of my WIP's (and my dad actually, which is a lovely thing to be able to do) and she's just as drippy as she ever was; but I don't think you can beat Jenny Crusie for animals in novels - they're very nearly the MC in some of them - fabulous personalities.
Gotta love animals. Cute video.
ReplyDeleteMason
Thoughts in Progress
Freelance Editing By Mason
I've had dogs in my stories but I too often end up removing them. I worry if they're left on their own for too long. Your blog title really caught my eye. Yesterday I mentioned in my blog that my new cats were definitely not hunters but this morning I caught sight of Charlie racing down the path with a terrified frog leaping along a mere couple of inches from her whiskers.
ReplyDeleteThat is a super sweet video! I have not yet added a pet into my writings. But you have me thinking I may add a pet snake (even though the character is far from 'snakey'). It may hit the axe later but could be fun writing.
ReplyDeleteRandom animals abound! Actually I think it makes it more like "real life" to read about characters who have animals. :)
ReplyDeleteErm... yup. I've just spent a 2000 word scene with one very important character in my WIP - Dennis the rather grumpy english bull terrier - no way he's being cut :)
ReplyDeleteLx
Soooo cute!
ReplyDeleteI've used animals to further the plot/create conflict or add humor. F'instance, in one novel my characters go to visit the male lead's aunt, and she's got one of those repulsive small yippy dogs who wants to "kiss" everyone. My female character doesn't want to be "kissed" by a dog that's just finished licking his balls for five minutes like it's a full time job.
It can be difficult to give a character a pet, unless you also establish arrangements to have it cared for when the character is off doing whatever, just like a real life pet.
Melt my heart with this video!
ReplyDeleteA novel is like a home--gotta have a pet of some kind.
That was a really cute video! I have put animals in one of my wip- a horse, and then I have put a cat in one of my short stories.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge animal lover too. Giraffes are my favorite. Still trying to figure out how to put one in one of my books. Challenging, but I think it can be done. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteThe kitten's waving! :)
ReplyDeleteI remember a few animals in Charlotte's Web & Animal Farm!
Not much on animals in novels but maybe in the future.
That was the most adorable video EVER. I love animals but until recently I haven't put them in my novels. My new historical fantasy is centered around a horse though.
ReplyDeleteYes, I LOVE animals in real life and I LOVE them in books! In my adult romances, I haven't really included a large amount of animals. Plenty of horses (my favorites!) and other appropriate beasts in my historicals, but not as much in my contemporaries. Yet. Now that I think about it I tend to sprinkle my Young Adult stories with more four-legged characters than my adult books for some reason.
ReplyDeleteOMG, that is so cute!
ReplyDeleteI sprinkle all my books with animals. Can't resist them. (Although I do sometimes remove them before my editor sees them.)
I'm not a big fan of animals generally and have never written them in. But that is such a cute video! I have a big sappy smile on my face now, lol...
ReplyDeleteI'm heading over to Catt's blog to read your latest interview. I did write once about our family goldfish that lived to a ripe old age. Julie
ReplyDeleteI like reading books that have animals in them. I hope your random livestock stays in your next book, how cool to read a book with a guinea pig, goldfish, etc, whether it has anything to do with the story or not.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cute.
ReplyDeleteI include animals, but usually dogs and horses, probably because I know more about them than other animals.
Other than a horse for transportation purposes, no animals have shown up in my novel yet. There's still time, so they may. :)
ReplyDeleteWill hop over to see your interview.
I have put a pet named Bubbles in my novel. It's an exotic pet and I can't give away what kind of pet it is because that will ruin the story but I like various animals in the books.
ReplyDeleteI don't put animals in my stories because my characters would forget to feed them.
ReplyDeleteI love that video! I haven't put any animals in my novels yet, but I'm hoping my kitten Lucy will make an appearance at some point.
ReplyDeleteAwww, Talli, thanks for sharing this! I found my lil beta fish, "King Triton," dead before having to go to work this morning, and I was so bummed. Had him a year! Cleaned his little bowl last night, then found him this morning. The maintenance people at our apartment had been messing with the water and pipes yesterday, and I think something must have gotten into the water I put in the bowl. :[ But this adorable video just totally made my day and made me smile! Thank you!! :]
ReplyDeleteAs I write poetry I love to write about animals.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
So far I have horses, but nothing else. Hmm . . . something to think about. :)
ReplyDeleteYou know what? I haven't put an animal in any of my manuscripts; well, excluding my picture book. Thanks for pointing that out. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh yes. I always through a cat or two in there and then have to take them out. Well, most of 'em.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the adorable mother cat and kitten hug video before... so cute!
ReplyDeleteI've featured a cat turning up in my novel, living at Ten Downing Street.
Yes, that is a wonderful video...just adorable!
ReplyDeleteI considered putting a cat in mine, then couldn't be bothered to look after it!
ReplyDeleteHi Talli,
ReplyDeleteYes my first novel heavily features a rabbit... He's a LOT more than he seems to be.
I lke to put horses in mine. And dogs.:)
ReplyDeleteLovely cats...
ReplyDeleteGreetings from France,
Pierre
I have yet to write a novel, but I do often include the same image of a certain snooty cat in my blog entries....
ReplyDeleteAnd, if I WERE to write a novel, I would also include a cat, as a matter of fact. I've always thought I would have the narrator describe it as a "strange, black specter that roams the house silently, seeing all and judging nothing."
C'mon. That's a nice little flourish of language, isn't it?
OOOOOOOOOo, love furry creatures! I think they add dimension to a story. Mine are a bit different though since they talk, and really sometimes they talk to much...lol!
ReplyDeleteI've got a dog in my latest one - and a cat in the previous one. Loved the video!
ReplyDeleteI haven't put any domestic animals in my stories. I have thrown in a few wild ones though.
ReplyDeleteI did have a rather large Tarantula in one of my short stories once, which ate one of his owners. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteBless. That video really is the cutest ever!
Ellie Garratt
Oh yes, I love animals in stories!
ReplyDeleteOne MMC of mine has a dog and I've used scenes with him chatting and playing with the dog to show what a scrumptious guy he is!
Aww.. so adorable.
ReplyDeleteI put the odd animal in mine, such as stray dogs, alley cats. Not so much as pets, probably because of the genre I write.
Great post to get one thinking about what we have/haven't in our writing!
Oh my gosh, this video is so precious! Love it, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love including animals in my stories as well, it's so fun to have my characters interact with pets. For me it helps add to a character's personality.
Cute picture. I'm putting a kitten in my WIP. :O)
ReplyDeleteThat video is possibly the most outrageously adorable thing I've ever seen. And I used to have a cat who would hold hands with me as I slept. True.
ReplyDeleteI put cats in my books all the time: my Sophie Green series features Sophie's adored-yet-violent tabby cat, who in no way resembles my own adored-yet-violent cat Jemima. She's Tortoiseshell, you see.
I also wrote in my old dog, Honey, because she was too lovely not to. I've debated writing in my Demon Puppy, but do I want my readers to put the book down hating dogs...?