I grew up with no pets. No, that's not completely true. My older sister had a turtle named Tillie May Turtle when I was ten and a parakeet named Budgie. However, these were my sister's pets and not the kind I wanted. I longed for something with fur that I could pet. Turtles aren't cuddly creatures and Budgie didn't like people.
Miracle of miracles: my sister was keeping a kitten for a friend whose mother nixed the adoption--and my mother allowed me to keep him. We named him Hercules, a BIG name for a small creature.
My husband grew up with dogs and horses and cats and rabbits. When we married, I inherited his dog, a puli (Hungarian sheepdog) named Andromedia. I discovered the wonderful world of canines who adore their owners, are loyal and loving. Thus began the addition of more pets and the progression toward what a friend called "the Louisville Zoo" due to our home full of creatures.
Where am I going with this? We've been blessed with wonderful animals, funny stories and sad endings. I once hoped to write a book about them but haven't found time. I did write a blog entry a while back about our cat Maggie who wasn't speaking to me after I took her to the vet. Because some of you liked that story, every now and then I'm going to write about my animals here. Hope you enjoy those.
What is your favorite animal from fiction?
4 comments:
Write your story Jane. It could make a wonderful children's book.I have always been crazy about horses and dogs. I had the good fortune to own two horses. I once hand-raised twenty baby calves. It was a chore having to rise early, cook the colustrum, fill the bottles, then walk to the pasture. Some of the calves were born without suckling instincts. It was fun teaching them to suckle my fingers before they learned to suckle the bottle's rubber nipple.
I can't imagine a home with out animals. I grew up with goldfish and a parakeet, but no furry pet. When I got married a friend gave us a mutt. We've had a range of dog breeds and a horse since then.
Animals in a story are like adding children. They add another dimension.
I agree that animals add another dimension to a story. It's a great way to show character by showing how different people react to animals and sometimes it helps to have your heroine talk to her dog instead of herself. Besides, I think most of us just enjoy spending time with animals, whether in real life or fiction.
Loretta, Zelda and Sandy--thanks for stopping by. Loretta, I've tried writing YA and children's books, but dont' seem to have that voice. Zelda and Sandy, I agree about animals adding a lot to a story. In every novel I've written, I put one in (if I could). First, because I love them but also, as you said, because they do add to the story and because they can be used in so many ways for characterization.
Jane
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