Yesterday, my genius kitten tossed a plastic tumbler of iced tea to the floor and somehow managed to break out a big piece of the bottom. I still haven't found that piece. Thanks to this amazing effort by him, I briefly nicknamed him the wonder twit. By the time I finished cleaning up the puddle of tea, I'd decided that wasn't a very nice nickname, so I changed it to the wonder kitten, because it's a wonder he's making it out of kittenhood without doing serious damage to himself or anyone/anything else.
Being the writer I am, the name Sergei the Wonder Kitten got me thinking about books. The name just begs for a picture book series by the same title, and Sergei in all of his mischievous wisdom gives me plenty of fodder for stories. Thinking about basing a series of picture books on my own cat also reminded me of Jan Karon's Mitford series. In those books, the character Cynthia writes and illustrates picture books about a white cat named Violet. Of course, she replaces her pet Violet as necessary. If I do write a series about Sergei the Wonder Kitten, I'm not sure if I could ever replace the little guy with another black cat named Sergei. He's one of a kind, which is probably for the best given the mischief he gets into and creates.
So, here I am in the midst of edits on one story, three manuscripts I'm determined to rewrite, another story I'm close to typing "The End" on, and I'm thinking about writing a picture book series. Am I crazy? Of course, but I've said for years that if you're not crazy when you go into the publishing industry, you will be soon.
The real question is one I'll pose to you, the readers. If you saw a picture book series called Sergei the Wonder Kitten, would you read it to or buy it for the kids in your life? Or if you're like me and love picture books, read it for the fun of it?
Showing posts with label kittens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kittens. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Bibliocat
I've always loved the idea of a bibliocat. What author wouldn't want a cat who loves books as much as she does? I've just never had the pleasure of owning one...until now.
About a week ago, I adopted the most adorable black tabby kitten. Sergei is a sweet little boy kitty, who can be ornery or cuddly, depending on how sleepy he is. He loves affection and shares it freely. Some of his favorite places to sleep are bookshelves and the book on my nightstand. He curls up in my lap when I'm writing, reading, or editing. Yes, I think this kitten may love the written word as much as his human.
As I write this post, Sergei is curled up within easy petting distance on the bookshelf right beside my computer. He has books next to him, an educational catalog underneath him, and a notebook right beside his head. I wonder what he'd write if he knew how?
A couple of years ago, I wrote a story from the perspective of a kitten. I based the thing on my memories of my last cat's kittenhood, which had ended several years before I wrote the story. Thanks to Sergei, I'm thinking about that story again and wondering where I could submit it. The little guy is proving that all of the kitten observation I did all those years ago was useful; Sergei could easily be the kitten in my story, even though it's very loosely based on a different kitten.
This all goes to show that everything is fodder for a writer, even a new kitten. My little bibliocat in training is sure to make a cameo appearance in a story at some point. I've already considered adding his fictional counterpart to one of my young adult WIPs. Since the main character loves cats, but doesn't currently have one, she's a perfect candidate for her father to surprise with a kitten. While this fictional kitten may not be a sweet little black tabby, it will undoubtedly share at least some of the same personality traits as my little Sergei. And who knows? Maybe I'll make the fictional kitten a bibliocat in the making. After all, people aren't the only ones who enjoy books.
About a week ago, I adopted the most adorable black tabby kitten. Sergei is a sweet little boy kitty, who can be ornery or cuddly, depending on how sleepy he is. He loves affection and shares it freely. Some of his favorite places to sleep are bookshelves and the book on my nightstand. He curls up in my lap when I'm writing, reading, or editing. Yes, I think this kitten may love the written word as much as his human.
As I write this post, Sergei is curled up within easy petting distance on the bookshelf right beside my computer. He has books next to him, an educational catalog underneath him, and a notebook right beside his head. I wonder what he'd write if he knew how?
A couple of years ago, I wrote a story from the perspective of a kitten. I based the thing on my memories of my last cat's kittenhood, which had ended several years before I wrote the story. Thanks to Sergei, I'm thinking about that story again and wondering where I could submit it. The little guy is proving that all of the kitten observation I did all those years ago was useful; Sergei could easily be the kitten in my story, even though it's very loosely based on a different kitten.
This all goes to show that everything is fodder for a writer, even a new kitten. My little bibliocat in training is sure to make a cameo appearance in a story at some point. I've already considered adding his fictional counterpart to one of my young adult WIPs. Since the main character loves cats, but doesn't currently have one, she's a perfect candidate for her father to surprise with a kitten. While this fictional kitten may not be a sweet little black tabby, it will undoubtedly share at least some of the same personality traits as my little Sergei. And who knows? Maybe I'll make the fictional kitten a bibliocat in the making. After all, people aren't the only ones who enjoy books.
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