tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post4234328627997196941..comments2023-05-30T04:55:18.889-05:00Comments on A Writer's Blog: PetsScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-24355298215538761972009-04-28T15:27:00.000-05:002009-04-28T15:27:00.000-05:00I so agree with you. I love Rex and everything e...I so agree with you. I love Rex and everything eating dog, who despite the size and amount of ummm poop he produces, still manages to be fit into every days life of the characters.<br />Pets add a little extra color to the picture, and I always enjoy reads where they are included.<br /><br />Aggie<br /><br />http://nocturnal-intellect.blogspot.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12047704295669804216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-86510614117277399252009-04-28T11:46:00.000-05:002009-04-28T11:46:00.000-05:00Davin - is a character stepping on the hacked up h...Davin - is a character stepping on the hacked up hairball charming? Yes, that unfortunately did happen to a character, but was - sadly - based on true life events. 'That' is what I try to put into my writing when a character has a pet. I'm all about the character curling up on the couch with a cat/dog. I'm also about the cleaning up the messes, the 'drat, I've got to run home at lunch and let the dog out because the wife/partner/girlfriend/whatever is out of town' and all the other, very minor I might add, cons of having a pet. <br /><br />I also agree that if the pet doesn't truly serve a purpose in the writing, then the pet needs to just disappear. I've had peripheral characters disappear through the edit process when I realized they really don't serve a purpose.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments.<br /><br />SScotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-25272248677304596272009-04-28T11:28:00.000-05:002009-04-28T11:28:00.000-05:00I also think pets are great, and I use pets a lot ...I also think pets are great, and I use pets a lot in my stories. In the context of writing, though, I think a pet should be considered as a character just like anyone else. So, if that character becomes extraneous--if it plays no other role in the story other than to be charming--I'd probably consider cutting it. But there are a lot of occasions when a pet is critical.Davin Malasarnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09385823575081492949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-16917770401322853712009-04-28T07:10:00.000-05:002009-04-28T07:10:00.000-05:00Lady Glamis - will the dog 'humanize' your villain...Lady Glamis - will the dog 'humanize' your villain? What type of dog? Rottweiler or Yorkie? : ) I sometimes think the choice of pets (or the type of dog/cat) for the character makes all the difference in the world.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-3824205718003747362009-04-28T07:07:00.000-05:002009-04-28T07:07:00.000-05:00KLO - to a certain extent, I do think some authors...KLO - to a certain extent, I do think some authors use the stereotypical ideal of pets for their characters. For me, I take from real life. I have a friend with 8 dogs. I somehow created a character with 8 dogs. Go figure. : ) <br /><br />As I mentioned, Stephanie Plum has a hamster named Rex. Too funny, too real, and I look forward to the small interactions with Rex.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-61149884336226685762009-04-27T19:03:00.000-05:002009-04-27T19:03:00.000-05:00I agree! Pets can really show the depth of a chara...I agree! Pets can really show the depth of a character, and if you're looking for a way to endear your reader to your characters, that may just be the ticket.<br /><br />Thanks for the link to my post. And I always think all your comments are brilliant!<br /><br />In one of my next novels I plan on putting a dog in there for one of the villains. It'll be fun... :DMichelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-50066470447945973812009-04-27T19:01:00.000-05:002009-04-27T19:01:00.000-05:00Just out of curiosity (reading the blogs of others...Just out of curiosity (reading the blogs of others usually gets me off on tangents, so I apologize :-)), do you ever find that a lot of authors use stereotypical pets for their characters (an agoraphobic old woman with a ton of cats roaming around, for example)? Or maybe do they go too far to try to break a stereotype? I agree with you that interactions with pets (or even their reaction to animals) make characters more real to me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13955854427063032485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-72636102568014065272009-04-27T16:41:00.000-05:002009-04-27T16:41:00.000-05:00Woo hoo! One of my characters has a dog. It helps ...Woo hoo! One of my characters has a dog. It helps show his gentle nature. :-)Tracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16399764927137200395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-4747828125810030292009-04-27T16:11:00.000-05:002009-04-27T16:11:00.000-05:00Thanks for your kind thoughts and you have an exce...Thanks for your kind thoughts and you have an excellent point there. As pets can add color to our lives and I don't see they can't also do the same thing in our writing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11925571931921567505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-74690532918165711302009-04-27T12:34:00.000-05:002009-04-27T12:34:00.000-05:00Jennifer - it's the little things that 'make' the ...Jennifer - it's the little things that 'make' the characters. Pets are one of those things. : )Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-36389765627582771282009-04-27T12:28:00.000-05:002009-04-27T12:28:00.000-05:00Tess - w/MG, I'd definitely play up the frog angle...Tess - w/MG, I'd definitely play up the frog angle, especially if the MC is a boy, or, if a girl it would be really interesting since it falls outside of stereotypical girl behavior. If I remember correctly, my sisters thought frogs were gross, which led my brother and I into all sorts of trouble. : )Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905515473737579937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-73859294949257512392009-04-27T12:24:00.000-05:002009-04-27T12:24:00.000-05:00I agree. Since I write historicals, my characters ...I agree. Since I write historicals, my characters are often calling their horses by name. However, I do need more animals, now that I think of it.Jennifer Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06360330085131177132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4110160045151463659.post-50243661698593337432009-04-27T12:15:00.000-05:002009-04-27T12:15:00.000-05:00Interesting thought. I should put more animals in...Interesting thought. I should put more animals in my writing. I guess it takes all my creative power to follow the mystery line/characters/sub characters/setting...that I just don't get to the pets. I do have frogs in my finished ms (the one I am submitting -- remember, this is a middle grade novel) and it might be a good idea to go back and play that part up a bit.Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10014195715998913268noreply@blogger.com