Animals & Writing

Since I am currently writing a short story which will be done in a few days, as well as some other stuff, I don’t have any new writing to share here. Check out some stuff while you’re here, by navigating the menu on top of every page, or, down below:

• A brief (hi)story of me
• Blog
• Contact Form
• Fiction
  • Lambda
  • Deathway
  • Space, Time, and The Entities in Between – Volume I
• Nonfiction
  • Advent of Code – a Walkthrough
    • Advent of Code 2015
    • Advent of Code 2016
    • Advent of Code 2017

That said, I will at least write about a topic that I’ve been thinking about a lot recently: animals and writing. Technically, the group animals is so broad that includes us people too of course!

More specifically though, I’ve never really made any kind of animal, pet or wild one center stage in any of my writings so far. I don’t have a precise reason why honestly. I just didn’t really much think about it, because I didn’t have any pets in my life growing up.

Until I met my wife that is, and then joined in her little family composed of three cats and a dog. I’m not going to delve explicitly in my personal life too far here other than to say, I’ve loved them. I’ve experienced the loss of some. And recently, the joy and pains of getting new ones. Both two kittens over the last few years as well as two puppies (beagles, litter mates) just recently.

In the picture, the two of them sleeping peacefully (currently almost 15 weeks old). Diana (named after the Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals) and Buttermilk Biscuit. About the only time I can work on writing, editing or whatever else is when they’re passed out.

Anyhow, all of these experiences have made it so that I will definitely, indubitably, have to make some other animals (meaning, not just humans) central to plots in the future. Of course not every single thing that I write, but there’s definitely going to be a bigger presence at least. I feel like the last few years have been quite enlightening in that regard, to where I’m better prepared to tackle it properly.

I think that by not including any kind of other pets or animals, I’m just missing the point of being human. Dogs specifically have been with us people for tens of thousands of years and we’ve domesticated cats for quite a while as well. Either way, unless the story really does not need or benefit from a four legged companion, or, is in such a setting to where it wouldn’t even be possible to have one, I think there need to be some. I need to work on it.

It is our species after all, that wants to touch, pet, scratch and caress anything that looks even remotely alive. Wild wolves that are not growling? Pet them. Sharks that can eat you whole? Pet them. Cats that will cut you in half? Of course pet them! Elephants that could crush you with their feet? Only makes sense to pet them.

Ultimately, I’ve been thinking about this topic on and off and I do understand there’s a whole lot of people who don’t want anything to do with dogs, cats, or any other animal. Nothing wrong with that, it’s a personal choice. Humanity as a whole though, we’re deeply and irrevocably interconnected with the other living and breathing organisms on the World(s) that we share.