Why Writers Love the Company of Pets
Creative people spend a lot of time alone. For many of us, the silent presence of another being is both soothing and a spur to imagination. Dogs, cats, and their writers — a love story.
Do you have a furry, feathered, or finny writing companion? On social media I see so many pics of dogs, cats, and their writers. Also birds and fish. My tiny terrier, Terry, is almost always curled up againg my foot as I write. I feel that I’m telling my stories to Terry as I type. And perhaps she loves stories because she always has to be nearby. I’ll reach over to give her a cuddle when I’ve finished a passage or a page.
Speaking of progress — if you’re feeling stuck in your writing journey, check out my Resources for Writers page. I often get unstuck reading an article on writing, and I’ve collected lots. Write to me with suggestions!
Famous Writers and Their Pets
Here ‘s an article about the pets that inspired some famous authors. And here are some famous poems about dogs. My favorite poet-with-dog is Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who wrote this poem about her dog, Flush.
This is a poem about one of my writing companions, the adorable Keegan:
DOG RUNNING
The dog runs nose to ground
as we run with our eyes wide open.
The dog uses tongue for hands
and prefers his nose to his eyes.
No human runs with closed lids
and a tongue hanging out
unless it’s raining lemonade.
How does the world seem
smelled and tasted like a stew
instead of seen and codified?
The dog runs on pliant earth
with open paws,
catching the coin of soil,
spending as he goes.
As I want to run
through life.
~ from Earth Lessons by Rachel Dacus
If you don’t have a pet, you can always borrow the images of dogs, birds, cats, fish, and even deer and squirrels posted online by your writing friends. Here’s one from us. Happy writing!
