I’m cross-posting this from the “All purpose writing” thread because this is the main venue for animal lovers on QT3.
KevinC
1722
I can’t help you out as I have no editing skills or industry knowledge, but I’d be more than happy to buy your book once it’s out there. Best of luck!
Likewise. Sounds like something I’d love to read. My girlfriend will probably insist that I read it aloud to her.
Awesome that you got this far with it! How long did it take to write?
That’s not an easy question to answer, actually. I never wrote a word about Peanut until he became terminally ill in 2011. I’ll quote a bit from the Afterword and Acknowledgements section of my manuscript, where I get all meta and intellectual about the process:
…It wasn’t until his last month that I considered telling Peanut’s story, and even then I was just telling it to myself as a form of therapy. I recorded each day’s events almost immediately after they happened as a coping mechanism, a way to simultaneously preserve them and to distance myself a bit from the tragedy as it unfolded. The pain was so immense that my greatest fear was that I would forget things in self defense, and I couldn’t have borne that. Even the agony of losing Peanut was precious, and my journal kept a coherent record of a month that would otherwise have become hopelessly confused.
As my journal grew, however, an interesting thing happened. It sent roots backwards into the past when I started a “things to remember” page, a section in which I briefly recounted little personality quirks and stories that I wanted to preserve even more than the record of Peanut’s final weeks. That page eventually became the bulk of this text, and deservedly so. Those quirks and stories are the reasons why I loved him so much and, in the aggregate, tell the tale of his life.
After he died, the hurt was too fresh for me to do anything with the story for more than a year. Then I interviewed friends and family and dug up old vet records to put the chronology in place. After that, I pounded out the text in fits and starts over the next two years. It’s been a long and sometimes painful process. But even if the book never gets published, it’s collected and codified our memories of Peanut and ensures they won’t be forgotten.
I think I already read this one and saw the movie too! :)
Time for another cat picture:
Wrapping up two months with Chloe. First month went smoother than the second month. Mistakes were made - I accidentally got the scented version of her cat litter. That was a disaster, haha. Bad human.
Lamalo
1727
It hasn’t been easy without a cat in the house. Meet the newest member of the family,
Scotch
Why spoiler that cutie? Scotch is adorable. I wish I didn’t have severe cat allergies. They can be great animals.
RichVR
1729
Oh yeah, my cat allergy is pretty bad. Used to live with a girl that had a cat. Benedryl every day. Any scratch turned into a poisonous itchy welt. She had to change the litter daily or the bathroom was off limits to me. Cat allergy and contact lenses was truly hellish. Horrible. And I like cats, otherwise.
Yup, me too. But their effects on me (which didn’t manifest until my mid teens) are too severe to cope with. I have to admire them from a distance. A long distance. Digital images work!
My first thought was, “He’s in Deus Ex!” (the vent-crawling).
And I love his coloring. Just beautiful.
Gorgeous cat, Lamalo! What is that, a Scottish Fold? How did you find one so fast?
Lamalo
1733
Yup, he’s a Scottish Fold. Found him via my country’s version of Craigslist.
He’s adorable. Waking me up in 2:30 in the morning by walking all over me. It’s the best.
Mr. S. Age 14, but still acts like a pup.
And looks like one, too! What’s the “S” short for (if anything)?
When he was a puppy, he was jet black except for that white patch between his front legs. My kids always wanted a dog named “Spot,” so we settled on something a little more dignified. :)
When I finally had to put my German shepherd down in January, we decided there and then to breed our female Swiss shepherd with a rather handsome pedigree male that a good friend of ours owns. He looked after her while we were away, and I calculated the puppies would be due a few days before we got back. I got that bit right. The bit I got wrong was guessing how many she’d have. We all reckoned around four or five. In fact she had eight! And here they are…
We already knew we’d have good homes for as many as five, plus extra requests in case she had more, so they’ll all be happy. Of course one is staying with me. :) They are ridonkulously cute, like mini polar bear cubs crossed with a sausage. Or, if anyone remember the Aussie children’s book, like Gumbles. As if anyone would remember that.
Also, here’s an obligatory photo of Esther, our female adult saltwater crocodile. Brings out her character.
Where? I can’t see her due to all the sneaky camouflage going on…
Gorgeous looking pups!
Lamalo
1739
Scotch wanted to head out to work in my place today.
Sorry for the horrible unstable Nexus 5 camera.
They really are pretty. I’ve never seen a Swiss shepherd before. And speaking of sheep…
This wild Australian sheep had almost 90 pounds of wool, wool that was killing it. They captured, sedated, and sheared it. It’s fine now.
