Writing Like Cats & Dogs: How to Include Believable Animal Characters in Fiction

with Amy Shojai, CABC

More than 85 million US households (67%) include pets as part of the family. It makes sense for fiction authors to include pets in the storyline. Some of us take it a step farther and the animal character becomes an active participant in the plot. Yes, animal companions may be effectively included to evoke sympathy or empathy in human characters or situations. However, too often the critter becomes little more than a parody creature or is used as a disposable prop. That leaves readers dissatisfied at best, and angry at worst. How many of y'all have thrown a book across the room and refused to finish it due to "something" that happened to an animal in the story? In this fun, interactive powerpoint session, learn how to unleash believable animal characters in your work, and what missteps to avoid to prevent hissing off your readers.

The meeting will be online (via Zoom) on Sunday, October 25th, 2:30–4:00pm.

Please RSVP below — by noon on October 25th — to receive the link to join this Zoom meeting.

Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified animal behavior consult for cats and dogs, and the award-winning author of more than 30 nonfiction pet care titles. She also writes pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE that include a German Shepherd viewpoint character in the September & Shadow series. Her latest thriller HIT AND RUN adds a Maine Coon cat as a viewpoint character, with several guest appearances by readers' nominated pets. In addition to her membership in SinC, Amy is a member of International Thriller Writers, an Honorary Lifetime Member of OWFI, an award-winning member of Dog Writers Association of America and founder of the Cat Writers' Association.