Susan Spann's Blog, page 99

Marking Time by the Sun

Sometimes life seems to move at the speed of snails blazing a trail through freezing molasses. It’s hard to see progress or movement or growth.

At times like that, I’m glad I’ve taken regular photographs of the aquarium in my writing office. They offer time-lapse evidence that life is moving, even when it seems to have stalled completely.

I set up the tank two years ago next weekend, and added my first corals a few weeks later. Among the first was an orange sun coral – a moderately difficult specimen that I fell in love with partly because of its difficult nature. At first the coral sat under its overhang, closed against the light (as this normally nocturnal species is known to do):

Over time, I trained it to open for feeding with the lights on:

As time progressed, the polyps grew and cloned off additional polyps, increasing the colony’s size.

Most surprising of all, the colony spawned planulae – tiny larval offspring genetically different from their parents, which (to my surprise and delight) established new colonies of their own.

During the last year, several of the new colonies have grown almost as large as the parent colony was when I brought it home. The one below has gone back to the fish store, where it has a special spot in the owner’s display tank.

Two more have grown up on the underside of a rock near the parent colony …

(That’s the parent colony center frame, and the two “children,” one large and the smaller one above and behind it in the upper right/center above the seahorse’s head.)

Yet another has become a favored seahorse hitch.

The point? Experience and growth aren’t something that happen when you’re watching. They happen slowly, with practice and care, with results measured in months and years, not moments.

Whether the subject is corals, people, writing, success, or dreams, the point is the same. It’s patience and perseverance that reaches the goal.

Something I recently realized after marking time by the sun.

An Open Letter to Authors Who Hear a “No”

Many of you know that I’m acting as a mentor in Brenda Drake’s Pitch Wars contest, in which authors seeking representation pitch projects to mentors who then pick one (and, to my dismay, only one) project to work with in preparation for review by a panel of agents in January.

I’ve made my selection, and also chosen two alternates (projects I’ll work with if the one I’ve selected obtains representation before the agent review) – and I can say, with total honesty, that I envy agents and editors even less today than I did before making the choice.

Their job is hard. Terribly, sometimes impossibly hard.

But choices have to be made.

I regret the fact that some of the people who pitched me will – by necessity – have to hear “no” instead of yes. I’ve suffered my share of rejections over the years, and you never become accustomed to hearing “no.” It sucks. It hurts. And I hate that this time I’m the one who has to say it.

But I hope the people who don’t hear “yes” from me (or another mentor) will take this in stride – or at least, recover their stride in short order after hearing the much-loathed “not this time.” Because that’s what this is – it’s only “not this time.”

And you wouldn’t want it any other way. Here’s why.

At the end of the day, all the projects that pitched me were projects I could have chosen, if I made the choice on competence alone. Every one of them showed sufficient writing skill to reach publication – some in this draft, some with revisions required. At the end of the day, the choice came down to a project I couldn’t refuse. A project I thought about in my off time. A project that grabbed my mind like a dog with a bone – and simply refused to let go.

Does that mean the others weren’t good enough? NO. They were, and their authors have skill. There was simply one project that seemed to pick me – and at the end of the day, that’s the one a mentor – like an agent or an editor – simply has to choose.

Let me repeat that: if you heard a no, from me or from any other mentor, we aren’t rejecting you as a person. We are NOT telling you that your writing’s not good.  We are not telling you to quit. In fact, quite the opposite – I’m telling you all to keep at it.

But what ARE you saying? I hear you asking. When will it be my turn? What if my work never sings that siren song in an editor’s ears?

It will, if you refuse to give up.

I know this, because it’s true. It happened to me. And even though it took me five novels to get there, I’m thrilled (now) that the first four didn’t get chosen. I needed that time to find myself as an author, to grow in skill and confidence, and to realize that my real calling is murdering my imaginary friends. (“Writing mystery” sounds so pale by comparison.)

It took me nine years, five novels, and more rejections than I can shake a stick at. But I made it, and you can too. If I could ease the path for you, believe me, I really would. If I could take every novel and author deserving of publication and put them in front of the agent and publisher who would fall in love with the work and accept them – I’d do so.

I can’t. But you can, by refusing to quit. Rejected? Get up, endure the sting and keep moving forward – writing, querying, editing, working. Make connections. Make friends. Above all, keep writing and honing your craft.

Publishing is a game of last man standing, and there are only two possible outcomes. You find someone who loves your work and wants to publish you – or you quit.

And only you decide when the game is over.

Trust me – it isn’t over for any of you yet.

A Review of BETWEEN, by Kerry Schafer

Review Level: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Kerry Schafer’s BETWEEN offers a new and exciting take on fantasy fiction, with an intricate plot and rapid pacing that keeps the pages turning from start to finish. From the moment a teenager shows up in a small-town E.R. with dragon-inflicted burns to the exciting (and literally world-shattering) final scenes, BETWEEN combines humor, action, and an unusual take on fantasy themes.

One issue I’ve had with a lot of modern fantasy is the tendency to re-work traditional themes in expected ways. Kerry Schafer breaks that mold, which makes BETWEEN both unusual and a compelling read. Her characters are complex and three-dimensional, and the romantic elements balance well with the action (A note: I prefer a read that’s heavy on action and lighter-handed with romance).

My favorite character has to be Poe, the protagonist’s penguin totem/sidekick. He’s a real penguin (no talking animals here) and, for me, he stole the show. Dragons and penguins? What’s not to love!

The book also offers a welcome touch of ironic humor. By way of example, one of my absolute favorite lines: “She was going to die in the Between, naked, carrying a penguin.”

It’s hard for me to find a fantasy novel I’m willing to give even four stars, let alone 5, but this one belongs in that category. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes fantasy, dragons, or penguins.

BETWEEN is currently available for pre-order and releases on January 29, 2013 (Ace Books).

*A disclaimer: Kerry Schafer is a friend of mine. I met her as a result of her writing (via the Debutante Ball) but we became friends before her novel was published. (Note that this book is shelved in “Books By Friends”.) I read BETWEEN before publication, via an ARC I received from the publisher. That said, I will be buying several copies of this book to give to friends, and my personal friendship with Kerry did not impact this review. I’d be giving exactly the same review to this book if I didn’t know her.

An Interview With Travis Heermann

Please help me welcome Travis Heermann, author of the recently released YA horror novel THE WILD BOYS!

Novelist, award-winning screenwriter, podcaster, biker, poker player, roustabout, Travis Heermann is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. He has sold short stories to print magazines and anthologies such as Weird Tales, Cemetery Dance, and others. His historical fantasy novel, HEART OF RONIN, and swashbuckling fantasy novel, ROGUES OF BLACK FURY, are available from E-Reads, and his YA horror novel THE WILD BOYS was released in December, 2012, by Damnation Books. He sometimes eats outlandish things.

I met Travis at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold Conference and am delighted to host him here on the blog today to celebrate the launch of THE WILD BOYS.

And now…on with the interview!

1.  Where did you grow up? Will you share a favorite story from your childhood?

I grew up on a dairy farm near Naper, Nebraska, which, if you know anything about the Great Plains, is about as far as one can get from anywhere without being in the Arctic. My high school when I graduated consisted of 21 total students, 9 of which were in my class.

In the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade, there was this movie that came out that I was jumping up and down to see. The trailers on TV (we got three channels) absolutely enthralled me and I begged my parents to take me. So we loaded up the family van, dropped my two infant siblings off at my cousins’ house for babysitting, took one of my cousins with us, and drove 35 miles to drive-in in Gregory, South Dakota, and my life was changed forever. My only regret was not being able to watch a really scary fight scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader were duelling with lightsabers. I had to go hide in the back of the van until that part was over. It took several years and the advent of VHS before I ever had the opportunity to watch that scene again.

2.  What inspired you to start writing?

When I was in sixth grade, I was browsing the school library, and I found a double volume hardcover: Swords of Mars and The Synthetic Men of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Once again, my life was changed. I tore through that book, lit on fire from the inside. I had been writing little stories and drawing space battles and comic books for as long as I could remember, but after discovering Barsoom, I asked my mom if I could borrow her blue plastic portable Smith-Corona typewriter. And I wrote a novel, complete with maps and colored pencil drawings.

3.  If you could go back in time and share one writing lesson with “new writer you” before starting your first manuscript … what would that be?

“Kid, this is who you are. There will be people who tell you to ‘get a job, get a sensible career, make some money.’ Ignore them. If you do anything else, it will just leave you hollow, passionless, and older than you need to be.”

4. Your new YA novel, THE WILD BOYS, features a strong female protagonist who must save her best friend – and her town – from a lycanthropic plague. What inspired you to write from a female perspective, and what unique challenges did you face in writing from a female teenage point of view?

Writing from a teenage girl’s perspective was really difficult, never having been one. In many ways, I’m still a teenage boy, so it would have been much easier writing from that perspective. The impetus for this book basically came from my agent. I had a couple of different ideas that I was thinking about pursuing for my next writing project, the sequel to Heart of the Ronin or the idea that would become The Wild Boys, and he told me. “YA is hot. Try your hand at that.” The earliest kernel of an idea came from a dream experienced by my wife at the time. When she told me about it, it was so cool that she wanted me to write it as a story. I agreed, so stemming from that came the building of the characters and ideas.

But the second part of the answer is that I wanted to write a book for a wider market than books I had written before. It could be argued that teenage girls ARE the YA publishing industry, so if I was going to write YA, it might be best to start there.

As for the challenges, several years and many drafts went by, and my chief concern was: does this feel like a teenage girl’s voice? So I showed it to as many female beta readers as I could find, and all of them helped me understand what goes on in a teenage girl’s mind.

5. To what do you attribute the rise in popularity of werewolves in fantasy and horror fiction? What drew you to werewolves in particular?

For this particular story, the original dream was about werewolves, so they were already integral. And for me, werewolves are some of my earliest fears. I can remember having terrifying werewolf dreams as early as three years old.

Werewolves are an archetype that seems to be embedded in our DNA. There are stories of humans who can shift into animal form across cultures worldwide. Something about the idea of becoming a monster, uncontrollably so, pushes our deepest internal buttons. When you add in the idea that these monsters are more powerful than us, that brings into question who is actually superior. The human race is used believing that we’re at the top of the food chain. We subscribe to the illusion that we can control nature, control our world. But what if somebody else suddenly comes along who is stronger, faster, with more coherent pack-like social structures, and yet retains our capacity for intelligence? If someone is just as smart as we are, and yet immensely superior physically, must we not bow to natural selection eventually? Who has the right to the top of the food chain? Humans or monsters? These were some of the issues I found myself exploring whilst writing the book.

6. Do you have a favorite author? If so, who and why?

Ray Bradbury changed my life just as surely as Star Wars and Edgar Rice Burroughs, but at a much later date. When I was about 28, I read Fahrenheit 451 for the first time, and was utterly blown away by not only the bizarrely accurate prophetic ideas in there, but by a single quote: “Stuff your eyes with wonder…live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world! It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, for there never was such an animal. And if there were, it would be related to the great sloth which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping its life away. To hell with that…shake the tree and knock the great sloth down on his ass!”

That quote was the beginning of an awakening for me of what had been something like a ten-year sleep. The awakening lasted several more years, but it ultimately led me to places like Japan, Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia.

Books can change people’s lives. I’m evidence of it. Ray Bradbury changed mine.

7. Many of your books have an Asian (and, specifically, Japanese) theme. What was your first introduction to Asian history and culture?

By the time I was in high-school, still living in the middle of nowhere, my family had acquired a satellite dish, and in those wild and wooly media days, there were no cable subscriptions or anything like that, so the random satellite feeds of a hundreds were streaming down from above, but you had to know where to look for them. I happened across a showing of the Miyamoto Musashi film trilogy with Toshiro Mifune, and thus began lifelong love of Japanese films. I also discovered anime soon after that, and let me tell you, in 1986, anime was mighty hard to find, so I devoured all I could get my hands on. I discovered Akira Kurosawa, then later Hayao Miyazaki.

8. What is the last book you read, and why did you read it?

The last book I read was on the way to Toronto for the World Fantasy Convention. Necro Files, an anthology of extreme horror, with stories from George R.R. Martin, Joe Lansdale, and others. I picked that out of my massive to-be-read pile because it wasn’t too thick (I’ve been plowing through A Dance with Dragons for about three months now), and I wanted to remember the days when GRRM could write brilliant, mind-blowing, tightly plotted short stories, rather than bloated, sprawling, meandering wheel chocks.

9. How long did it take you to write THE WILD BOYS? How did you push yourself to get past difficult moments in writing and editing?

From start to final draft was probably something like two years, with fits and starts in the middle, during which I attended the Odyssey Writing Workshop (another life-changing experience), went to grad school, and learned how to podcast.

There was a point while writing this novel that I realized I had written my characters into an impossible situation. The likely result was that they would be killed and eaten. So I did something I had never done before: I asked the characters what they would do. I trusted them to do something, and the result was something that greatly surprised and satisfied me.

10. Do you have any upcoming signings or readings?

Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. – Barnes & Noble, Oak View Mall, Omaha, Nebraska

Also, I’m having a launch event at the Broadway Book Mall in Denver in late December, date YTBD. So anyone interested should check out my blog for news about day and time.

And now, the speed round:

- Plotter or pantser?

I tend to me more of a pantser, but my process tends to be somewhere in the middle, rather than either or. Usually I have a vague idea where I want the story to go, and then discover how to get there along the way.

- Coffee, tea, or bourbon?

Single-malt scotch, but there are some nice bourbons out there too.

- Socks or no socks?

Socks.

- Cats, dogs, or reptiles?

I’ve had all three, but I tend to prefer cats.

- For dinner: Italian, Mexican, Burgers or Thai?

Thai, every time.

A huge Thank-You to Travis for joining me today! If you or someone you know likes YA – or werewolves! - THE WILD BOYS would make a great holiday gift (or even just a great pre-holiday treat)!

Can a 16-year-old girl stem the tide of a lycanthro-pocalypse? When three younger boys show up on the doorstep of Mia’s everyday suburban existence, naked and on the run, she is drawn into a shadow world where a series of strange disappearances heralds a slowly spreading plague of lycanthropy. Mia must save the three orphaned boys from their brutal Alpha, a man-beast who believes humans are food. A war is brewing for the top of the food chain, and  Mia doesn’t know it yet, but she holds the key to the future of the human race.

You can find THE WILD BOYS at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Damnation Books

Once again, a big thank-you to Travis for joining me today, and congratulations on the launch of THE WILD BOYS!

Pitch Wars: The Agents

The incomparable Brenda Drake has sixteen literary agents lined up to bid on Pitch Wars manuscripts. We’re all excited to see which projects they fall in love with, and which teams will win the coveted Pitch Wars Most Requested Manuscript title.

Curious about pitch wars? Click here to find out more.

Curious about the participating agents? Read on…

Louise Fury: L. Perkins Agency (Twitter: @louisefury)

Louise is seeking teen Sci-Fi and Young Adult horror.  She‘s also on the hunt for deep, dark contemporary YA and select Middle Grade fiction with a literary feel–it must be realistic and thought provoking and the characters must be authentic and original. Louise loves horror and romance, especially Regency and Victorian.

Jessica Sinsheimer: Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency (Twitter: @jsinsheim)

Jessica is seeking Literary, Women’s, Middle Grade, and Young Adult Fiction.

Natalie Fischer Lakosil: Bradford Literary Agency (Twitter: @Natalie_Lakosil)

Natalie is looking for commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book-teen), romance (contemporary, paranormal and historical), and upmarket women’s fiction. Specific likes include historical, multi-cultural, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, and middle grade with heart.

Pam van Hyckama Vlieg: Larsen Pomada Literary Agents (Twitter: @BookaliciousPam)

Pam represents young adult and middle grade children’s book authors, and adult romance authors.

Jordy Albert: The Booker Albert Agency (Twitter: @bluedragonfly81)

Jordy is on the look out for Romance (contemporary, historical/Regency, and paranormal), YA contemporary/historical or dystopian, sci-fi/fantasy with romance elements. She is also open to YA GLBT within those genres. She’d love to see unique, well-developed plots featuring time travel, competitions, or travel.

Andrea Somberg: Harvey Klinger Inc. (Twitter: @andreasomberg)

Andrea’s looking for the following categories: Fiction; literary, commercial, womens fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, middle grade.

Jennifer Mishler: Literary Counsel (Twitter: @literarycounsel)

Jennifer is seeking Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Contemporary, Young Adult Literary, and Young Adult Historical.

Suzie Townsend: New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. (Twitter: @sztownsend81)

Suzie represents adult and children’s fiction. In adult, she’s specifically looking for romance (historical and paranormal), and fantasy (urban fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, epic fantasy). In Childrens’ she loves YA (all subgenres) and is dying to find great Middle Grade projects (especially something akin to the recent movie SUPER 8).

Victoria Marini: Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents, Inc. (Twitter: @LitAgentMarini)

Victoria is looking for literary fiction, commercial fiction, pop-culture non-fiction, and young adult. She is very interested in acquiring engaging Literary fiction and mysteries / suspense, commercial women’s fiction (romantic suspense, sci-fi, fantasy), and Young Adult (contemporary, sci-fi/fantasy, thriller and horror).

Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, Inc. (Twitter: @Kerry_Sparks)

Kerry is looking for Young Adult and Middle-Grade fiction, both commercial and literary. She tends to shy away from werewolves, zombies, faeries, and the like, but she’ll read anything with a fresh voice and compelling characters. She is particularly keen on contemporary YA, quirky MG, books with a strong cinematic element.

Drea Cohane: The Rights Factory Literary Agents

Drea is currently seeking: fiction, memoir, crime, non-fiction and YA. Her roster consists of British, American, and Canadian clients. International talent is welcome.

Katie Shea: Donald Maass Literary Agency (Twitter: @AgentShea)

Katie specializes in fiction and memoir, especially women’s fiction and commercial-scale literary fiction, and realistic YA. She is most interested in coming-of-age stories and stories of unique relationships.\

Elise Capron: Dijkstra Literary Agency (Twitter: @EliseCapron)

Elise is interested in serious character-driven literary fiction, well-written narrative nonfiction, and short story collections. (Note: She is not interested in Fantasy, young-adult/middle-grade, picture books, romance, and sci-fi.) She aims to work with writers who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience.

Jodell Sadler: Sadler-Caravette Children’s Literary (Twitter: @picturebklunch)

Jodell is interested in YA, MG (especially funny) , fiction and nonfiction, book proposals, and picture books. She will also coach writers wanting to self publish.  She simply loves a well-paced story that moves her between joy and tears.

Corvisiero Literary Agency: Brittany and Michelle are teaming up to look for Adult, YA, and MG manuscripts.

Michelle Johnson (Twitter:@MJsRetweet)

Michelle’s published one novel, The Footloose Killer, and edited several others for publishing houses and private clients. She also is a Script/Story consultant on an independent film in Halifax, NS, Canada, and enjoys working closely with writers to help them develop their voice and craft.

Brittany Howard (Twitter: @brittanydhoward)

When reading, Brittany  loves to be introduced to new and interesting people and places. She looks for strong voice, good storytelling, and fascinating relationships between characters—romantic or otherwise. More than anything, she loves when a book surprises her.

There’s just one more day to get your applications in for Pitch Wars – don’t miss your chance! Check out this post here for all the details.

Pitch Wars: Enter the Ninjas

A little over a week of submission time remains in the Pitch Wars contest – and the ninja mentors (including yours truly) have entered the field!

What is Pitch Wars, you ask?

Pitch Wars is a mentoring-based contest for authors seeking representation by literary agents. Authors can choose to query up to three prospective mentors (details below and also here). At the end of the submission window, each mentor will choose an author and together the teams will work to polish the author’s pitch in preparation for its review by a panel of literary agents. The panel of agents (over a dozen at last count…names coming soon) will read the entries and bid on the ones they want to see.

So … with all of the fabulous mentors to choose from, why should you choose a ninja – and me in particular? Here’s my pitch to you:

Who is this ninja mentor anyway?

I’m a mystery author and publishing attorney with over ten years’ experience writing and editing both fiction and non-fiction.

Claws of the Cat, the debut novel in my Shinobi Mystery series, is scheduled for publication by St. Martin’s/Minotaur in July 2013 – with the second and third books in the series planned for 2014 and 2015.

I’ve critiqued and edited multiple full-length manuscripts, worked with both published and aspiring authors, and I love nothing more than playing with words (my own or someone else’s)!

I’m very honest in my critiques, but also look to identify the strengths in an author’s work. I’m detail-oriented and drawn to fast-paced narratives – and if we end up working together I’ll do my absolute best to help you shine!

What am I looking for?

For Pitch Wars, I’m working with adult manuscripts only.  (That means no YA or Middle Grade, even in my chosen genres – but don’t despair! There are MANY highly qualified mentors to choose from in those areas!)

Within the general boundaries of adult fiction, my preferences (in no particular order) are: Historical, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Speculative Fiction/Sci-Fi, and Fantasy – though Fantasy has to be very unique to pique my interests, and the fantasy that piqued my interest here would probably have to include strong elements of mystery, thriller, or suspense. (Steampunk mystery anyone?)

I’m not put off by mystical or religious elements, violence or blood (I write ninja police procedurals set in 16th Century Kyoto – blood and violence are my stock in trade), though overly graphic sexual narratives won’t be my first choice.

Generally speaking, though, if you think I might be a good fit and your manuscript is written for an adult audience, DO query me regardless of the topic. My tastes in fiction are broad ranging and I’m always open to something I haven’t anticipated!

TL;DR: Pick me! Let’s rock this competition!

Pitch Wars Submission Details:

Submissions opened November 26 and will remain open until 8AM EST on December 5. Coaches will read submissions and pick author teammates December 5-10, and the teams will be announced on December 12. More dates and details here.

Send your application (query and first 5 pages of your manuscript) to brendadrakecontests@gmail.com.

Each writer applicant can apply for up to 3 coaches (aka mentors). Coaches can only consider the categories they’ve signed up for (in my case, adult fiction). Writers cannot apply for a coach that is not in their category.

This contest is open to finished manuscripts only. Writers may only enter one manuscript. Only the genres requested by each coach will be considered for the contest. Coaches will make the final decisions regarding which applicant(s) to mentor – coaches’ decisions are final.

How to Format Your Entry email:

Subject line: Pitch Wars Application: Coach Name you want to apply for: Title (Example: Pitch Wars Application: Susan Spann: CLAWS OF THE CAT)

Inside the Email:

Name: Your Name

Genre: The genre of your manuscript

Word Count: Manuscript word count.

Query letter (embedded in the email). Single spaced. No indentations or graphics, but leave a space between each paragraph.

First five pages of the manuscript (embedded in the email – no attachments). Single spaced. No indentations or graphics. Leave a line between each paragraph.

Kyoto’s Bloody Ceilings

In 1600, rebel samurai attacked Fushimi Castle, south of Kyoto, in an attempt to kill five year-old Toyotomi Hideyori, the son and heir of the general who had recently united Japan.

After a two-week siege, the rebels breached the walls, set fire to the castle and killed the garrison commander. With their leader dead, the remaining samurai defenders (approximately 400 men) committed seppuku (ritual suicide) inside the keep. The mass suicide flooded the wooden floor with blood, staining the timbers permanently.

That portion of the keep survived the fire, although the structure was subsequently dismantled by the new Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Thereafter, Ieyasu ordered the boards distributed to seven temples around Kyoto – where the monks considered the bloodstained timbers too sacred to walk upon and used them to construct ceilings within the temples.

Some of the ceiling panels still bear the bloody hand and footprints of the men who gave their lives to defend the Toyotomi heir – a moment in history preserved by respect for the dead.

Have you ever seen “the fingerprints of history” in unusual places? Would you find it strange to worship in a temple with bloodied ceilings? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Author Marketing and Business Plans

I’m over at Writers in the Storm today, guest blogging about the Three Prongs of Author Marketing. Please stop by and see!

If author marketing isn’t your thing, Oobie would like to offer her agreement. She’s not much on marketing either.

The Most Patient Shrimp in the World

Most of the time, my seahorses eat at regular places in the tank. The large male (Cygnus) and the female (Ceti) eat near the top of the tank, while the little male (Ghillie) eats alone near his favorite hitch at the bottom of the reef.

Last night, however, Ceti noticed me feeding Ghillie and decided to share his dinner instead of swimming up for her own. She quickly discovered there wasn’t enough room for two on Ghillie’s coral hitch, so she snaked her tail around the closest object – in this case, a cleaner shrimp.

I ran for my camera, though I suspected the shrimp would have shaken off his seahorse muffler and fled before I managed to snap a picture.

To my surprise, the shrimp allowed Ceti to use him as a hitching post for almost five full minutes before he finally had enough and jumped away. Ceti didn’t seem concerned. She looped her tail around a nearby coral and returned to her feast.

I’m sure both shrimp and seahorse realized what was going on. Ceti knew she’d wrapped a shrimp, and the shrimp apparently understood the seahorse meant no harm. He’d snagged some dinner of his own and seemed content to act the part of temporary hitching post.

Still, it’s a startling show of patience from a shrimp – a creature known for wariness even in familiar circumstances – and an interesting image for me to share!

Have you ever seen animals show unusual patience? Why do you think this shrimp decided to cooperate? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!