Giant Cat on a Rampage, but She Means Well!

This just in: Giant cat on a rampage! The human whose bedroom this was had been about to light a fire in the hearth when a giant gray cat slunk in meowing: Firrrrre Bad! The human is long gone, a hairball of the future, but the monster cat remains unsatisfied, snarling, and ready to bite more than the hand that feeds her! Run for your life! Wait, cats love that! Lie very, very still! Wait, no, they love that, too… um… pet thoughtfully behind the ears and offer compliments, quick!

Or: this is Smokey Peavine Hassman, in her usual spot in my writing cubby. She likes to sleep on the doll furniture that was my Grandma's last gift to me (don't grandmas rock?!). I thought I'd get a pic of her in her usual cozy swirl position but just as I went to take it she sat up and yawned. The end result: a terrifying creature of Mothra-proportion devouring humans! (Mothra is my favorite of Godzilla's frenemies.)

This post is about more than cute/terrifying cats though. It's about how much we love cute/terrifying cats and about how that love is great for our writing. Seriously! Think of all they teach us. Smokey and Pekoe tear apart smaller creatures for sport on at least a weekly basis, they destroy my things constantly, and have their own understanding of what time I should awake. They are the villains in the story of my life, and yet I love them, feed them, and do not require that they find work. They are my darlings despite their monstrous traits because I have taken the time to understand their motivations. If I were an actor in a furry play, I could play either of them with depth and win a furry Tony award.

This understanding is exactly what we need in our writing—not for our protagonists (we've usually got that covered), but for the bad guys. Just as actors must, it's important to have empathy for the monsters in our stories so that we can write them believably and fully. Thank you, Smokey, for ruining Grandma's beautiful furniture in order to teach us all this lesson—another lesson in the long list we're creating (aren't we?) of the writing wisdom of cats.

I'd love to hear how your current story's antagonist is doing! Are you finding a blackened heart inside there that yet beats enough to give the character real shape? Do you find yourself surprisingly understanding of your villain's motivation for her horrific deeds? And how are your cats or other creatures in your care (including children and romantic partners) helping your story along? Finally, who is your favorite of Godzilla's frenemies?

– Tupelo

P.S. Choosing a winner for the Name My Letterpress Contest has proven to be alarmingly difficult. The judges are querulous and brawling over every entry, from Stamps McGee to Elvis Pressley. I'm going to let them continue to duke it out and in the interest of time and fairness, the letterpress will be named…

The Doctor Johannes Sebastian Stampy Atwick Leticia Larry Honey Herbie Hannah Stamps-McGee Kelsey-Grammer Elvis-Pressley Preston Fontaine III

If you had a hand in naming the press, you have my eternal gratitude! Please send the winning name you contributed and your address via this lovely form, and an amateur letterpress sample will be coming to you soon!