Of Dog and Cat

So I wrote a dog (Stripe) and cat (Joyce) into the first act of the Nita book and then lost them.  They never appear again.  Well, Stripe dies, but then there was supposed to be a puppy.  So I’m torn.  Do I write the animals into the later acts or cut them in Act One?

On the one hand, I think animals humanize characters; the way book people respond to animals tells you a lot about who they are.  Also animals are great characters on their own.  Also, readers tend to want animals in my books, although that is not a reason to put them in there.  Also, if I start looking for places to write them in, it’s entirely possible that it will become evident that the Girls in the Basement sent them up for a reason, and they’re essential.

On the other hand, I have no idea what to do with them, and the book is too long as it is.  

It’s a dilemma.  

The good news is, the truck draft is almost finished, as in has very few missing scenes.  It still requires mega-editing and some beta reads and then a paper edit and . . . but not before Dec. 3 when I have to show it to people.  I just have to write a couple more scenes and deal with the dog and cat.

So much progress.  ARGH.

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