Writing, Cats, and a Friendly Octopus by Mae Clair

Say hello to Opie, my writing cheerleader, taskmaster, cute companion and occasional muse.

He showed up on my doorstep several years ago when I was working on a short story involving a hagfish.

If you’re not sure what a hagfish is, think of a fat, eel-like creature capable of producing massive amounts of slime.

Sound cuddly? And my story wasn’t about just any garden variety hagfish, but acolossalmutant with a fondness for underwater submersibles. Um, did I mention I didn’t always write romanc...