I have a talking cat in my story. Is that a good idea?

[BlueLucario]

I have a story. Go to SYW to see. And it involves the MC talking to the cat telepathically, throught thoughts, and critiquers want me to get rid of it. because a talking cat will blow people off and that is my worst fear. When I write I hold back, when I reread and edit I hold back.

Should a talking cat be in the story. also forgot to mention that she's also half-human.

[James D. Macdonald]

The talking cat should only be there if it works for your readers, moves the story forward, and it would destroy the story if it wasn't there.

There's nothing inherently wrong with having a talking cat.

There is something inherently wrong with a boring book.

[LeeFlower]

I'm going to steel one of Uncle Jim's lines (ETA: UJ, who just beat me to the punch, above): does the talking cat advance the plot, reveal character, or re-enforce the theme of the story? Does it do so in a way that could not be done more effectively without it?

If the answer to both is yes, then yes, you should keep the talking cat. If the answer to either is no, then you should probably ditch it.

Are your readers genre readers? It sounds like you're writing an SF/F book. If your readers don't read SFF, they may not be very good indicators of how the book's intended audience will react. If people who don't read SFF are telling you that your genre elements will put people off, it may be because they're put off by genre elements in general. Make sure that at least some of your readers are members of your target audience, and weigh their input accordingly.

[BlueLucario]

I just think of my target audience is anybody who reads the story. I can't choose.

[blackpen]

i want a talking cat in real life. i would love to see one in a book. i'm surprised that a critter want you to get rid of it. quirky animals actually draw me into stories, even if they don't do much to the plot. maybe the person who told you to get rid of the cat is allergic.

[blacbird]

This morning I had a talking cat in my kitchen. I'd forgot to buy cat food yesterday. You shoulda heard what she called me.

caw

[BlueLucario]

So it's okay to put the talking cat in my story, since noone liked it.

[Esopha]

There's nothing wrong with a talking cat. When I was young(er) I read books just because they had talking cats in them. I like cats.

I have a talking cat in WIP#2.

[Rolling Thunder]

I have a complete work with 6-1/2 cats, two of which talk to humans. But, my story is a fantasy about magic and targeted towards MG readers.

Talking animals have been in stories since the dawn of storytelling. If your cat plays a major part in the plot and adds interest it will probably work. If it's only there as a whim, probably not.

[LordDelusions]

Christopher Paolini does it in Eragon., so why not?
and what does "MG" mean/standfor?

[Rolling Thunder]

MIddle Grade (8-12 year olds) Fiction.

ETA: A helpful reference link. http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2006/10/middle_grade_fi.html

[swvaughn]

I have a complete work with 6-1/2 cats, two of which talk to humans. But, my story is a fantasy about magic and targeted towards MG readers.

Talking animals have been in stories since the dawn of storytelling. If your cat plays a major part in the plot and adds interest it will probably work. If it's only there as a whim, probably not.

Six and a half cats??

[BardSkye]

I probably don't want to know...

[Rolling Thunder]

Yep. Full working title out on submission: Six and 1/2 cats - Secret Lives

[Gillhoughly]

Carole Nelson Douglas's Midnight Louie is one of the narrators in Catnap.

http://www.amazon.com/Catnap-Midnight-Carole-Nelson-Douglas/dp/0812516826/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196981970&sr=8-5

There are several talking cats in it--including a couple of the Scottish fold breed named Baker and Taylor (for the bookstore). They have accents.

The murder takes place at an ABA convention and is MUST READING for any writer.

You wanna know about the throat-cutting side of the book business, read it.

The victim is a thinly disguised Lester Del Rey--found stabbed with a knitting needle--a note with the word "stet" left on his chest!

:D

[rugcat]

Take a look at this fine (very) short story Tobermory (http://www.sff.net/people/DoyleMacdonald/l_tober.htm)by Saki, if you want to see a great talking cat.

[Akuma]

It would depend on what the cat said, wouldn't it?

[Rolling Thunder]

I can think of one immortal word, said twice, Akuma. :D

[Akuma]

I can think of one immortal word, said twice, Akuma. :D

Oh, boy, one moment of weakness and suddenly the entire site of AW seems to know. . .

*stomps off grumbling*

[DancingMaenid]

There's nothing inherently wrong with talking cats, any more than there's anything inherently wrong with most characters or plot devices. For example, there's nothing wrong with high-tech alien spaceships, but they usually work best in science fiction, and may be out of place in another genre. It's all in how you do it. If the cat is appropriate for the story you're writing, then I don't see any reason why it can't work.

[Ziljon]

I saw a lady walking her cat in a park today, talking to it and sometimes laughing.

It happened to be a black cat.

I bet she would like your story.

[benbradley]

For what it's worth, talking cats have been done. That's not to say you shouldn't do it. There's this author:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthven_Todd
who wrote the four "Space Cat" books listed there. I currently have a copy of the original "Space Cat" book, but I distinctly recall as a child reading a book where a man and his cat went to Jupiter and explored. There was some special moss on Jupiter that when both the man and cat touched it, they could communicate through their thoughts. This was true even when the moss was cut apart, so the man cut a couple of pieces and made necklaces in which he put the moss so they could "talk" anytime.

But none of those "Space Cat" book titles mention Jupiter, and I can't imagine what else it was I read. :cry:

There a quite popular story of a girl named Alice who met a special talking cat called a cheshire cat, but she (Alice) also ate mushrooms, so that may have been cheating.

But don't toss out your story just because there's a talking cat, even if you're not eating mushrooms.

[Hummingbird]

Luna. Everybody loves Luna. The cute and adorable, annoyingly teacher-like, black cat that helps out the characters in Sailor Moon, (a manga and anime) There's actually three 'moon cats', all of which can talk.

Anyway, talking cats are awesome! If the cat is part of your story, let it stay if it fits and helps with the story. None of my friends have ever mentioned putting a book down because it had a talking animal in it, and neither have I. :)

[chevbrock]

Cats are sarcastic, arrogant and thoroughly engaging creatures. I reckon if your cat has plenty of witty things to say, then you should definitely keep it. I think you could do a lot of really entertaining things with a half cat/half human. For instance, what happens at bathtime? What if his human genes are allergic to seafood? If he falls head down from a considerable height, does he land on his feet? What does he do if he sees a mouse? How good is he at climbing trees? How good is he at getting down them again?

Just some musings :)

[Wraith]

Why do they want you to ditch it? Because it is a talking cat or because of something it says/does or the fact it does not fit/advance the plot? If you know that, and also the reasons why you wanted that cat there in the first place, you'll probably have your answer.

It's not whether people like talking cats in fiction, imo, it's your particular cat that should have sound reason to be there and maybe an interesting personality, and it should read smoothly in the context of your story. So I agree with the others on that.

That said, I wouldn't be put off by the mere presence of a half-human cat. Even if you make it pink and give it a fishtail I still wouldn't be put off as long as the writing keeps me reading. And I tend to like talking animals in fiction, whatever the genre. Hope that helps a bit.

[Charlie Horse]

Check out "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. The talking cat is a big part of the story.

[C.bronco]

Or any of these guys:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/

[Wintermule]

There's a talking cat in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom Trilogy (most likely where Paolini got Serious Ass from, though Mogget was much more badass of a character), and a talking cat in Gene Wolfe's The Wizard Knight duology. I didn't really care. Though, neither do speak telepathically.

[lfraser]

I like a talking cat. All of my cats have been talkers. The one I have now never shuts up.

If you can make the cat integral to the story, why not have a talking cat? Anything can work if it's done right.

Cheshire Cat, anyone?

[farfromfearless]

"Puss in boots" - 'nuff said :)

[ebrillblaiddes]

Good enough for Lloyd Alexander, good enough for me.

[WendyNYC]

Lapham Rising by Roger Rosenblatt had a talking Scottish Terrier. It worked.

[HourglassMemory]

The fact that people keep showing you stories with talking cats should tell you that you could be choosing another animal other than a cat. Be original! How about a worm?
"Oh it's weird."
And you think a talking cat wasn't weird when it first came up in stories?
"Shrek" got away with a talking donkey.
sometimes people need to be crazy and add something weird to the sotries. Those are the moments people tend to remember.

[Rolling Thunder]

The fact that people keep showing you stories with talking cats should tell you that you could be choosing another animal other than a cat. Be original! How about a worm?


There is no original idea. Try googling 'worm in story' and see how many there are already. It isn't about the gimmick of what does the talking, it's about the story itself. You can substitute different characters and still have a good story to tell. It's the only part that shouldn't change.

[BlueLucario]

Lapham Rising by Roger Rosenblatt had a talking Scottish Terrier. It worked.

Sorry either it's the cat or the large Talking snake.

[Stew21]

There is no original idea. Try googling 'worm in story' and see how many there are already. It isn't about the gimmick of what does the talking, it's about the story itself. You can substitute different characters and still have a good story to tell. It's the only part that shouldn't change.


Talking worm, you say? No need to google.

Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach - talking worm, talking centipede, talking lady bug, talking spider, etc.

Yep.

done.

[James D. Macdonald]

Yet another talking cat (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031229).

[Dustry Joe]

Mikail Bulgakov's "The Master And Margarita" is a pretty serious piece of work, literarily speaking.

And he has a cat that not only talks, but shoots a Beretta before staging a histrionic death scene.

So what he did, he had a cat in his novel and he pulled it off.

[AnneMarble]

But none of those "Space Cat" book titles mention Jupiter, and I can't imagine what else it was I read. :cry:
Maybe you'll find it on this list of fictional cats:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_cats

It might be something by Andre Norton -- there's a whole subcategory for her under the "In Literature" category. I was going to suggest her books about Star Ka'at, but the protagonists were younger. :)

[AceTachyon]

Sorry either it's the cat or the large Talking snake.
Large talking snake.

Kaa and Sir Hiss.

(everytime I hear Kaa talk, I keep expecting him to mention something about honey and heffalumps...)

[BlueLucario]

Large talking snake.

Kaa and Sir Hiss.

(everytime I hear Kaa talk, I keep expecting him to mention something about honey and heffalumps...)

I hate kaa. Kipling shouldnt come up with serpents that hypnotize people.

ETA: Talking nipples! (Just kidding)

[James D. Macdonald]

ETA: Talking nipples! (Just kidding)

It could be worse. There was a movie called Chatterbox (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075830/)....

[BlueLucario]

A young woman who works in a beauty parlor discovers that her vagina can talk, which causes her no end of trouble.

Dude. That's just disgusting. Imagine seeing a guy on the street w/o a shirt on and his nipple is talking.

[helga]

Yet another talking cat (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20031229).


And another one :o)

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843105862 (http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843105862)

My talking cat has been accepted by the publisher. Will she be accepted by the readers? Who knows…

[Dustry Joe]

Will it be accepted by cats?

[Man in Black]

Will it be accepted by cats?

They are picky. . .

Fwoosh.

[helga]

Will it be accepted by cats?

By mine (all three of them) - absolutely! Not because they like this particular book, but because it is A book - they love books (to sleep on them, that is)!