by Mollie Hunt Fiction? Non-fiction? Mystery, thriller, cozy? Sci-fi and fantasy? Children’s, YA, memoir, and poetry? If you look at the CWA Book Directory* you’ll see instantly that cat writing comes in all flavors. The booklist itself has fifteen categories for authors to choose from, and that’s not counting the vast selection of sub-categories. Those […]
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How a Kitten Became My Muse
by Valerie Ramer As a kid growing up in the Bronx in the 1960’s with just my dad and sister, I felt like a misfit. “Where’s your mom?” kids would ask. I had no idea. She left the family when I was two years old. Everyone else seemed to have a mom, how come I […]
Why Every Author Needs to Work With a Professional Editor
By Ramona D. Marek, MS Ed. Background I grew up in a home of readers. We read everything from cereal boxes to Shakespeare. My mother was a writer and an academic editor for 40 years, so my siblings and I grew up writing; for us it was as normal as playing outside. While Mom checked […]
Global Pet Expo 2023 Report, Part 1
By Lynn Maria Thompson If you’ve ever been to what most refer to as just “Global,” you know how overwhelming it can be the first time you step onto that show floor. If you haven’t been, there’s no real way to describe it. Our Treasurer, Katherine Kern, and I worked this humongous trade show this […]
Introducing the 2023 CWA Communications Contest
By Katherine Kern, Contest Chair The CWA Communications Contest recognizes entrants for excellence in cat-specific content in a variety of media. The Contest includes two sections: the regular and Special Award categories. Winners in the regular categories receive the CWA’s coveted Muse Medallions, and winners in the Special Award categories receive cash prizes. Except where […]
Reflections on My Life with Gatsby
By Robert J. Smith I’m saddened to announce the passing of my cat, Gatsby Smith. His passing prompted me to reflect on the bond we shared and the impact he had on my life and work. Gatsby lived to the ripe old age of seventeen and is survived by two cat brothers, a dog brother, […]
Finding Inspiration to Write from the World Around Us
by Andrea Dorn, Cat Writer Writers are often asked by others how they get their ideas for books or articles. Struggling to find ideas of things to write about is common. I know I struggled to find a topic for this blog post, so I procrastinated – my usual reaction to a lack of ideas. […]
FAREWELL, JOE GREY
“…If I would create a tale to grip my heart, I would do well to pay attention to my little cats’ fierce passion and sly delight.” So reads the closing sentence of Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s autobiography. It was with deep sadness I learned that longtime member of the Cat Writers’ Association Shirley Rousseau Murphy passed […]
How and Why to Add Cats to Your Fiction Writing
Cats have been popular in literature for ages. Children’s books often feature them, as do cozy mysteries, and other novels. Why? Because people love cats. They can add humor and humanity to a story. With their unique purr-sonalities and mystical natures, they make purr-fect characters to write about. Before we talk about how and why […]
6 Self-Editing Techniques
Nothing will ever replace a good editor. Nothing. No software program out there today can replace the years of training and education that professional editors go through to be the very best. But sometimes, we need to know how to edit our own work. Whether it’s an important corporate email or proposal, or we are […]