By Lynn Maria Thompson In Part 1 of this year’s GPE report, we explored new products from the Cat Writers’ Association’s sponsors. In this part, we’ll venture out into the broader world and look at some of the products we saw from other companies. There’s so much to see! While it’s been a few months […]
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The Intrinsic Value of CWA Membership and Why to Get Involved
By Deborah Barnes I have a lot of history with the CWA. I was accepted into the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) in October 2011. Since that point, I’ve volunteered for nearly every committee there is (even chairing some of them). I’ve also been a Council member, Vice President, and even President from June 2018 to […]
The Curse of Verse: The Top Ten Reasons Editors Hate Rhyme
by Lee Wardlaw “The apparent ease of Dr. Seuss’s verse and his mad-cap nonsense have inspired so many untalented poets to mimic him that editors cringe when they see a [rhyming] manuscript.” – Ellen E.M. Roberts, Editor If you’ve written a feline-inspired picture book or poem in rhyme, is it cursed to a life […]
Cat Writing in Multiple Genres
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]