Monday, July 6, 2009

Cat Person or Dog Person?

A fun question to ask your main character: are you a cat person or a dog person?

We all know the guy who loathes animals. He shifts away when a dog comes up to sniff him. He grimaces, mumbling something about wet-dog smell, before glaring at the unfortunate pet owner.

Then there are the people who love all animals. They might enjoy cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens, ponies, etc... They squeal in delight at every animal they see. They are the hand-clappers, the swooners, the must-pet-it-now people.

Everyone else boils down to cats and dogs. They favor one over the other without exception. And they have their own unique take on life.



Lets call our cat lover Muffy. Muffy visibly melts when a cat struts by. She oohs and ahhs at the adorable creature even as it snaps its haughty tail in the air. She adores cats, scoops them up and crushes them to her when they get too close. She also understands their independence and patiently gives them the space they need. Does it hurt her feelings when Fluffykins ignores her? Nope. If a dog walks by, she may pat it quickly, but she's not going to faint over it like she would a cat.

Then there's Chet. He automatically bends to ruffle a dog's fur whenever one trots up. He enjoys the companionship and loyalty of a dog. He'll play catch with the dog and he expects its devotion. Chet's never lonely because old Rover's always there, waiting to be petted. Cats don't rate in his book. He doesn't trust them. He may think one's cute, but he's never going to feel for it the way he feels for a dog.

How does this translate into character quirks? Anyway you want!

I like to pretend the characters' reactions to cats and dogs are similar to their reactions to the opposite sex. But you could study your character's gestures when reacting to an animal and use them in other situations.

Let's see how I would translate Muffy and Chet as a couple. She appreciates him , ladles him with praise and hugs, but doesn't expect him to spend every minute with her. He's very physical and affectionate, but Muffy questions this, not quite sure how to respond to such exuberance. She's used to giving affection but has a hard time being on the receiving end.

Chet likes relationships easy. He'll enjoy a dinner out with her, but he'll misunderstand Muffy's acceptance of his alone time and think she's not interested. He won't like that she's busy living her own life instead of waiting by the phone for him to call. And her hesitation to his affection will confuse him.

Any question you ask your character will provide insight into the way they act and why. When you're stuck, confused how they would react to a situation, apply the old cat or dog trick. It might not work every time, but it's fun!

Happy Writing!

33 comments:

  1. What a fun question to ask about our characters!
    ~ Wendy

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  2. Being such a dog lover myself, I had to fight the urge to give every character a pet dog.

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  3. "I like to pretend the characters' reactions to cats and dogs are similar to their reactions to the opposite sex."

    Wow, that's a great idea! I might have to steal--er, use that. LOL!

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  4. Good morning!

    Wendy: I don't ask it every time, but it's funny how quickly the answer comes to you when you do!

    MeganRebekah: You--a dog lover? I never would have guessed!

    I'm one of those crazy, loves every animal people, but I'm obsessed with cats.My characters regularly have pets.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Jennifer: Steal away! There are no new ideas under the sun.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. What a great thought... I love how you transfered your character's cat-love or dog-love to how they might interract within their relationship. Very creative!

    Me, I'm a hand-clapper. I swerve or slam on the breaks so I will not hit squirrels. Once, I hit a bird, and I was disturbed for many, many days. But if I had to pick, it would definitly be dogs. My hubby's allergic to cats anyway.

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  7. This was really good Jill-- I had never thought of looking at my characters in quite this way--you made me do that for the book I'm working on now. How do you come up with this??

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  8. Oh what a great post! I love how you showed how animal love can translate to people! How funny is that?
    I would be a doggie girl, with a cat in the house. I know, I know, I have no idea how that happened, but it did. Some day, though, I will have my very own dog...probably when the kids leave and I need some company. :)

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  9. Katie: I am ridiculous about all animals. I spend hours (if my family lets me) in the rabbit barn at the fair. I coo over baby robins, wish I could grab a woodchuck and give him a great big hug... I talk baby talk to my cat. Spoil her rotten. I'm talking let her lick cream cheese of my finger every morning. Yeah. I understand how you feel.

    Terri: Thanks! Who knows? Maybe it's from all those Disney movies I watched over the years? Ha!

    Sherrinda: Okay, so what kind of dog? Big dog, lap dog, thin dog, fluffy? I'd get a little wiener dog, or a fluffy lap dog. Cuz I could spoil 'em more.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. What a great idea! The more we ask of our characters, the more we know them, the better they make it to the page. Great advice, ask questions of them!

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  11. This was great! So simple and so true.

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  12. I agree, this is a great prompt. It's fun to get to that level w/ your characters, isn't it?

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  13. Great question. What about characters who think pets are a waste of time? I better think about what that means about my MC.

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  14. I think I would go for a little Scottish Terrier. I think they are cute. Though I watched Inkheart last night with the kids and the little black dog that played Toto was adorable!!!!! It looked like a ST but was a little curlier. Way cute. I want one!

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  15. What a cool idea! I never even thought about this before, except it seems like men prefer dogs most of the time.
    But in light of relationships? Very interesting. :-)

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  16. That was a very clever and adorable essay for today. I guess I must be a pet person because all of the pictures give me the ah factor. My daughter thinks I'm a bit strange, but I adore furry rodents.
    Your relting this to characters is interesting. I'm not sure I could do that yet.

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  17. What if they just hate animals altogether? Because right now I'm not a dog OR a cat person. Both of them annoy me, and I have my reasons why. That'll make for an interesting character attribute and reaction to a situation!

    Awesome post. :D

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  18. Joanne: Sometimes it's fun to ask questions when I feel stuck. Or my characters are repeating the same words and actions. I'm working at making them more individual and real.

    Erica: Thanks!

    Tess: I definitely relate more to certain characters. This prompt helps me define the ones I'm not at that level with.

    Joyce: Oh, I hear you! My hero is a loathes animals kind of guy. Although I could see him with a dog eventually, but at this point in his life--no!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  19. Sherrinda: Oh! A little Scottie dog--soooo cute! And please get the plaid bandana for it!

    Jessica: Welcome! I agree, men seem to be dog lovers. I've yet to write a male character who's a cat person!

    Nancy: I adore guinea pigs. Are they in the cute furry rodent category? HA!

    Lady Glamis: My hero is NOT an animal lover. He reacts to his mother's fussing the way he would to a dog panting all over him--by avoiding her ever-present hands at all costs! So much fun!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  20. I have a difficult time writing characters who aren't animal lovers because I so can't relate. In fact, just this morning I was digging in my garden and what do I dig up under my flowers but a nest of oh so tiny baby mice. After a winter of a garage infested by these rodents you'd think I'd be grabbing for the pitch fork, but no, there I was. Paused, lifted a prayer to be forgiven for disturbing these little guys and praying that their momma would find where I relocated the next a few feet away. I'm so way over the top an animal lover.

    P.S. My current heroine is a cat lover, ironically she doesn't think too much of her bestfriend's bird, though.

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  21. Eileen: Oh, I'm laughing! Why do we care so much for little animals as long as they don't take up residence in our house? They're cute outside but a nightmare in.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  22. This is an awesome post! I'd never thought about things this way, but it will be a great tool to use. :D

    I love animals--so long as someone else gets to take care of them. :P

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  23. Danyelle: Yes, I'm tired of cleaning kitty litter. What I do for that cat...

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  24. Jill, what a clever post! I can definitely picture my characters as either dog or cat lovers--or neither! What you wrote about affection really made me take a look at my current characters. They're opposites but I need it to be more than that--not quite that simple. You always make me think more about my characters. Thanks!

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  25. Cindy: Thanks! I get so mad at myself for using the same tired smiles and shrugs. Anytime I can figure out a new gesture, I'm ecstatic!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  26. What a wonderful tool to use in characaterization, Jill! You are a clever one!

    A few days ago I was angry about something and turning to my co-worker, i scrunched up my fingers like claws and hissed like I've seen my female cats do when a male is annoying them. My co-worker knew exactly how I was feeling by that one gesture, and we laughed together over it.

    I personally am a kittie fiend. I like dogs, but they take a lot more care.

    Blessings,
    Jen
    Audience of ONE

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  27. Jeanette: Remember those old cartoons where the cat would unleash its claws with a "plink, plink, plink"? I totally pictured you doing that! Ha!!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  28. I love the idea of having their pet affections manifest in their human relationships - I never would have thought of that!

    And as of right now I'm a cat person. The hubby and are are D.I.N.K.'s (dual income, no kids) and enjoy the freedom of that. The cats take care of themselves for two or three days so we can jet. Lovely :)

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  29. Karin: Cats are wonderful that way. You don't have to worry about someone letting them out and they don't eat an entire bowl of food in one sitting. Easy!

    Angie: Okay, Chet! Ha! Ha!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  30. What a great thing to ask your characters. I'm more a dog person myself so I tend to relate to that kind of character. So it's really important for me to have "cat lovers" as characters too.

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  31. Wow. I never thought about asking my characters this question before, but you're right - it can really reveal a lot about them!

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  32. Kara: If you ever need cat-lover research, e-mail me. I wrote the book!

    Melissa: I agree! If nothing else, it can add a new way for them to react to a situation. Fun!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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