Behind every great writer…is often a four-legged (or winged) companion.
John Steinbeck chronicled his adventures with his blue standard poodle. Alice Walker loved her chickens. Mark Twain adored his cats. Lord Byron took a pet bear with him to college. Alexander Dumas kept a vulture and three monkeys at his private zoo. Ernest Hemingway had a six-toed kitten.
Our furry and feathered friends follow us from room to room, sit at our feet, recline on our desks, paw at our laptops. They travel with us, prompt us to take breaks, and then remind us get back to work.
Today our Thriller Thursday authors share who really keeps us on task!
Tessa Wegert: My manager might actually be the chillest of all time. I don’t know if I inadvertently trained him to be that way (being around someone who sits perfectly still for half the day will do that), but Otto is ridiculously patient. He does demand regular treats, though—ideally homemade.
Carter Wilson: Scully (dog) and Guff (cat)!
Lauren Nossett: My nine-year-old Pomeranian Bowie! He is especially good at prompting me to take breaks, namely when he needs to be let out, get on the couch, or is hungry. I’ve also found that he tends to know when I’m scrolling and will prompt me to get back to work. Those dog treats aren’t free, after all!
Danielle Girard: Meet Georgie. He’s manager, therapist, and trainer all in one. Georgie also travels with me. A month in Mexico in February. Then a month in New York in May… and wherever we are, he always walks like he knows exactly where he’s going.
Greg Wands: At the moment, we don’t have a pet in the house, so I’m forced to act as my own manager. *Results vary from day to day.
Kimberly Belle: Daisy is my four-legged manager and full-time bossypants. She tells me when it’s time to work, when it’s time to stop, and when I’ve been sitting too long and need to get my butt off the couch. She takes her role very seriously—especially the break reminders. Plus, she works for treats, which is a pretty solid deal for both of us.
Alex Segura: My two beautiful cats—Sasha and Myshka—are great at keeping me calm and sedate whenever I'm struggling with deadlines or work stress. On the flipside, they never let me run late on a feeding.
Vanessa Lillie: Violet Anne is my manager (she’s snoring next to me right now) and she’s the bossiest, emotionally codependent, and perfect pugapoo who ever pugapoo-ed. She gets me walking when I’m stuck on a scene, let’s me give her belly rubs when I feel nervous, and is the best companion I could ever ask for.
Tell us: Who’s your writing “manager”?
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