Animals can be of great comfort and support to writers as they pour their hearts out onto the page, as this author knows well.

by Melody Horrill

I glide my fingertips across the smooth surface of the small, square keys, indecisive about which one to press. My mind is filled with fleeting words, but none grab my attention. I realize I must delve into my heart, not just my mind, to craft the next sentence. Unconsciously, my left hand drops to the slumbering form at my feet. I feel for his ears and gently scratch the sweet spot between them. Q, my fourteen-year-old rescue cat, opens his opal eyes, yawns, and gracefully stretches. As a soft purr erupts from his throat, my frustration evaporates and my cheeks lift in a smile. He gazes up at me, and I tell him that I am overwriting. The prose is too flowery—it’s becoming gobbledygook. He blinks at me slowly, and I declare that I must review the whole chapter again. He responds with a soft mewl.

Q had been napping for hours on the gray shag rug beneath the desk in my spare bedroom, which also serves as my writing space. While I’ve been agonizing over sentence structure and rewrites, he’s been my dozy companion, occasionally twitching his ears as I read passages aloud and ponder. As his purr intensifies, I ignore the blinking black line on my computer screen that is demanding my attention. Instead, I bend and lift Q onto my lap. I relish the diversion and surrender to the delight of stroking his thick, ebony fur. It helps me to reconnect to why I am writing a book about shelter animals and the happiness they bring to people. Thanks to my intermission with Q, I feel reinvigorated and eager to get back to work.

Q’s role as my literary muse started in early 2021 when I finally gathered the courage to start writing my memoir. As a broadcast journalist for many years, I’d written hundreds of news scripts and several hour-long documentaries, but writing a book, especially one that required delving into my traumatic childhood, was uncharted territory for me. I spent months at my laptop reliving scenes of domestic violence between my parents and the joy of finding acceptance and healing through my friendship with a wild, solitary, injured dolphin. Through tears and laughter, Q remained by my side. I confided in him, read to him, and after reviewing my father’s autopsy report for the first time, buried my face in his fur and wept. Q was the sole witness to the range of intense emotions I experienced while exploring my memories. Even though embarking on the tumultuous journey of writing my memoir was something only I could tackle, with Q by my side, I never felt alone. If I spent too many hours at my desk without a break, he pawed my leg and made his strange little brrring sound. It became my twice-daily cue to get up, stretch my legs, or fix both of us a snack.

Many authors have spent countless creative hours with dogs, cats, birds, goats, and even the occasional bear.

When my memoir, The Dolphin Who Saved Me, was published internationally, I was thrilled. I hoped my story could help others by raising awareness about the remarkable intelligence and emotional complexity of dolphins and the healing power of the natural world. I found I enjoyed writing and decided to use the world’s longest Covid lockdown to pen a young adult fantasy that I’d dreamed of as a child. I had help from a former mentor who encouraged me. I focused on themes dear to my heart: finding courage, caring for the environment and animals, and appreciating nature’s magic. Q inspired me to include a feline hero—his namesake who shared his quirky, bossy nature and obsession with food. For nine months, I escaped into an enchanted realm where a young girl helps fantastical animal friends save their world. Q remained by my side day after day as I tackled a genre that I’d only ever been exposed to as a reader. I’m proud to say that A Cat Called Q and the Magic Globe was published last month. I dedicated the book to my moggy muse, Q.

While I like to think Q and I share a special bond, four-legged writing companions are not a new phenomenon. Creating any book can be a long, lonely endeavor; it’s solitary work. Many authors over the years have turned to their furry friends for companionship and inspiration. Literary greats such as Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway loved their cats, who kept them company as they shut themselves off from the rest of the world to write. Virginia Woolf kept a cocker spaniel. More recently, Dean Koontz, one of my favorite writers, dedicated a book to his beloved golden retriever, Trixie, who “co-authored” two books with him. Many more authors have been influenced by their animal companions and have spent countless creative hours with dogs, cats, birds, goats, and even the occasional bear.

As I finish editing my third book, titled Sheltered, I’ve come to appreciate how much Q has enriched and supported my writing journey. He doesn’t flinch when I mutter, chuckle, or curse as I type. He is a calming presence, a nonjudgmental witness to the elation and frustration that writing can bring. When I close the door of my spare bedroom, only Q is privy to my insecurities, uncertainties, and moments of pure pride as I fill the blank white space before me. He’s even been part of the book publicity process, meowing loudly during live radio interviews or barfing up a furball during podcasts. His interruptions inevitably provide a dose of welcome humor.

In the nineteenth century, the English novelist Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, said, “Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” I believe that given the opportunity, a companion animal could become a writer’s best friend.

Melody Horrill is an award-winning Australian environmental journalist, freelance media manager, speaker, and author of three books. She is well known in South Australia for raising awareness about dolphins and marine conservation. She is co-chair of the Jane Goodall Institute’s Cetacean Committee and Ambassador for Kangaroo Island Dolphin Watch. She lives in Melbourne with her rescue cat, Q, and her partner, Grant. She is a passionate animal and nature lover.

Her memoir, The Dolphin Who Saved Me, endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, was published internationally. It focuses on her extraordinary friendship with a wild, injured dolphin which helped her heal from a childhood wracked by domestic violence. Her debut young adult fantasy, A Cat Called Q and the Magic Globe, also focuses on the theme of connecting with nature and animals. It also explores the power of discovering and believing in inner magic, even during challenging times. Her third book, a non-fiction titled Sheltered, explores the power of love between people and their adopted animals, and how animals have changed and enriched people’s lives. It will be published in September 2024. Melody loves nothing more than spending time on and in the water, cooking, and hanging out with Q.

Visit Melody at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.