Happy National William Day by Kait Carson

Writers get inspiration from various sources. When I was casting around for a blog topic this month, I hit the dreaded idea block. Writer’s block is bad enough, but idea block…that’s when you look inside your mind and find—nothing. Not an idea in sight. Gulp. Now what? Rather than bask in fear and pretend I forgot my blog day, I pulled out my handy dandy calendar of holidays. Every day is devoted to at least one holiday, and often more than one. October 28^th is no different. In fact, two dear-to-my-heart holidays are celebrated today. The first is National William Day; the second, National Chocolate Day. How to choose? Hum. I’ll think about it while I down a triangle of Toblerone.

 First, a word from our sponsor. Do you love Toblerone? Bet you’ve been eating it all wrong. Chocolate connoisseurs insist that the proper way to munch a bar is to push two triangles together, not pull them apart. Frankly, I don’t care. It tastes great no matter how you get your fix. Oh, and one other thing, by the end of this year, Toblerone is set to be made not in Switzerland but Slovakia, which explains the missing Alp on the package.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog. National William Day. I didn’t know the name William had a national day, but I’m quite pleased that it does. Last year my husband and I visited the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Hubs was looking for a dog. I wandered into the cat room. That’s where I found an alleged sixteen-year-old ginger tuxedo cat named William. I fell in love. Wee Willie came home with us that day.

The poor guy turned out to be very ill. The shelter workers thought it was a vaccine reaction. Instead, it was a serious infection, possibly congenital, that may have been triggered by the stress of finding himself in a shelter. With the help of our vet, he fought his way back from the brink and became the most loving cat who has ever owned me. William turned out to be an estimated six, not sixteen, years. He is my muse, my shadow, and my evening back warmer.

There’s more to William than merely being a survivor. Critters play a role in all of my stories, as they do in my life. Hayden Kent’s cat, Tiger, is based on Hutch. Catherine Swope’s cat, Paddy Whack, is based on Starlight. Catherine’s dog, Bullet, is aspirational. He’s the German shepherd I always wanted. Sassy Romano’s cat, Jellyroll, is based on Cub.

Critters in stories do more than imitate life. They humanize the characters and provide a touchstone for readers. You can rest assured that William will make an appearance in one of my books. Be on the lookout for a red and white tuxedo with a white splotch on his back that resembles a stylized Holt Howard cat.

 Happy National William Day, William!