This is a guest post from Harper Hodges. She writes at thecatwhowrites.com. Harper took over the cat who write's blog when Pooh Hodges, a regular columnist for The Write Practice, died. Pamela Hodges, the regular writer today, is not a cat —so she asked Harper to help her write today's post.

I am a cat. I am a cat who loves stories. My typist, Mrs. Hodges, reads to me every day because I am just learning how to read. My favorite words are cat, fat, sat, hat, mat and dog. Mrs. Hodges told me she needed story ideas from a cat. So I am helping her.

story ideas

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17 Story Ideas from a Cat

Substitution rule #1- Replace any item with a cat.
Substitution Rule #2 – Replace any item with a dog.
Substitution Rule #3 – Replace any item with a bathtub. (Do you think we will get more cat, dog, or bathtub substitutions?)

  1. A can-opener, a can of tuna, and a snowman.
  2. A mouse, an open door, and a toaster.
  3. A can of peanuts, a sock, and a mannequin.
  4. A cat, a folding chair, and a sleeping giant.
  5. A child with a fever, a dog, and a ceiling fan.
  6. A double bacon sandwich, a letter from your mother, and a parking ticket.
  7. An empty bottle of shampoo, a spatula, and a rowboat.
  8. A leaking fountain pen, a white dress, and a box of kleenex.
  9. A lawnmower, a hat, and an extension cord
  10. A broken pencil, a diamond ring, and a black rabbit.
  11. A box of raisins, a watermelon, and a jeep.
  12. A box of popsicles, an oak tree, and a low-odor dry-erase marker.

More Story Ideas

You can also use any of the three elements from the substitution rules above in these story ideas.

  1. You find a cat abandoned in a gutter in the middle of winter. You take it home and discover the cat is really a…
  2. The toaster you bought at the flea market turns your bread into kittens. Someone wants the toaster back.
  3. Driving home from the grocery store you take a wrong turn and can't find your way home. A talking cat helps you.
  4. A human opens the front door and steps outside. The cats lock the door and won't let them back inside.
  5. When you wake up you discover you have become a cat. You have a big presentation that evening, and you have to find out how to turn back into a human.

I could give you a longer list of story ideas, However, it would be helpful if I actually told you how I get my ideas, so you can make your own story ideas.

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To Get Story Ideas

Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with story ideas, especially when there are a lot of great toys to distract you!  That's why I wanted to give you a few tips on how to come up with some cat-tastic story ideas.

  1. Take a cat nap in a sunbeam. A refreshing nap will help you be more creative.
  2. Write about something you don't understand. I don't understand why I can't go outside.
  3. Shred all the toilet paper from the bathroom with your claws. Ripping up paper can help you relax.
  4. Keep a notebook and pen beside your litter box. We have seven litter boxes. I get so many ideas when I am standing on clumping cat litter. If you are not a cat, keep a note beside your toilet bowl. You want to be prepared to write down your creative ideas whenever you get a chance to sit down.
  5. Think about something you wish you had. Like thumbs. I wish I had thumbs.

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Living Your Story – Acting Out Your Story, and Writing the Results. (Reality Story Telling)

There is no better way to get into the mind of your characters than to become like them, so I've put together a list of activities that will help you think more like an animal.

  1. Rent a cat costume and dress up like a cat. Go shopping for cat food and cat litter and write about people's reaction to an adult in a cat costume buying cat food and cat litter.
  2. Eat all of your food from a plate on the floor for a day.  Write about what it is like to eat from the floor.
  3. Tape your thumb to the pointer finger on each hand for twenty-four hours. You can only eat food that you can open the container with your thumbless hands. After the twenty-four hours, write what it felt like to have no thumbs.
  4. For one day do not use a glass to drink from, lap all of your water from a large bowl on the floor and then write what that felt like.
  5. Find the birth certificate from 2003, for your best-friend, who is a dog,  and try to find their litter mates. Then write about what happens.
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This is me and Martha.

I am living my story with #4! I am trying to find Martha's brothers and sisters!

Will you help me write the rest of the story? Will you please help me find Martha's siblings? Mrs. Hodges found Martha on Craigslist in San Jose over eight years ago. Martha has trouble getting up the stairs now, and she has a lot of gray hair on her face.

Martha really wants to find her brothers and sisters. Pooh was going to try and help her. But Pooh died before he could help. Martha's mother was Josie, and her dad was Moose. Litter #sR132075/04

Martha was born on November 25th, 2003. at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Labrador Retrievers, 4801 Money Way, Sacremento, California 95842.  Michele and Audie Gurule were the breeders.

My typist, Pamela Hodges tried to find them, but she couldn't find them.

martha'sPEDIGREE

Has your toaster ever turned a piece of bread into a kitten? Let me know in the comments section.

PRACTICE

Please pick one of the story ideas from the list above, or go to page 87 in your dictionary and write a story about the fourth word from the top on the left-hand column, and a cat.

Please write for fifteen minutes, and then share what you have written in the comments. Mrs. Hodges, my typist, will read your stories to me, and type my response.

I am so happy to get to write here. All the cats who live with me have told me so much about Pooh. I wish I could have met him.

Hugs and Kisses

Harper (P.S. I am named after Harper Lee. I hope I can write more than two books in my lifetime.)

Pamela writes stories about art and creativity to help you become the artist you were meant to be. She would love to meet you at pamelahodges.com.

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