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Dog Memoirs - the newest subgenre
Okay, perhaps as a subgenre, it really isn't THAT new. After all, fictional dog stories have been around forever, since before Anubis or Cerebus poked their heads out of the collective human imagination.
I was in Target this morning, gathering Valentines Day treats and cards for the kids, the Guy, and one of the kids' classes, and wandered over to the book section. And I was amazed at the number of Dog Memoir books that were on the shelf. It's not as apparent to me in a Barnes and Noble because of the size of the store. But at Target? Wow. I counted at least nine books with dogs on the covers. They varied in focus from the dog being the main focus, or the dog being a featured part of someone's life, but still, more or less as part of their life.
It's an interesting phenomenon. After all, I don't see reams of books centered on pet cats, lolling on their owner's laps and uplifting their lives. Could just be the nature of the beast (so to speak). Most of the books I've skimmed through center on the life, and then eventual death, of the family's dog, going into great detail of the grief process, and how the dog affected not only their, but other's lives, through their very existence.
I suppose Dog Memoir books help their readers get through or remember their OWN dog experiences, and the sadness of their pet's passing. Heck, I was tearing up at the description of the after effects of one memoir dog's death. It brought back the death of my own favorite dog. He died over twenty years ago. Did his life fit within the formula I see in these books? (after all, how different can all these dogs' lives be, except for their owners' lives?) Most likely, yeah, his life did. Is it enough to write a memoir about? I've no idea.
What about you? And your pets? Could you write a succesfull memoir featuring them?
Are their other subgenres that you know about, that others might not have realized are out there? Speak out!
I was in Target this morning, gathering Valentines Day treats and cards for the kids, the Guy, and one of the kids' classes, and wandered over to the book section. And I was amazed at the number of Dog Memoir books that were on the shelf. It's not as apparent to me in a Barnes and Noble because of the size of the store. But at Target? Wow. I counted at least nine books with dogs on the covers. They varied in focus from the dog being the main focus, or the dog being a featured part of someone's life, but still, more or less as part of their life.
It's an interesting phenomenon. After all, I don't see reams of books centered on pet cats, lolling on their owner's laps and uplifting their lives. Could just be the nature of the beast (so to speak). Most of the books I've skimmed through center on the life, and then eventual death, of the family's dog, going into great detail of the grief process, and how the dog affected not only their, but other's lives, through their very existence.
I suppose Dog Memoir books help their readers get through or remember their OWN dog experiences, and the sadness of their pet's passing. Heck, I was tearing up at the description of the after effects of one memoir dog's death. It brought back the death of my own favorite dog. He died over twenty years ago. Did his life fit within the formula I see in these books? (after all, how different can all these dogs' lives be, except for their owners' lives?) Most likely, yeah, his life did. Is it enough to write a memoir about? I've no idea.
What about you? And your pets? Could you write a succesfull memoir featuring them?
Are their other subgenres that you know about, that others might not have realized are out there? Speak out!
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I've considered writing something from one of my cats' perspectives, but it would likely have a very narrow appeal.
"Waited on top of fridge until the primate woke up. Announced my desire for beef.
Announced it more loudly.
Heard primate cursing at one of the lesser pride members.
Reminded primate that her goddess required her presence.
Settled back down on top of the fridge while primate wallowed in her inferior bath.
Growled at Doofus. He didn't notice. Next time I'll shove him in front of the idiot canine next door.
Primate finally arrived. I rubbed against her wet fur in retaliation. If she'd stop rinsing off my mark, I wouldn't have to keep marking her. Damn primates. They're useful, but not terribly bright.
Still don't have my morning beef."
See? Kinda narrow appeal there. :-)
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I spent 10+ years working in various retail bookstores. There are more sub-genres than you think.
Vampire Romances, Lesbian Lit, Hard Science scifi, Cosy mysteries, ...
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I guess I should have been more specific - I was talking nonfiction, really: there ARE tons of cat-based mystery series (and I've seen cat based romance series, too).
But I haven't seen too many Memoir Cats on the shelves.
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Those publishers have to try to corner that market, y'know.
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My pet memoir would go all the way back to my childhood and mention how the dogs and cats and other critters in our fold affected me. There have been so many. The years spent without a pet in my life were notable *because* of that absence and the feeling of being incomplete without one.
Have I mentioned that we currently have nine cats? And I love each and every one for their uniqueness.