How to Write About Pets Writing a Book About Pets Step-by-Step

How to Write About Pets Writing a Book About Pets Step-by-Step How to Write About Pets: 6 Steps for Writing a Book About Pets the Right Way Writing about pets is a great way to share your passion and get paid for it!But thats only doable if you know how to write about pets in a way that others will actually want to readBecause lets be real, wed all love to gush about how amazing our pets are ALL day long, but thats not whats going to sell.I have some tips for writing a book about pets (or just writing in general) to help you out.Here are the steps for writing about pets:Journaling or free-writing about petsResearching writing about petsDevelop your pets characterDecide on the themeRead books about pets to learnBuild your pets author platformNOTE: If youre ready to start your book about pets, we can help you with that. In our VIP Self-Publishing Program, weve helped hundreds (even thousands) publish their books, even some about pets. Learn more about it hereHow to Write a Book About PetsIf you’re ever having a bad day at work, you may indulge in scrolling through some kind of social media app to get your mind off y our problems.As you scroll, something catches your eye, so you stop. It’s a video of cat with no front legs, learning how to jump, run, and play while still managing to be cute and adorable.You can’t help yourself; you smile.Not only is the kitty’s antics a little funny, but the story is also inspiring. Despite its disability, the cat forges on as if it had four legs instead of only two. Well, if that sweet little kitty can overcome its obstacle, you can get through your bad day at work.This is the power of pet stories.Along with making us laugh, pets and animals have a way of tugging at our heartstrings. Even though they’re animals, their tails- I mean, tales- humanize us every day.Pets and animals- big or small, hairy, feathered, covered with scales, paws, wings, or hooves- have a way of impacting our lives, whether it’s with humor or heroism.Either way, there’s a big market for pet stories and they give you a strong reason to write a book about them.Besides, anybody who has ever had pets always has a few stories to tell.So, do you think your pet/s have a unique story to share? Ive got some tips to help you share it.#1 Journaling or freewriting about your petsSet aside a few minutes each day- let’s say, 20 minutes or more- to write about your pets. Developing this writing habit is crucial to actually finish your project.Try to focus on one memorable event and write it down. This doesn’t need to be perfect; you can always revise later.If you are still feeling a bit stuck, try these ideas for writing about pets:Write about the time you met your pet for the first time. Were they given to you as a present? Did you adopt them from the shelter? Or did you find each other through some sort of happenstance?Write down something funny your pet did. Did they fail at training? Did they have an odd habit? Why was this memory significant to you? Was anyone else there with you and were they also amused or no?Write ab out a time you lost your pet. How did this affect you? How was their loss significant? What brought you two back together again? If your pet passed away, how did you handle your grief after?If you are still feeling stuck, try using these pet writing prompts to help you get some ideas to write down.#2 Research and notesJust like any other form of writing, you will need to backup your brainstorming with sound book research.This research will provide background information to your pet’s story to give it a fuller narrative and may help you to develop a theme (we’ll talk about themes next).Here are some research topics for pets and animals:Species/breeds: Research your pet’s species and breed. Does your pet fit these characteristics? Make notes of your pet’s behaviors and habits and see if they are common. How do they communicate (think sounds and body language)? Do other pet owners experience the same behaviors with their pets? This kind of research is espec ially important for exotic pets, like tarantulas, snakes, and turtles. It is unlikely that many readers of your story will have any kind of experience exotic species and/or breeds, so be sure to share more information with themService animals: If your pet was a service animal of some kind- therapy, police, military, leading the blind, search-and-rescue- research about those services provided and the organizations out there that provide them. These animals have benefited people tremendously and have very moving stories. If you have done any kind of professional and/or volunteer work with service animals, readers will find your insights and experiences invaluable.Adopted/rescue pets: Perhaps you adopted your pet from an animal shelter. Research the specific shelter you adopted your pet from, as well as how shelters functions in general. How high is the need to adopt animals? If your pet’s species or breed is one that has a high rate of ending up in shelters, it’s imperat ive to conduct research on this issue and provide readers information on it and how to prevent it. For example, pit bull terriers and huskies are two dog breeds that are known to often be sent to shelter; pit bull terriers are sent in because people use them for dog fighting and believed to be an aggressive breed, while huskies have extremely high energy and are very clever, both of which make them difficult to handle. This will encourage readers to think carefully about pets they adopt into their family and prepare for the responsibility they require. Perhaps you volunteered with a pet or animal sanctuary. Research the history and the purpose and mission of the organization.Pet care advice: Taking care of pets requires a great deal of responsibility. Each pet has its own set of care instructions, and some even require special care. What is the best way to care for this particular pet? What kind of expenses has your pet incurred? For example, let’s say you bottle-fed a kitten because it was an orphan. In your story, detail where you bought supplies for bottle-feeding, how often you fed them and how much for each feeding, how long you had to bottle-feed them, and at what age is best to finally transition from milk to solid food. Readers may find this information handy in the future.It may be wise to research and share some advice on how to encourage kids to be responsible for their pets.Sometimes kids are eager for a new pet, but once they realize how much work it is to take care of them, they quickly lose interest and neglect the pet they so badly wanted before.This is an issue that many parents face and often end up taking care of the pet themselves. It’s important to hold children accountable to their choices, but there are ways to do that without making them begin to dislike their pet.#3 Developing your pets characterIf your pet is still in your life, observe them and take notes. What are their habits? How do they interact with people and oth er animals? Do they do anything unique or peculiar? This research will enable you to develop your pet’s character and endear them to your reader.Don’t assume that just because you love your pet, your readers automatically will as well. This may be hard to believe, but it’s true. What makes your pet any different from others? You have to develop their character just as deeply and richly as you would a human character.Your pet’s story won’t stand out to readers unless their character stands out to them as well.Here’s some character development tips and advice to help you out:Detail their backgroundNote their strengths and weaknessesObserve unique habits or traitsCreate a character arc for themThe following excerpt from Marley by John Grogan is a great example of developing a pet’s character by using the rule of show, dont tell:â€Å"Just as we were reaching the car, we heard a commotion coming from the woods. Something was crashing thr ough the brush- and breathing heavily. It sounded like what you might hear in a slasher film. And it was coming our way. We froze, staring into the darkness. The sound grew louder and closer. Then in a flash the thing burst into the clearing and came charging in our direction, a yellow blur. A very big yellow blur. As it galloped past, not stopping, not even seeming to notice us, we could see it was a large Labrador retriever. But it was nothing like the sweet Lily we had just cuddled inside. This one was soaking wet and covered up to its belly in mud and burrs. Its tongue hung out wildly to one side, and froth flew off its jowls as it barreled past. In the split-second glimpse I got, I detected an odd, slightly crazed, yet somehow joyous gaze in its eyes. It was as though this animal had just seen a ghost- and couldn’t possibly be more tickled about it.â€Å"Then, with the roar of a stampeding herd of buffalo, it was gone, around the back of the house and out of sight. Jenn y let out a little gasp.â€Å"‘I think,’ I said, a slight queasiness rising in my gut, ‘we just met Dad.’†Even though we only see the daddy dog for a just brief moment- literally- we’ve learned something about John’s new puppy, Marley; he is going to be a big, wild, hard-to-handle, and happy dog.This scene is foreshadowing the kind of main character Marley will be later in the story.#4 Think of a themeNow that you have some done some substantial brainstorming and research, think of a theme your pet’s story could fall into. Themes in pet stories help connect ideas and issues with stories. Often our experiences with our pets coincide with life-changing events. If this is true for you, consider how your pet’s presence helped you through that time in your life.Examples of themes include coming-of-age, new relationships/romances, new parents, twenty-something years, thirty-something years, historical events, etc. You could eve n write a pet-themed cookbook with recipes for fun pet treats!#5 Read books about petsTo better understand the niche market of pet and animal stories, read books about pets.Here are some examples of books about pets you can learn from:Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John GroganSeabiscuit: An American Legend by Lauren HillenbrandDewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki MyronAlex Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence- and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Irene M. PepperbergFor more examples, you can check out thislist of animal memoirs on Goodreads.As you read, ask yourself these questions: What kind of impact did this animal have on the writer?What’s the theme of the story?What kind of research about this animal did the writer have to do?What does the writer do with this story that you like?What would you do differently in your pet’s story?#6 Build the pets onlin e platformYes, you did read that right. While many pets have an online platform, its necessary for yours to have one if youre writing about them.As you complete your pet’s story, begin building an online platform†¦for your pet. Having an established online platform will help market your story once you publish it, so come up with a plan on how to promote your story, and your pet.Here are some creative ways to create â€Å"buzz† about your upcoming book about your pet:Create an Instagram account for themBlog on your author website about themHave a bunch of videos of your pet? Make an online video seriesTheir online platform can be about anything- funny things they do, the two of you traveling together, throwing birthday parties for them, and so on. You can even write posts and captions from their point-of-view.In fact, this will even help you with building their character to make them more relatable to your audience.If you’re still feeling at a loss on how to do this, read some pet blogs and search social media for examples. They may give you an idea of what you need to do to get followers for your pet.Ready to write about your pet?Your pet’s story deserves to be heard. Start writing today. Give your pet a kiss on the head and put your fingers to the keyboard while you sign up for this training thatll help you make headway on your book today.

A Guide to Masters and Doctoral Comprehensive Exams

A Guide to Masters and Doctoral Comprehensive Exams Graduate students take two sets of comprehensive exams, both masters and doctoral. Yes, it sounds scary. Comprehensive examinations, known as comps, are a source of anxiety for most graduate students. What Is a Comprehensive Examination? A comprehensive examination is just what it sounds like. It is a test that covers a broad base of material. It assesses the students knowledge and capacities to earn a given graduate degree. The exact content varies by graduate program and by degree: masters and doctoral comprehensive exams have similarities but differ in detail, depth, and expectations. Depending on the graduate program and degree, comps could test course knowledge, knowledge of your proposed research area, and general knowledge in the field. This is especially true of doctoral students, who must be prepared to discuss the field at a professional level, citing material from coursework but also classic and current references. When Do You Take Comps? Comps are generally given toward the end of coursework or afterward as a way to determine how well a student is able to synthesize the material, solve problems, and think like a professional. Passing a comprehensive exam lets you move to the next level of study. What Is the Format? Masters and doctoral exams often are written exams, sometimes oral, and sometimes both written and oral. Exams are usually administered in one or more long test periods. For example, in one program written doctoral comprehensive exams are given in two blocks that are each eight hours long on consecutive days. Another program administers a written comp exam to masters students in one period that lasts five hours. Oral exams are more common in doctoral comps, but there are no hard and fast rules. What Is the Masters Comp Exam? Not all masters programs offer or require that students complete comprehensive exams. Some programs require a passing score on a comprehensive exam for entry to the thesis. Other programs use comprehensive exams in place of a thesis. Some programs give students a choice of completing either a comprehensive exam or a thesis. In most cases, masters students are given guidance on what to study. It might be specific lists of readings or sample questions from previous exams. Masters comprehensive exams are generally given to an entire class at once. What Is the Doctoral Comp Exam? Virtually all doctoral programs require that students complete doctoral comps. The exam is the gateway to the dissertation. After passing the comprehensive exam a student can use the title doctoral candidate, which is a label for students who have entered the dissertation phase of doctoral work, the final hurdle to the doctoral degree. Doctoral students often receive much less guidance on how to prepare for comps as compared with masters students. They might get long reading lists, some sample questions from previous exams, and instructions to be familiar with articles published over the past few years in the prominent journals in their field. What If You Dont Pass Your Comps? Graduate students who are unable to pass a programs comprehensive exam are weeded from the graduate program and cannot complete the degree. Graduate programs often allow a student who fails the comprehensive exam another chance to pass. However, most programs send students packing after two failing grades.