I wrote a whole story about a talking cat and just found out my cat has been a dog this whole time

So for the last three months, I've been working on a short story about a wise, magical cat who gives advice. I based the main character on my pet, Mr. Whiskers. I described his sleek fur, his quiet purr, and how he judges people from high shelves. Yesterday, my new neighbor came over, took one look at Mr. Whiskers, and said, 'Wow, your pug is so chill!' I just stared. I got Mr. Whiskers from a shelter six years ago and never really questioned it. I looked up pugs online right after she left. The curled tail, the snorting, the face. It all clicked. I've been writing a profound feline sage, but my muse is actually a snorty little dog. Has anyone else had a story detail blow up because of a basic wrong fact you never checked?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarahburns2mo ago

How often do we build a whole idea of something in our head without really looking at the real thing? I see it all the time with people who get an idea about a student or a neighbor and just run with it, never checking if it's true. Your story is the perfect example of that happening in a really funny way. It makes me wonder what other simple facts I've gotten totally wrong because I never stopped to question my first thought.

anna_stone452mo ago

Sometimes you just have to trust your gut though.

blair_dixon2mo agoMost Upvoted

Last year I wrote a whole scene set in a diner with a jukebox, then visited my hometown and saw the place had been a quiet bookstore for a decade. I rewrote the scene to be about someone misremembering a place, and it actually made the story better. Sometimes the wrong fact gives you a better idea.