but cats don’t talk

But Cats Don’t Talk is the story of Becca O’Sullivan, a brilliant young woman with everything going for her: a promising career as a concert pianist, a loving mom, and a sweet tuxedo cat named Beethoven the Cat, or BC, for short. When Becca’s world is turned upside down, she is determined to succeed no matter what, which will be tough to do while dealing with an alcoholic aunt, an extremely cute new friend, and her cat who has seemingly learned to speak—and has a lot to say. Becca is afraid she won’t be able to hold it together long enough to make it to the end of the performance season. And even if she does, she has no idea what she’s going to do after the concerts are over.

INSPIRATIONS FOR BUT CATS DON’T TALK

A few years ago, I was reading our local newspaper when I came across an article about a man who planned to perform all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in one concert season. He had memorized and practiced the almost eleven hours of music and planned to play the pieces in a series of concerts at a local venue because he loved the music and wanted others to hear it and love it, too. Immediately, my mind began whirling… Why would someone choose to do something like that? What would he gain if he accomplished it? What would happen if he failed? Had others performed the same feat—performing all of Beethoven’s sonatas in one season? At the time, I had been contemplating writing a young adult novel, so I immediately considered how I could adapt this story to make it work for a YA audience. In the end, I mined four key elements from the article for BCDT: (1) the central character would be a pianist, who (2) would play all 32 Beethoven sonatas in (3) one concert series, and the performances would take place at (4) the Courthouse Center for the Arts in West Kingston, Rhode Island, the same venue as mentioned in the newspaper story.

When I was 3 ½ years old, I informed my mother that I was going to become a famous ballerina and then pursued that goal single-mindedly for almost 20 years, eventually dancing seven days a week as a member of several different ballet companies. I even majored in ballet for my first year of college before switching to my second career as an architect. For BCDT, I tapped into all of that experience as a hyper-focused performer, especially the factors of beginning at a young age, practicing every day, feeling different than the other kids at school, loving the art (of dance), and performing in public.

Another key element of the novel, as the name suggests, is a cat—who does, in fact, talk. Ever since reading Travels of Doctor Dolittle as a child, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of being able to speak with animals. I also saw the character of BC (Beethoven the Cat) as a good vehicle to use to reveal Becca’s thoughts and emotions, something I’d been trying to do more of in my writing. And since Becca’s character is somewhat “other than”, I utilized the trope of “saving the cat”—having her do something overtly kind like befriending a shelter kitty—to make her more likable and relatable to the reader.

CRAFTING A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

In order for But Cats Don’t Talk to be considered a YA novel, it has to meet certain criteria. First of all, the main characters have to be under twenty years old. Both Becca and Dak, the two human leads, are eighteen years old. BC is only thirteen, but I’m not sure his age is relevant as to whether or not the novel obtains the “YA” classification.

The second guideline for a YA novel is that the young protagonist solves her own problems without much assistance from the adults in her lives. Becca’s grandpa died a year before the novel begins and her mother becomes unable to assist Becca fairly early on in the story, so the only adults left in her life are her Aunt Cassie—an alcoholic, her honorary grandmother Mrs. Fox—the main caretaker for a bed-ridden husband, the theater manager Dave—who works two jobs, and a famous pianist Mr. Zelinski—who she hardly knows. So, although Becca does rely on these folks for love and support, she must do most of the heavy lifting of her own problem-solving.

A third criterion for a YA novel is that it be focused on themes that are age-appropriate to young adult readers between the ages of 16 and 25. There are three central themes in BCDT: coping with feeling different and not fitting in with your peers, fearing that you do not have the strength to overcome your challenges, and defining who your “family” truly is and how to ask them for help when you need it. All three of these themes are relevant to a YA audience as well as readers of all ages.

The fourth and final rule for a YA novel is that it presents its subject matter in a way that is relatable to a young adult reader, using a perspective and dialogue that he would understand. BCDT is told in the first person from Becca’s perspective and offers her unique views and opinions of her life. A younger protagonist or an adult would surely see things much differently and tell a different story than 18-year-old Becca.

I hope you enjoy reading But Cats Don’t Talk as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would welcome an email letting me know what you thought about Becca, BC, and the novel, in general. And please feel free to post a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads to encourage others to read it, too. Thanks!