WRITING INSPIRATION: HOW CATAWAMPUS GOT HIS NAME

If you look in the dictionary, you'll find that the word catawampus is probably derived from "cater-cornered" and means (among other things) "askew", or "awry". There are a few different ways to spell it, and no one is completely sure where it came from. It was a word that intrigued me when I read it a few years ago, and I thought it could be a great character name. But who would that character be? I thought he would be a cat, of course, but one who was unique in a way that readers could empathize with, learn from, and maybe see themselves in.

The story itself came to me pretty quickly when I was at work one day, in the form of a poem, which I started writing down then and there.  Once I had it down on paper, I filed it away with the thought that one day I could develop it into a book.  I had no idea at the time how many drafts it would take or how many sketches and paintings I’d need to do to get to a point where I felt his story was coming to life!  There are always things as an artist or writer you feel you could have done better, but I am truly grateful to have been able to complete this project to a level that I feel honors the intention of the story, and hopefully it inspires readers to celebrate their differences, accept one another, and spread kindness!