Author POV

I slump on my desk. My book is due tomorrow and I can’t think of a single idea, I should have started a month ago.

I look at my desk and around my writing room for inspiration. The purple curtains are pulled back, but out my window I can see only the night sky. The sun set hours ago.

My cosy bed sits in the corner, warm-looking soft blue blanket tucked up neatly under my plain white pillow. The blanket was a gift to my dad from the Annishnabe, it’s handmade. He gave it to my when I was 12. The bed lay there invitingly, waiting for me to get to bed—if I get to bed, which is doubtful.

Above my desk, the clock tics away, reminding me it’s 2:39—no, 2:40, and I don’t have long. Not encouraging. I frantically scan my desk for anything that could be part of a story. A pencil sharpener, scribbles on paper (doodling helps calm me down) and my screen shining up at me, so blank it hurts, none of this is encouraging.

Meowing, my cat Misty paws at her toy mouse. She’s sitting in her usual spot, her cosy bed beside my computer.

I get up. Maybe a little wine and a couple reruns of football games will help me focus.

Cat POV

My owner gets up and sighs as he heads to the living room. I know he’s going to watch that big flat box with mini people in red and black running around in it. Makes no sense, and I don’t like it when he screams at them, so I stay here.

I look at that other flat box he uses sometimes. It’s smaller and he was sitting here quite some time tonight. He seems upset. I wonder why.

Usually when he uses this screen he uses his paw to prod at little clicking things below the box and dots and lines appear. I’d like to do that, too, but whenever I try he gets mad and presses one clicking thing lots of times and the lines and dots I made go away.

But now he’s not here. Keeping an eye on him—he’s fixated to the big box— I pad across the area with the clicking things. I see the lines and dots on the box. I did it!

Satisfied, I return purring to my bed and bat at that immobile mouse. I did what my owner did!

Author’s POV

I return to my desk after watching too many 49ers games. I can’t relax, I have to write!

My cat purrs as I settle at my desk. She looks pleased with herself. I look at the screen. It’s covered in words! Well, most of them are just a bunch of letters, but autocorrect did a couple random words in there.

All of a sudden it hits me like a lightning bolt. I chuckle.

“Misty, my little trickster, you just gave me a great idea. I’m dedicating this book to you,” I laugh. I got to work writing a story from the cat’s point of view.