I recently read a comment on twitter where another writer wrote ‘understand that if your writer bio mentions your pet’s name, no one is going to take you seriously’. The bio I use for print and magazine credits does not mention my pet, but my bio on my website does. And for a reason. Not because I want to publicise that I am a proud pet parent, but because of the audience that my bio is aimed at.
I write adult fiction, and whilst I am sure few, if any, readers are bothered about the name of my dog, I also write children’s fiction. Most of my children’s fiction is about animals, and, particularly, about a naughty dog who is based on the exploits of my own. If children visit my website, I don’t want them finding out about the erotica I also write or how sometimes I write stories based on my own bad dates, I want them to find out things that they may be interested in. Hence the name of my dog. And if adult readers are going to dismiss my validity and intelligence after having made the effort to visit my website just because I mention my dog, then perhaps it is their character in question, not mine.
Mentioning Milly, and why it is suddenly contraversial.
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