Seriously Ridiculous #7: Cats-a-go

Story fiend. Word nerd. For the comedy curious.

Author

Danielle Krage
November 01, 2025

What’s Up?

Pinch, punch, it’s the first of the month. White rabbits! In case you’re not familiar with this odd (British?) custom, white rabbits means you can’t pinch and punch me back.

And it was Halloween yesterday. All the things!

I’ve just looked back at the Halloween story I drafted when I was writing 52 short stories in a year, in under 2h each. I noted:  ‘It’s nearly Halloween. I don’t do scary. I don’t read it. I don’t watch it. I’m a scaredy puss. So this is as Halloweeny as I get…’ (Halloweeny equalled black cats.)

Well, not much has changed on that front. Still a scaredy puss! Still love cats, black or otherwise!

So, this edition is for all the scaredy pusses and cat lovers. Cats-a-go-go.

Why yes, I did go to see this at my local cinema last week. Sold out. Most laughter I have heard at a showing of anything EVER.

Comedy Craft / Story Fiending

Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel, Jessica Brody

I’ve been listening to this on audio, while at the gym.

(If you haven’t come across Save the Cat!, it’s originally a screenwriting book, by Blake Snyder. Now there are versions that apply the story beats to novels too.)

As with all the story structure resources, different bits pop out at me depending on what I’m working on or thinking about. This time it was considering the first and last beat. These are:

OPENING IMAGE

and

FINAL IMAGE

Having been through a lot of versions of chapter one of my YA novel, Beth Raises Hell, it’s pretty settled now, and the OPENING IMAGE is clear. The last chapter is also pretty settled in the full arc, but it was a good prompt to think about the FINAL IMAGE more specifically.

I like the simplicity of this, whether applied to my writing, or what I’m watching. What job are those images doing? What do they tell us? And why does this matter?

The Flip

In that Halloween story I wrote (Hindsight and Other Beasts), the owner of the spooky house asks her young house sitter, “Are you a cat or a dog person?”

My answer would have to be BOTH. They’re just different.

I think BOTH is a good answer to many things.

Do you like drafting or editing?

Now my answer is BOTH.

But that didn’t always used to be the case! Why? Because for the longest time I was trying to do both at the same time. Like pressing the accelerator/gas pedal, while also pumping the brakes. (Fast short story drafting cured me of this. Very fun.)

My Comedy Masterclass guest, Scott Dikkers addressed this helpfully in his podcast episode, referring to CLOWN and EDITOR mode, and how you know when you need which.

Do you pick which mode you’re in?  And choose intentionally when you flip?

Stash: things I love

Back to cats…

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

 What a fever dream of a film. It made me laugh out loud. And it has a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Highly recommend.

 What would you give a 95 to? Book, film, series, or anything else…

Dare Bears

This month is a dare to watch or read something outside of your comfort zone or preferred genres.

I delight in comedy. Horror, not so much. I am a scaredy-puss for sure. But I do like to stretch out, learn and grow.

That’s why, for a previous Halloween, I enlisted the wonderful writer, Zanandi Botes, to school me in all things scary. I watched her picks, and shared some of my own. (Apparently I am a total sucker for zombies.)

I’d love to know what you pick and why…Tell me all the things.

If you have a cat, say hi from me. (Also, if you have a dog, horse, rat, rabbit, guinea pig, chicken, duck, hamster, racoon…basically anything with fur or feathers.)

Until next time,

PS: Thanks for reading my Seriously Ridiculous letter. All feedback is welcome, as I only want to do this if it’s useful or fun for you to read. You can hit reply and it will wing its way to me.

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