I Don't Care If It's Clichéd

I'm a guy who likes animals.  That's always been the case since I was a wee lad.  Some of my earliest memories involve feeding the neighborhood stray cat, which I named "Meow-Meow Mix."  He and I got along swimmingly.  Until he bit me.  And I had to get a rabies shot from the doctor.  Damn, that was a horrible day.

Despite all of that, I'm still a huge fan of animals.  I watch Animal Planet on occasion and even took animal related courses in college.  One of my class high-lights was dissecting a cat for my Animal Morphology class.  Karma is a bitch, Mr. Meow-Meow Mix (actually, I was quite said having to do that particular assignment, but alas it was necessary to pass the class).

Seriously though, I love animals and find them to be fascinating.  It's no surprise that I end up writing a few stories that have them as minor characters or even as main characters.  One story, in particular, involved a well-spoken cat with a bit of an evil streak.  I presented this story to one of my writing classes one day, and most people were supportive in providing me with advice.  I have no problem with criticism; this wasn't the first workshop I've been in.  However, I did get hammered for writing a story that a couple of people proclaimed was "too clichéd."  To be honest, that's a fair point, and I agree to an extent.  However, it doesn't help me at all when the only advice I'm given is to "write something original."

A lot of people have found success by writing stories about animals, whether realistic (i.e. Jack London's Call of the Wild) or speculative (i.e. George Orwell's Animal Farm).  Let's also not forget how much money Walt Disney made off of an animated talking mouse.  Yes, I know stories about animals, verbose or silent, have been done before.  But guess what? They'll continue to be produced because there's a demand for them.  I'm not the only animal lover on this planet (check out the Ikea monkey for proof).  I don't care if my story is based off of a clichéd concept.  I care if my story makes a point.

Ultimately, isn't that what every writer hopes for?