Story inspiration

Can you think of a story idea based on a mummified cat? Jacqueline Wilson did in her book, The Cat Mummy where a girl called Verity is so sad after her cat dies that – inspired by her lessons about Ancient Egyptians at school – she decides to mummify her. This is a very clever book that deals with the difficult theme of bereavement while telling a funny and tender story.

Or what about a story that includes ancient gods and goddesses? Master-storyteller Neil Gaiman includes an Egyptian cat goddess called Lady Bast in his Sandman comics as well as a host of other characters from throughout history and mythology, from Shakespeare to Cain and Abel. One of his Sandman stories is about a cat who dreams of a time when cats are in charge of the world and keep tiny humans as pets. Can you imagine a world where the Curzon Street Cat came to life and tried to take over Birmingham?

The picture of the Cat could also inspire a scary story about getting trapped somewhere, like the short story ‘The Way Up to Heaven’ by Roald Dahl. There are lots of other possibilities for stories here too – ghostly cats that haunt train stations, vampire cats, ancient mummy curses and lots more!