Tuesday, February 23, 2010

It's a Dog eat Dog World- four feet on the ground

I read a great deal of nature biographies and books about dogs. If it's one the shelf I've probably read it. I spent a few years writing articles about dogs, particularly rescue dogs. They hold a special place in my heart. All three of my dogs are rescues. Lucy from the Humane Society, Daisy from Nasap, and Pumpkin from the streets. There are dozens of great books out there that focus on pound puppies, and I didn't want my book just to emulate those ones.
I wanted mine to be different because my story is different, but I didnt know how to do it.
So i sat down and began to write it in the third person, recounting events and stories as the owner of my dogs.
But it didn't sound right. It didn't flow like other pieces of writing I had worked on.
It was boring. If I was bored, then any editor picking up the manuscript would be. Can't sell a boring book!
So I stopped everything and went back to the inspiring style of my emails.
I set the situation up for Lucy to be the speaker to give the book a stronger voice.
That seemed to work. Her voice was coming through loud and clear.
Success it seemed was soon to be mine...with my trusty narrator lying under my desk as inspiration.
I was ready to complete the work...or so I thought.

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