Monday Morning Musings

I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was very busy. First on Friday I drove to McKinney for the McKinney Book Festival. It was held on Saturday, but I wanted to go early to see some of my kids and be in town for the 8AM set up on Saturday. It was a fun day. Too much rain, which made schlepping boxes of books into the McKinney Art Center a bit of a challenge, but once inside, all was well. And I got to meet Billy Dawson, a terrific singer/songwriter, who came around to meet all the authors. His song, “Twenty Once, Too,” brought tears to my eyes.

Then on Sunday, I went to pick up my new dog, Hannah. She was rescued by a local shelter after being found running loose south of town. Poppy is still not thrilled to have an interloper, but she is teaching Hannah some manners.

This morning, Hannah got to meet Harry.

Maybe I should have named Hannah “Sally?” Then I could caption this “When Harry Met Sally.”

Hannah is about a year and a half old, still young enough to have lots of energy. A lot more than I do. What I was hoping to do was get another dog while Poppy would be able to teach her some manners, and that is working out. Poppy showed her how to get into the kennel last night. Hannah is reluctant to go anywhere, including into the car. Then this morning we had a walk and Poppy showed Hannah how to go along. Another thing Hannah is not fond of – walking on a leash.

Then we had a short training session during which Hannah learned how to sit. Later, when I brought her into the house, she learned to stay in the living room while I fixed and ate my breakfast. I had to make her leave several times, but then she got the message.

She is a smart dog and I think she will learn fast. The biggest challenge is going to be the cats. Harry is very friendly, but Sammy hissed and growled at Hannah, and Lily and Hermione ran. If cats run, dogs chase, so I have to work that out somehow. I am hoping that just a bit more time to get used to the idea that we all live here together will make it happen.

WRITING TIPS – There is a great article by Julia Fierro at Writer Unboxed about Point of View. The 3 Tiers of Point of View Technique: Observation, Interpretation & Imagination 

We writers have always been encouraged to use all five sense in description, which is observation, but Julia encourages us to go beyond that. She explains that observation is just the first level, and fairly superficial. By letting our characters interpret what they see, we give them more depth.

Then by adding imagination to the mix – letting our characters imagine what other characters are thinking, as well as having their own fantasies playing through their minds – we add even more reader interest. Maybe the reader has been in a similar situation and had the same fantasies running through his or her head.

The article includes a great example that is carried through all three tiers, and we get to see a character come fully alive. Well worth your time to go read the entire post.