It's a Dog's Life

I’m sitting in the garden trying to think of a topic for this blog. Vito, the dog, is wandering around sniffing, hunting lizards and chasing birds. It’s early spring in the southern hemisphere. Little wonder I have difficulty focusing. I want to lie in the sun. A chilled glass of sauvignon blanc would be nice. Perhaps with some crackers and cheese. Maybe a fresh strawberry or two.

Okay, enough daydreaming, back to the blog. It occurs to me that the life of a writer is a bit like that of a dog. No, not the sniffing, hunting and chasing. The waiting.

A dog waits for his owner to come home in much the same way as a writer waits for a response from a publisher. The dog will patiently check the gate, time and time again, until his owner returns. So an author will check email, patiently awaiting that acceptance.

Then it’s time for walkies. The editor guides the author through edits much like an owner guides a dog through the walk. Sometimes the dog tries to pull away, sniffing something (a new genre?) his owner would prefer he left alone. However a good owner will bring the dog to heel, gently and painlessly. Only when the dog is thoroughly exhausted will the owner bring their pet home.

After walkies comes petting. Dogs will nuzzle, wag their tails and gaze adoringly at their owners asking to be petted. A writer sends her book into the world to face reviewers. If we’re lucky, we too will get petted.

Walking and petting are wonderful things, but there is one thing a dog loves even more. Food. No creature on earth is as excited as a dog about to be fed. Except perhaps an author ripping open their royalty statement.

So, what excites you?