I visited Jim Melvin's profile (he is one of my subscribers - and every day I get a 'like' from him but never a comment), I saw some reference to you (I think you left a comment on one of his pieces - or maybe it was that tiny thumb nail photo) which got me curious.
Once there, it was easy to pick on of your pieces - this one - that grabbed my attention.
My late dog, Gusta the golden retriever has been gone six years now, and I still find tufts of hair from time to time - so the dog walking resonated, that you are a writer attracted me too, but your advice from the perspective , or rather the conflating what an agent wants to see with what will grip a reader and compel them to read the next, the line after than, and so on got me to the edge of my seat!
I appreciate you and Jim too ...
I'd love to learn more from you, so I'll be following your Substack for more guidance.
I was a dog person for most of my life, then a black cat wandered out of the woods and he became my favorite pet ever. Plus, he became our only pet. He lived with us for 16 years before passing. And just a few months after, a gray cat wandered out of the woods and here we go again. I'm trying to think of a literary hook involving cats. :)
I'm so sorry that you lost your old friend, but happy that you found a new one. Don't give up on cats as a hook, though! They can be trained to come when called just like dogs (with a little more investment).
That would be amazing! My cats have always been very loving. But I get the impression that they consider themselves to be way higher on the evolutionary scale than dogs are.
I love love love this awesome post! You beautifully and seamlessly weave in the approach to pleasing dogs and pleasing readers. Now I wonder how I would approach my cat in contrast to my readers. I definitely think my cat would be 150% disinterested, unless I tease her with food lol.
I wouldn't rule out your cat, Nadia! I know a dog agility trainer who successful clicker-trained her kitty (with food) to do the same obstacles that her dogs were doing. She takes the cat on walks, too (on leash).
Woo hoo! There is hope yet. I used to walk my other cat on the leash (he now lives with my in-laws; we couldn't keep him and my current cat as they didn't get along). We had to stop because he attracted ticks. Eeeck! My current cat is 100% domestic and sometimes runs around and plays a little bit. But I should be more active with her.
We used to take our cat to dog agility competitions and keep him in a dog crate. He had a great time, fortunately unaware that he was surrounded by dogs of all sizes and demeanors.
The substack all-go-rithum brought me here.
I visited Jim Melvin's profile (he is one of my subscribers - and every day I get a 'like' from him but never a comment), I saw some reference to you (I think you left a comment on one of his pieces - or maybe it was that tiny thumb nail photo) which got me curious.
Once there, it was easy to pick on of your pieces - this one - that grabbed my attention.
My late dog, Gusta the golden retriever has been gone six years now, and I still find tufts of hair from time to time - so the dog walking resonated, that you are a writer attracted me too, but your advice from the perspective , or rather the conflating what an agent wants to see with what will grip a reader and compel them to read the next, the line after than, and so on got me to the edge of my seat!
I appreciate you and Jim too ...
I'd love to learn more from you, so I'll be following your Substack for more guidance.
Cheers,
Mark
Thanks so much for your kind words, Mark! I still find signs of our long-departed pups, too. Even after many years, it's hard to believe they're gone.
I was a dog person for most of my life, then a black cat wandered out of the woods and he became my favorite pet ever. Plus, he became our only pet. He lived with us for 16 years before passing. And just a few months after, a gray cat wandered out of the woods and here we go again. I'm trying to think of a literary hook involving cats. :)
I'm so sorry that you lost your old friend, but happy that you found a new one. Don't give up on cats as a hook, though! They can be trained to come when called just like dogs (with a little more investment).
That would be amazing! My cats have always been very loving. But I get the impression that they consider themselves to be way higher on the evolutionary scale than dogs are.
haha, yes, cats do seem to think very highly of themselves.
Such an interesting approach to writing about writing! You interwove the two subjects beautifully.
It's quite amazing how similar these two pasttimes are. Thanks for reading it!
Fabulous, Wendy!! You certainly had me hooked and I'll start carrying more treats on our walks. If only my dogs loved pinecones as much as Tock :-)
Yep, I get off easy with him wanting the most plentiful thing out there!
I love love love this awesome post! You beautifully and seamlessly weave in the approach to pleasing dogs and pleasing readers. Now I wonder how I would approach my cat in contrast to my readers. I definitely think my cat would be 150% disinterested, unless I tease her with food lol.
I wouldn't rule out your cat, Nadia! I know a dog agility trainer who successful clicker-trained her kitty (with food) to do the same obstacles that her dogs were doing. She takes the cat on walks, too (on leash).
Woo hoo! There is hope yet. I used to walk my other cat on the leash (he now lives with my in-laws; we couldn't keep him and my current cat as they didn't get along). We had to stop because he attracted ticks. Eeeck! My current cat is 100% domestic and sometimes runs around and plays a little bit. But I should be more active with her.
We used to take our cat to dog agility competitions and keep him in a dog crate. He had a great time, fortunately unaware that he was surrounded by dogs of all sizes and demeanors.
Oh wow, that must have been interesting!
It was indeed! The funniest thing was when people would do a double-take while walking past his crate.
Hahah. "This dog is very feline!"
But seriously, this is such a wonderful writing blog. Illustrates the point perfectly.
Yes, Isn't it wonderful? ❤️
Great advice for my writing and my pooch. ❤️ 🐶
Thanks for reading it!
This is a perfect pairing of the two things I love best: dog training and writing. What a great way to hook your readers! Genius idea.
We are of the same mind, for sure, Suzy!
Love this, Wendy! Cute column. I definitely have a loose fluffy cannon. Or a "pet tornado," as our son calls her. And great advice about the hook.
"Pet tornado" - I love it! And glad you find it helpful. Thanks for reading it, Carol!