Writing Lessons From My Dog

Sounds wacky, doesn’t it? I learned valuable writing tips…from my dog? Maybe I should rephrase that. Thanks to my dog, I have learned how to be a more disciplined writer. I’ve had dogs my entire life but it wasn’t until my husband and I brought home a little black fuzz ball—a Schipperke we called Zoey—that I realized how she would so greatly impact my writing life.

Zoey came to live with us a year into my second career as a writer. I had worked in television broadcasting for years, but industry layoffs meant it was time to begin again and find a new passion. Luckily, I had a head start. In the final months of my program manager job, I had been writing on the side for our websites. This extracurricular activity had gifted me with contacts, a portfolio of written work, and the confidence to give freelance writing a go. It sounded idyllic—and it was!

I loved working from home, researching health and lifestyle stories, interviewing doctors and experts on all sorts of topics from organ transplants to the best travel destinations in Ireland. But when Zoey, my four-legged partner in crime, joined our family, she turned my writing life upside down.

Schipperkes are extremely affectionate, energetic (that drumming bunny advertising batteries has nothing on our Zo), and constantly crave attention. Clingy? I think Schips invented the word. Zoey is needy to the nth degree. As a puppy, she wanted to play all the time and if we ignored her, she chewed curtains or bit my toes. Even now as a mature (but still bananas) nine-year-old, she refuses to be put in a corner and doesn’t care about deadlines or what novel I’m writing.

She’ll stand on her hind legs and wrap her paws, which can strangely bend like little hands, around my forearm and pull. She’s surprisingly strong and makes it nearly impossible to type. But I learned to adapt. It’s funny how living with a stubborn black devil these past few years has taught me several invaluable lessons.

Seize every free moment

When we brought Zoey home as a crate-trained puppy, my husband and I created a schedule to curb her enthusiasm so we—both working from home—could tend to our jobs. Part of the plan was that Zoey had two hour in-crate naps—one in the morning, and another in the afternoon. For me, these moments free of puppy teeth and needy paws were spent in a frenzy of writing activity. I learned pretty quickly that if I wanted to succeed, I couldn’t waffle. I had to make those golden two hour blocks work. Now that Zoey is older and doesn’t spend much time in her crate (instead she hangs out with her dad while he works), I still grab these uninterrupted bursts of dog-free time and make them count.

Walk it off

Like all authors, I get stuck. A lot. Characters misbehave and won’t do what I want. Plot points dangle. Timelines conflict. When nothing is working, I try to hammer through these road blocks, but end up frustrated and hating everything in my work in progress.

Worst of all, I feel like I’ve wasted valuable time and have nothing to show for it. And then my dog’s internal alarm goes off and she gets extra bouncy and vocal. Let’s go for a walk, let’s go—now!

I must admit in the first weeks of puppy parenthood, I would grumble, annoyed that I had to abandon my writing mid-fix. But off I went, investigating the neighborhood as Zoey wiggled her tail-less bum at other dogs, smelled dandelions, and barked at the same brown courier van rumbling past day after day. It didn’t take long for me to clue in. Stepping away, trading my keyboard for fresh air and a stroll around the park was just what I needed.

My brain fog usually drifted away into the afternoon sunshine and was replaced with clarity and new ideas. There’s something about unplugging and letting your mind and body wander—even for twenty minutes—that just works. Turns out, a relaxed brain is a happy, creative one, too, and thanks to Zoey, our walks are beneficial for her, me, and my writing.

Slow down and enjoy the journey

Speaking of walks, Zoey covers a lot of ground. Her little legs move fast and furious, but she never wants her outdoor adventures to end. She lingers over clover, becomes a statue when watching other dogs, and won’t budge until her friends scratch her behind the ears and say hello.

For all her kinetic energy inside our home, once outside Ms. Zo is in no hurry to get her walk done and dusted. She enjoys the journey and can’t get enough. And her beloved home where her dad waits with her favourite toys and snacks? Well, we’ll get there when we get there. Same could be said about writing a novel. Too many times I agonize over word counts and fret about publication deadlines, and I completely lose sight of all the joys along the way— creating character backstories, building worlds, sewing plot points together.

Each moment in the writing process should be savoured and enjoyed, not completed in a frantic rush to the finish line. So, when it all gets a bit too much for me, I try to channel Zoey mid-adventure, and revel in each moment of the journey.

Do your own thing

Zoey loves to pull used towels out of the laundry, drag them around our condo, and roll around on the damp cotton. She loves to bark at hockey face-offs and soccer goal kicks on TV. She spins around in a circle when things are so incredible, she can’t even! She’s odd and hilarious, and I would never want her to change and be like other pets. Her differences make her special and happy. Like dog, like dog mum!

Zoey’s taught me that you should do what makes you happy even if it’s different from everyone else. I know my books don’t have artwork covers or half-dressed men (my favorite novels feature both!), like many women’s fiction or contemporary romance novels out there, but the colours, photography, and iconic settings I’ve used make me smile…and as it turns out, my readers love them, too.

So, what would my writing life be like without Zoey? I’d probably have fewer distractions and write faster. But how boring would that be? I’d rather have Zo demanding my attention for a cuddle or a quick play with one of her many toys. Zoey is more than a dog to me—she’s a family member, and like listening to my mum or husband, she has much to offer in terms of advice and support. She just provides it in a different fashion with four paws, triangle ears, and a twitchy nose that’s begging to be kissed.

—
Jacquelyn Middleton is the award-winning author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME, LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? and UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES.

LONDON BELONGS TO ME (a contemporary coming-of-age story) won an honourable mention in the mainstream/literary fiction category of the 25th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, and LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? (contemporary romance) captured the GOLD prize in the ROMANCE category of the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards. UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES, her latest novel, blurs the line between women’s fiction and contemporary romance.

Jacquelyn is also a national award-winning freelance writer with articles published by several of the most popular magazines, newspapers, and websites in North America including USA Today, Canadian Living, Best Health, National Geographic Travel, Psychology Today, The Toronto Star, Reader’s Digest, Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, and Flare.

Find out more about Jacquelyn:

Website: http://www.jacquelynmiddleton.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaxMiddleton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacquelynMiddletonAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxmiddleton_author/

UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES, Jacquelyn Middleton

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Category: How To and Tips