This is Kerry Cohen’s lovely dog, hanging out. Kerry is, of course, the author of a number of memoirs and craft books, editor of anthologies, writing prof and more. But Betty! Ha! Amazing. Total self-care skills, this creature.
And then there’s Chuck Palahniuk’s dear dog friend, pampered lil’ dear one, in this photo I snapped, which he shared over on his Substack, Plot Spoiler. What an animal! Great afternoon, hanging out.
And one of my own dear animal friends….a rescue. We brought him home over a decade ago, when he was very sick and uncared for. I got the sense that he’s a “puppy mill” reject, didn’t sell, fenced through a couple of rescue associations, landed in our lap via the Humane Society (a no-kill shelter, an amazing, caring place). He’s now well into his double-digits, maybe 13 years old? Still a glamorous thing! Ha!
When I wrote Clown Girl, my first novel, I gave the main character five dogs. Five! Way too many, in life and on the page! But I wrote the first draft and…managed five dogs. Once I’d worked in five dogs, I realized I had to think about them all, all the way through.
Have you ever seen a show where a couple has a baby, or babies, and the baby is always conveniently sleeping in the next room? When I see that, I imagine a writer or writers just didn’t want to write the baby into scenes. They want characters to have a baby, to be parents, but not to navigate all of the details on screen.
In real life, babies are a presence, and they make themselves known. Dogs are also a presence, active, doing things...
When I edited the manuscript and brought the five dog characters down to one beloved dog, it let me get rid of a lot of unnecessary exposition and concentrate more emotional weight on one being. When the narrator loses her beloved baby dog, she doesn’t have four more at home. She has none. Whew!
Now, when I look over my work-in-progress, I always ask myself if I have too many characters, too many people. Which roles can be compressed?
A person with five dogs is a distinct kind of person, and that’s what I was trying to convey. But a character with one love, one intense emotional investment, is in a more perilous position, and writing that narrative arc of love and loss and searching creates more heart, more tension, more hope.
Huge thank you to those of you who read, like, share and support this newsletter! I appreciate you so very much. It makes all the difference. Seriously, no small thing. xo
Enjoy the day,
Monica
One of these days I'm going to "borrow" my sisters dog to get him on the wall of fame
Our little Marty too is a rescue, the best kind. His life with us gives me tales (no pun intended...really), daily. He keeps us on our toes and is the best addition to our home we could have ever wished for. Dogs are the best!