Dogs, Details, Disaster and Delight

                                                           

           Lizzie aged 11 weeks

I’ve always been a dog person although I haven’t owned one for over ten years. The heartbreak moments as we said goodbye to Boadicea (Rottweiler) and Caesar (cross Rottie/German Shepherd) have stayed with us for that long, so we never considered another dog. Yes, we dabbled disastrously with guinea-pigs for a year and were only too glad to donate the expensive cages and paraphernalia to the admirable young lady who agreed to take on Midnight and Sunset. Never again!

You may wonder what has this got to do with writing? I’ve discovered this month that detail is important, hence the irrelevant details of my life. I have known of course details should be a consideration but I just glossed over that because I am a straight-to-the point writer. Oh yes, we got a puppy.

Detail in our writing gives a focus point for the reader to engage with us, and makes our writing grounded in real life. For example, we can say our character is lonely but what if we place him in a bar sitting on his own for our introduction to him. The reader can discover his loneliness as we present him in his ritualistic place. (see “The Long Goodbye” by Raymond Chandler). This sort of detail grounds the book in its own truth.

Setting your dialogue between your characters over a meal, a family breakfast, is a useful way to engage your reader.

So, what about that puppy? Very unlike me, it was a spontaneous decision after my daughter-in-law bought a rottweiler puppy, called Buffy. Two weeks later she phoned me,

“Guess what, the breeders have decided to sell their last puppy which they were going to keep. Are you interested?”

As I munched down on my cheese on toast, I considered. Hm, a cute rottweiler puppy, 11 weeks old would get us out of our chairs, would be good company, and we could take her out in the caravan for holidays as we have decided not to take long trips abroad anymore.

“What do you think, Syd?” I said as Syd bit into his apple lunch.

“Well, I’d have to put up new fencing to make the garden secure but it would get us out.” he replied.

We didn’t speak about the puppy stages of biting, piddling, gnawing your table, or the vet costs or the cost of the food.

Two hours later we were collecting Delilah, renamed Lizzie after our late Queen, after a flash stop to B&M to buy a basket, a blanket, toys and puppy biscuits.

The Disaster and Delight mentioned in the title are flash-forwards on what we can expect with our adventures with Lizzie. Maybe I should have made space for a pronouncement on Distraction?

This story is totally true and none of the characters have been renamed so they are clearly identifiable. I recommend a great book in which I rediscovered the importance of detail. “The five-minute writer” by Margret Geraghty, Robinson How to Books Ltd, 2009

                                           

                                          Lizzie's food bowl size: at 11 weeks and at 14 weeks!

About the Author

Rosalie Weller is an ordained minister in the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa. She has contributed to “Closer to God” the South African Scripture Union Devotional in 2020, 2023 and 2024, Worship & Word UPCSA Devotional 2024. She has written several bible study guides, available on Amazon, a historical novel, and a bereavement journal. Her YouTube channel highlights a biblical reflection and an original poem every month. Website www.rosalieweller.com Rosalie is the Groups’ Coordinator for ACW.