WALK? OR RIDE? WAYS TO ENTERTAIN YOUR DOG

This is Willie Dog Pratt. He's my 12 year old golden retriever with a summer haircut. He's a very young 12, you wouldn't know he was that old except for his white face. I got him from a rescue organization in 2007. He's been a great dog. Willie and I go for a walk every morning. Sometimes it's just up and down the cul de sacs in our neighborhood for 30 minutes, other times we walk on the nature trail, and some days we go to the park with a lake and ducks. There are a lot of distractions there though, so I don't head that way often. We stay healthy by walking, walking, walking.

The neighbors directly behind us have two golden retrievers and a bernese mountain dog. For those of you unfamilier with that breed, they're a gorgeous dog and can weigh up to 120 pounds. I never see these dogs being taken out for a walk. Instead, the neighbor lady loads the three up into the car, opens the windows (each dog gets a window) and slowly drives them around the neighborhood and out onto the main street. I think she drives around a large block making only right turns, and isn't gone long.

I laugh every time I see her big gray car going slowly through the neighborhood, each dog's head hanging out a window. I do feel badly for the dogs. They're big, working dogs and should be out getting exercise. One day I walked by with Willie and the neighbors grandchildren were in the front yard. They asked to pet Willie so I stopped. Son the neighbors came out and we talked about our dogs. They were surprised Willie was as old as he is, and I told them I attributed it to his regular exercise. They said one of their goldens was terribly arthritic and it was hard for him to walk. I saw them one time after that, walking one of their goldens. That was the only time.

I think my choice is the better way to go.

What's a writer to do?

There's much discussion going on among my various writer's groups regarding the current state of publishing. It seems we who have chosen to go the ebook route are still being treated as the "red headed stepchild". We can't join PAN, submitting to RITA is next to impossible, RWA doesn't respect us, etc., etc., etc....

Here's the deal. In order to be a published writer you need to get published. In order to be published you need to be accepted by a publisher/editor. They tell you you need to be published in order for them to consider you. They suggest you get an agent. You query agents. They mostly want writers that have already proven their worth by being published. They suggest you attend conferences and meet other writers, editors, and agents. They suggest you attend classes and learn the craft. Join a critique group. You spend lots and lots of money. You do all of the above and you still can't get published by any of the BIG GUYS. You write your books. Revise your books. Give your books to friends and family to read. Of course they all love them. So, the ebook world opens up and it looks like there's a whole new ball game out there. You submit your previously rejected, many times revised works and Woo Hoo! They accept them and you're now a published author! You promote, promote, promote. It's hard to do and takes a lot of time, but you do it. You sell some books. BUT, you can't sell enough to get into PAN. Then someone tells you that you need to go back to square one. Change your pen name. Disconnect yourself from your ebooks that didn't sell enough to make you respectable. But don't stop writing! Keep on keeping on!

Okay, okay, so I sound a little bitter. It's all part of the "working through my writer's block" process, I guess. Really. I'm almost there. I do think I need to remove myself from my Yahoo groups. It's getting to be a real downer.

Oh yeah, the dog is Willie, my golden retriever and constant companion while I'm working at the computer. He's always right here by my side. Is he my muse?