I participated recently in a book expo in my hometown of Peoria, IL. I stayed with my cousins and enjoyed the opportunity to do some writing without my usual home distractions (aka responsibilities and necessary chores). The best writing spot is their screened-in porch, overlooking the backyard, which is filled with birds and flowers. The sun shines in, creating a lovely spot to bask.
At home, my reptiles keep me company. The tortoises wander around, supervising me, pushing my chair away from the desk when I’ve been sitting too long. The iguanas will climb up and scratch my back or sit on my shoulder, reading what I’ve written, sometimes offering to do a bit of typing themselves. I’m open to their ideas, but I’ve found that they don’t type very well, so I take their dictation.
In Peoria, I enjoyed the company of canine cousins during my writing sessions. Unlike my reptiles, they don’t offer suggestions, merely sending me positive vibes and encouragement. I was pleased with what I accomplished in their presence.
When I shared this photo on Facebook, one of my friends asked if this was how books become dog-eared! Dog-eared, as you likely know, means that the corners are worn and battered with use. Since my laptop has traveled around the world, lugged in my backpack, even dropped a few times, it is pretty dog-eared.
I do hope my books become dog-eared, indicating that readers opened the covers many times. That is every writer’s dream—that our books become dog-eared.
Book Note: I had a wonderful life growing up in Peoria and have written two books about Clarissa the Catfish, set in Peoria museums, which, by the way, are amazing places to visit. The stories are tales of friendship and helping each other, ingenuity and even stopping the bad guy! Join Clarissa and her friends in these two adventure tales: Clarissa Catfish Visits the Peoria Riverfront Museum and Clarissa Catfish at the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum. You’ll be glad you did and maybe, just maybe, the books will become dog-eared.
#elainapowers #lyricpowerpublishing #dogearedbooks