Outlining Your Novel

With the passing once again of the November through December holiday season, and with a new year begun, it is time to return to our novels.  We spent some time discussing the plot of our novels in the fall of last year.  Now, it is time to consider the novel's content. 

I will be outlining chapters for my novel over the next month.  I had posted some events that are true-to-life events.  In fact, the events actually happened in my dog Red's life.  As he is approaching 10 years old in the spring, I wish to complete my novel within the next few months.

As so many other dog owners and fanciers have found, there can be a great deal of joy and contentment associated in owning a dog.  This is true of many pets.  However, in reference to my own novel, my focus will be addressing canine pets. 

Red has been a source of joy, contentment and inspiration to me.  Those posters where people credit cats or dogs would life lessons they have learned can be true to an extent.  I believe life is a composite of all of our contacts through our years.  I would be remiss if I did not also credit some of my life lessons to Red.

He is both Chow and Rottweiler.  Both of these breeds can and have received adverse publicity.  I have found my two Rottweilers as both being very loving, loyal and obedient dogs.  Red's older step brother, Ty, was a full-blooded German Rottweiler.  A massive dog who was nearly all heart.  I came to notice Ty's attributes early on.  Unfortunately, I did not credit Red with his own wonderful assets until he was about 6 years old.  He was often overshadowed by the other alpha type dogs in my home.

When Red came to be the last remaining dog in 2007, I came to see what a truly wonderful dog he was and is today.  He is slowing down a bit.  He has been diagnosed with arthritis and on medication.  His grey chin is spreading with each passing month.  Yet the joy I see in him when we go to the park is unmistakable.  He stops and literally smells the roses.  So, I follow suit to notice the small wonders in nature along our walks. 

I pace him to slow down if the walk will be longer.  He always starts out with steam and only I know that about 3/4 of the way, we will need to rest.  Okay, I will need to rest...  It's been nearly two years since our vacation on the Outer Banks in NC.  We traveled along the highway over bridges, past sand dunes and light houses and onto the ferries.  What a wonderful trip.  More in my next post....