tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post7540359168184055439..comments2017-01-17T08:59:29.377-08:00Comments on Terry Shames: And Then the Dog Showed UpTerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-21731212584997017312015-04-01T19:58:20.798-07:002015-04-01T19:58:20.798-07:00We had a great time with these questions about non...We had a great time with these questions about non-human animal characters on the panel at Crimelandia. Over 40% of households in the US have at least one pet, so what's actually far-fetched is not having any in your story. There is no need to endow non-human animals with any uniquely human characteristics (like talking - yes, far-fetched!) They have such rich and complex social and emotional lives of their own, just let them be who they are. So many plot elements flow easily - in my first mystery, the dog made a deposit in a strategic location which the bad guy later stepped in, proving he was there. After I wrote that I thought, well of course! We've all stepped in it a time or two. Why is there not more of that in fiction? Enjoy your new character!Cherie O'Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06568802505083571624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-21465483419707560052015-04-01T16:36:00.385-07:002015-04-01T16:36:00.385-07:00As someone who has dogs (and cats) in both my nonf...As someone who has dogs (and cats) in both my nonfiction and fiction, I find that they easily take over and can have just as much of an impact as the human characters. The key for me is that they're MORE than set dressing, or a prop, or shortcut to give a "nice bit" to a human character. There's the stage rule that you don't include a sword on the wall in the first act if it's not used by the end of the play. I think pets are so much part of our life now that they do sneak in...and then insist on being more than the sword on the wall! (It happens to me with unplanned human characters, too..)AmyShojaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08619383468411095557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-47727369075764715172015-04-01T11:18:35.383-07:002015-04-01T11:18:35.383-07:00Margie, I hope that's true!
Thelma, I don...Margie, I hope that's true! <br /><br />Thelma, I don't know if it's paranormal or what--I just hope it keeps on working.Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-18155805098376726602015-04-01T11:00:31.269-07:002015-04-01T11:00:31.269-07:00I'm not into the para-normal, but I have enoug...I'm not into the para-normal, but I have enough things happen to make me believe there are dimensions out there beyond out reach or immediate control. Like a physical problem - you do not go to the doctor asap, and in time what seemed serious to you vanishes. Or, something in your house does not work - you put off getting a repairman - and the problem, which was very real, goes away. In writing fiction, we stand on tiptoe and touch other dimensions without trying to - and often things happen out of the blue, or people ( or animals ) appear and quietly demand a role. This shows that writers tap into realms beyond our wildest dreams - all of you have had this happen at times. If not yet, just wait. Thelma Straw in ManhattanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165268639599150115.post-40002887990296257142015-04-01T08:51:02.629-07:002015-04-01T08:51:02.629-07:00I always find it fascinating to hear authors say t...I always find it fascinating to hear authors say that the characters in a book or story seem to have a mind of their own, with the result that sometimes the plot seems to develop in ways the author hadn't anticipated. As a non-writer, I don't know why or how that happens, but my guess is that it makes the characters seem more natural and true-to-life, including the dogs! Margie Buntingnoreply@blogger.com