Thursday, December 4, 2008

The Winner!

Even though I’m an avid Today Show fan, I missed the Best in Show contest until the naming of the winner yesterday. Darn it! I did look online to see the finalist doggies, and watched the video. One played miniature golf. One sang opera, along with her owner. One, a therapy dog, knew how to read, and obeyed commands displayed on cards--like shake and speak.

The winner did no tricks, but was an absolute inspiration anyway. He was a three-legged rescue dog. He’d been found by a rescue group with a bandage wrapped too tightly around his leg, cutting off circulation. The leg was removed, and he manages quite well without it.

Although all the finalist pups were adorable, I thought it said a lot about the viewers who voted for Truman, the winner. These days, when so many people are facing adversity with all that’s going on with our economy, it’s really inspirational to see anyone who, with determination, has risen above some pretty nasty difficulties, found a loving home and now thrives--including a dog!

Yay, Truman. You’re our hero.

By the way, I have a question for all you determined writers out there. I’m currently writing three different novels all at the same time, two under deadlines. Have any of you taken on any more at once? I’m actually finding it fun to change voices so many times in a day. But, then, I’ve always enjoyed changing from writing contracts and legal briefs to fiction.

--Linda

8 comments:

Camille Minichino said...

Three at once! I thought two novels, a screenplay, and a short story was pushing it for a year, and those were in sequence, not together.
And you have a day job as I do, so I can't use that as an excuse for being a laggard!

Good for you, Linda!

Monica Ferris said...

Yes, good luck, Linda! I've written short stories while writing a novel, but not two novels at once, much less three. Whew!

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Wow, that's amazing, Linda. Good for you.

Anonymous said...

In my unpubbed days, I once worked on three books at once, all quite different. It was kind of fun, and when I got stalled on one, I could just switch over to another. It cleared my head. But I should note that none of those books has sold (yet).

Currently I'm working on two series, and I can't switch back and forth as easily as I did. I have to stay in the head of my protagonist, so they don't run together. The fact that one is first-person POV and the other third-person helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda! Checking into the blog because my alter-ego, Miranda Bliss, will be guest blogging on Sunday. I was taken by the story of Truman, especially since my daughter recently adopted a rescue dog. He's a 14-week old Scotty she's named Louie, and he comes from a hideous puppy mill run by the Amish here in Ohio. (It was news to me that the Amish, who I'd always thought of as "gentle" people, run most of the puppy mills.) The story is that they raise these dogs in horrible conditions, sell what they can at shows, then kill the rest. Is it true? I can't say, I only know that little Louie needed a home, and that my daughter has apparently inherited her parents' "sucker" genes. (Ask me about the rescue Jack Russell who lives with us!) Three cheers for Truman and all the wonderful humans who take in these pets and give them the love they deserve!

Linda O. Johnston said...

My part-time temporary day job went away recently after 2 years, Camille, so I'm taking full advantage of the extra time by writing.

Sounds as if some of you who commented have experienced what I'm going through at least to some extent, Sheila in particular. I agree that different POVs and voices help in the process.

And welcome, Casey! I'll look forward to your Sunday blog. That Scotty sounds adorable--the Jack Russell, too. Kudos to you and your family for rescuing them.

--Linda

Betty Hechtman said...

Good for you for managing all those books at once, Linda.

Great story about the resuce dog winner. All my dogs and cats have been rescues or just shown up at my door. I wouldn't have it any other way.

How awful that the Amish are so cruel. I read about someone who lived with them and it sounded like they ate an awful diet with too much sugar and squeashy white bread -- maybe it did something to harden their hearts.

Linda O. Johnston said...

I have to admit to only working on 2 of the stories today, but I had other stuff going on. And I ache at any story I hear about animal abuse, and cheer those who rescue them. You're a hero, Betty!
--Linda