Dogs and service are a great match. Dogs are unfailingly devoted, attentive, intelligent, energetic, and eager to please. Okay, some are more of the above than others. But even the sluggish or slow-witted among canines define themselves in terms of their relationships to humans, and that alone is service, pure and simple. When it comes to professional service, though, a high degree of specific aptitude and training are essential, not to mention that unique “chemistry” that defines a true partnership. Odin is not a professional service dog in his story. In fact, one of the German soldiers insisted that Odin lacked the intelligence for such service. You can judge for yourself when you read his story. It’s not giving anything away, though, to say…
A Middle-Grade Historical Novel of Norway, a War, a Girl, and an Elkhound
Archive for October, 2013
I had a post in mind for today, but my weekend changed those plans. I attended the Wisconsin SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) annual convention in Madison. The laughter, hugs, insights and inspirations shared there were too many to count. Then Sunday’s wrap up presentation by Pat Schmatz, author of middle grade books, touched me deeply. Pat’s topic dealt with fear, and her words were too powerful to summarize here. She began, though, by describing various types of fear, which led me directly to the idea for this post. A natural starting place is RATIONAL fear. That’s the physical and mental reaction you experience when confronted with danger. A second kind is PHOBIC fear, that irrational but very real physical reaction to…
The emergence and popularity of superheroes in the 1930s coincided with the increasingly destructive power of Hitler’s troops during that decade. To call the horrific acts of his regime “bullying” is beyond understatement, and yet it was just that, taken to the nth degree. October is ANTI-BULLYING MONTH. The linked website states: “Bullying is the most common form of violence in schools (verbally and physically) – One incident of bullying occurs every seven minutes”. I didn’t verify that statistic, but many years of teaching suggests that, on average, this may well be true. Awareness of bullying and of strategies we can use to prevent it, recognize it, intervene, and support those victimized is essential. Not just this month, or this year, or only in schools. We…
Odin is a Norwegian Elkhound Black. This coloration is less commonly found in the United States but is a heritage breed in Norway. The breed became less common in the early twentieth century and by the 1950s was nearly extinct. Since then there has been an active effort to restore the breed and it is increasingly popular. I’ve never even met a Norwegian Elkhound, but everything I learned about the breed made it a perfect choice for this story. I have shared my life and love with many other dogs, though. Some were specific breeds and some displayed a smorgasbord of genetic history. These four-footed family members taught me many truths about love, loyalty, strength, and determination, all values that made their way into the story…
In several of my responses to comments I’ve alluded to the lengthy process involved in eventually developing Odin’s Promise as a middle grade historical fiction piece. My personal journey as a writer was every bit as meandering and complex. I have to thank my teachers for convincing me that my writing was more than just competent, that it could accomplish something beyond a good grade or answering a question. The first time I ever read something aloud in class and heard laughter, including my teacher’s, it began to sink in that connecting with the reader was at least as satisfying as a good grade. After that, little by little, I wrote for more than just assignments (although there were plenty of those). Having a…
Tagged: Writer's notes
FAQ, or Frequently Asked Questions, get their own page on this website. Even in these early days it’s clear to me that I should create at least one post for “FSC”- Frequently Stated Comments- from folks who visit this website for the first time. Some variation of the post title has been said to me repeatedly; live, in emails, or through social media. I felt the same reaction when the homepage first appeared on my screen. The image is a 19th century painting by Norwegian Johan Christian Clausen Dahl, depicting a scene from the Bergen area. The period in which he worked was labeled Romantic, and you can see why. His love for the mountains, for his country and countryside, is evident from…