6 Things I learned (about writing) from watching my dachshunds…

Okay, so I admit it…I’m a freak about my dachshunds. I absolutely love to watch them play. So imagine my enjoyment when the two I had, multiplied to six! That’s right…puppies.

I learned quite quickly that each one is vastly different from the others, and not just in temperament. They have distinct personalities, which of course, tied in nicely with my other passion—writing. It was an easy enough thing coming up with an idea for an article. I decided I would simply share the six things that I learned just by watching my dogs!

And so, here it goes…

1. Max (aka – the hero). Max is the original. The first of our many dachshunds. When my husband brought him home, he was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Now, he’s the absolute leader of our little pack. The alpha. The one who sets the tone for the entire rest of the house. He’s incredibly smart, inquisitive by nature, and positively loyal. Recently, when our little female got bitten by a water moccasin (a very large, very poisonous snake), Max attached himself to her side and refused to be coaxed away until she felt better. It was the sweetest thing—and the exact quality that I try to incorporate in my heroes. A mix of strength and tenderness, leadership and compassion.

2. Lainey (aka – the heroine). Despite her size, Lainey is every bit as tenacious as Max. In fact, this little spitfire has a tendency to intimidate the much larger hero of our lesson. Where Max relies on muscle, Lainey tends to rely on brains…and a little bit of coquettish persuasion. It’s so funny to watch the two of them together. They work as a pair, especially when it comes to rounding up our neighbor’s cows, which occasionally wind their way into our yard. At that point, all I have to do is give one quiet order—get ‘em. The two of them shoot off across the yard, but the moment one of those animals turns to lower their horns, Lainey goes into evasive maneuvers. She darts in and out through the cows’ legs and somehow manages to return to the house unscathed. Isn’t that how we want our heroines? Daring and quick, and with a nice mix of beauty and brains.

3. Reggie (aka – the villain). I know what you’re thinking…poor Reggie, labeled a villain at only eight months of age! Still, I have to tell you, this little stinker gets into more messes than the other five dogs combined. Just last week, we were getting ready to sell our house, and I came home to find the wallpaper shredded from the walls. It was pretty easy to locate the culprit…he had wallpaper hanging from his mouth. And yesterday, I came home to find one of my favorite shoes chewed in two. Just one, mind you. The other one was fine. I think Reggie did it on purpose, just to taunt me. And when I let the dogs out to go potty, who disappears into the trees the moment my back is turned? You guessed it. Despite all of that, there is something irresistible about the little scamp. Every time I scold him, he looks at me with those large soulful eyes, and I can’t help picking him up and cuddling him. And that, folks, is exactly the quality I try to give each of my villains. They may be treacherous, and they may thwart the efforts of my hero and heroine at every turn, but they have an irresistible quality—something about them that stirs compassion and makes the reader believe they have a reason for their actions.

4. Nellie (aka – the accomplice). While Reggie is without a doubt the ringleader, following close behind is Nellie. Who do you think tossed the shoes down from the chair where I had put them so Reggie could chew one to bits? Intelligent, athletic Nellie, of course! Of all the puppies, Nellie is the most daring. When I’m lying in my bed, Nellie is the one who jumps up into the armchair next to it and leaps across the gap to land on the pillow next to me. When the others are huddled on the porch staring out at the rain, Nellie is the one who ventures out and then stares back at the others as if to say, “What’s wrong with you?” Now, to look at her, you wouldn’t think she’d be the daredevil. She has a sweet little face and long, floppy ears that give her the appearance of total innocence, which of course makes her the perfect accomplice. That is exactly the type of character I try to create when giving my villain a partner. I try to make them daring and smart, but with an air of innocence that catches the reader completely by surprise when their true intentions are revealed.

5. Lexi (aka – the compassionate supporting character). Out of all of the dogs, Lexi is largest, but she is also definitely the most loving. The moment I sit down, she climbs onto the back of the couch and lays her head on my shoulder. When I get up to leave the room, she follows close at my heels and waits patiently by the door until I return. While the others are playing or chasing each other around the room, Lexi is content to lay in my lap and let me stroke her fur. This is the kind of supporting character that I always try to give my hero and heroine—someone large and strong, who offers solid reinforcement in the midst of chaos, and who stands at the ready with just the right amount of comfort and compassion.

6. Bentley (aka – the emotional draw) Bentley is the runt of the litter. He was born last, and was delivered the hardest. He’s just a little smaller than all of the others, but day to day, despite his size, he somehow manages to keep up. Remember Little Women? Bentley is like Beth—the character everyone loves and ultimately, the one who breaks your heart with her passing. Bentley reminds me that supporting characters are important. They need depth in order to make the reader to care about them, but when they do, they can make my stories so much richer.

Well, that’s it for now…everything I’ve learned about writing from watching my dachshunds. I guess if I wanted to do another installment, I’d have to have more dogs. Right. Just let my husband hear me say that…

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Journey, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies, which she co-authored with Janelle Mowery, earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year honors. This book was followed in 2009 by “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” part of a Christmas anthology collection called Christmas Homecoming, also from Barbour Publishing.

In 2010, her first full-length historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned Four Stars from the Romantic Times. Books two and three of Elizabeth’s mystery series, Died in the Wool (Barbour Publishing) and Inn Plain Sight (Spyglass Lane), respectively, released in 2011.

Coming in 2012 is Elizabeth’s newest historical series from Bethany House Publishers. No Safe Harbor, the first book in the Edge of Freedom Series, will release in October, with two more books following in 2013 and 2014.

Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, and often attends conferences and seminars, where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Her popular literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoyed a wide readership in its first full year, with more than 17,000 visitors in 2011. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more about her work, visit her at www.elizabethludwig.com.