Rescue of the Week - Pearl ADOPTED

This is for those of you who want a loyal, affectionate, loving pet who will adore you every day. Pearl is the sweetest, cutest little girl you've ever seen. She's listed as a lab mix, but she shows very little of it in her appearance (looks more like a pointer/pit mix). Not only does she show absolutely no aggressive tendencies (even if food is involved, which is really good), but she literally went back and forth between my wife and I to be petted. Wasn't interested in toys, just wanted to love on us and rest her head in our laps. She seemes like she'd be wonderful with kids too.

***EDIT: Pearl has gone home with her new family!!***

What distractions tend to--Hey! Something Shiny!!!

Okay, I'm not the most dedicated writer, and I may never be. I can admit that. I write most every day. But I also have a few things (mostly family or school related) that take up time as well. Recently it's been the Hurricanes.

I can't help it, I'm a big fan of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even moreso when the Canes play.

Now I'm an all-around sports fan, and I know a lot of writers are. There isn't anything wrong with that. But I feel guilty as hell sitting on the couch with my wife watching the Canes score with 0.2 seconds left to win a game they should have run away with (grumbleBrodeurgrumble).

Oh, and WAY TO GO CANES!!

Okay, that's not true. I felt guilty as hell AFTER the game was over. During the game, I was alternately cheering and chewing my nails with nervous energy. Oh, and storming off cursing when the Devils tied it in the 3rd.

But the thing is, I know writers always preach "write every day." I do that. I may or may not be a successful writer one day, I have no way to know right now. But should I be beating myself up over taking a night to rest, pretend i don't have stuff to grade, and just watch some playoff puck?

Am I becoming the lazy wannabe that writers snicker about? Or would they say, "Who cares? Why aren't you writing RIGHT NOW?!?" What (if anything) distracts you from your writing?

Rescue of the Week - Winken ADOPTED

This little guy is Winken! Trust me when I say he is as adorable a pup as you will find.

As someone with a Plott Hound mix at home, I can tell you they make FABULOUS (if slightly strong-willed) pets. They are affectionate and at the same time GREAT guard dogs. Plotts are bred to pack-hunt bears, so a prowler should be no problem.

One thing though, Plotts will bark, and it is a sharp, LOUD warning bark. So if you live in an apartment complex, you may need to check with the front office. Then again, if you aren't a high-energy person, you may want to pass because these dogs need lots of exercise.

Still, they are fantastic companions. And Winken is as cute a little hound as there is anywhere. Come play with him and see!

***EDIT: Winken has been adopted!!!***

Rescue of the Week - Reuben ADOPTED

This week's rescue is Reuben. He's a big lovable dog, and has already matured past his puppy years. He's okay with other dogs, but would be better with a dog whose play style fits his. He likes to lounge around a good bit and is very calm. Essentially, he's a big lap dog that would love to join you in your home!

Let's give him a forever home!!

***EDIT: GREAT NEWS!! REUBEN HAS FOUND A NEW HOME!!!!***

"What would it take to make you love me?" - villainous motivation

I am shamelessly stealing an idea for this blog from a writer I admire. And even if I didn't (which I do), she stole from me first! (just kidding, Kathryn)


Anyway, over at the Kill Zone, the discussion sparked by Kathryn Lilley deals with truly evil villains and how to write them. And as several people point out in the comments, there's the old saying that the villain is the hero of his or her own journey.

That's great, but it isn't nuts-and-bolts enough for some people.

Which got me thinking about my own antagonists. I always approached the antagonist's motivation by asking myself, "what would it take to make me do this?"

As far as killing, that's easy. Mess with my family and you'll be looking over your shoulder the rest of your life, 'cause somehow some way, I'm coming for ya.

But that doesn't cover the REALLY bad guys. The ones who enjoy watching people suffer. I mean come on, I can't stand to watch an animal in pain without feeling for it...and I'm talking about a buzzard or an alligator, nevermind the cute ones like dogs and the occasional cat. So how do I get inside the head of a person who for example, finds sexual release in the death-throes of a human being, or the person who can only quiet their own inner demons by forcing someone else to scream until they choke on their own blood? Those people are sick, and I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything that could ever "make me do that."

So where do you go now, as a writer?

Well, I found something that makes sense to me, and has worked pretty well so far. Don't think about what it would take to make you do that, because a lot of the time the answer will be, "nothing on this earth."

Instead, think what might allow you to love that person.

Yep. What could possibly have happened to them, or what 'other side' of them could be there that could make you love that person, either in a spousal way or at least a familial, cousin-ish way?

Because that will make them human, and not JUST a monster. The characters who do the kinds of things I mentioned above are monsters, make no mistake. Justify it however they might, as much a hero as they may believe themselves, they are monsters. But what makes them human will make them conceivable and engaging in your fiction. I firmly believe that, pre-pubbed though I may be. And it has worked for me so far.


The example I gave at Kill Zone, and the best one I can think of here, is the backstory Thomas Harris gave for Francis Dollarhyde in RED DRAGON. When he, as an adult, sat down to pee 'like a good boy' because that's what his grandmother had taught him and because of the way she had tortured/treated him, it made sense. He was still a cruel moster, but he was also a human one.

Oh, and can you guess which of these is the one mentioned in the book, vs. which one is shown in the film?

One is the The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun, the other is The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun.

I always wondered if Harris had switched them in his mind, if the copyeditor had put in the wrong title (because they are so ridiculously similar), or if the Hollywood people had gotten it mixed up.

So what about you guys? What examples do you have of reasons to love a character who is, in all other respects, a monster?

Rescue of the Week - Ella ADOPTED

Sorry I missed a week, but we had the contest going on and I wanted it to stay at the top so everyone could see it as they came over.

That said, we need to get back to the business of finding forever homes for these pets. So, meet Ella.

Ella has been at the shelter for a few weeks now, and is absolutely adorable. She's an energetic puppy, but she is as sweet and loving as they come. Stop by and see if she's your kind of companion!

****EDIT: Ella has found a Forever Home!!****

AFRAID to write a Super Short

J.A. Konrath writes the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels mysteries, as well as a phenomenally helpful blog for aspiring writers. He has also dabbled in the horror field, and has published the horror novel AFRAID under the name Jack Kilborn. To promote AFRAID, Joe is doing an exhausting tour all across the world...via the internet. As part of his whirlwind blog tour, he is stopping by The Pen-ferno today with a little challenge. And so, here's Joe:

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I'm currently blog touring, flogging the release of my new horror novel, AFRAID. It's being released on March 31, and I wrote it under the name Jack Kilborn. Please run out and buy fifteen copies.
During all of this guest blogging, I've written well over fifteen thousand words, and I'm close to running out.

So let's try a little writing experiment.Write an entire story in 20 words or less.

It's doable. Hemingway did it with his famous super short:
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Now, I'm not Hemingway. Which I'm happy about, because he's dead. But I admire his ability to tell an entire story in just a few words.

Here are two of mine:
"The adrenalin really kicked in when Carter realized he forgot to pack his chute."

And one for the Jack Kilborn crowd, with more of a horror slant."Is my hair okay? I can never tell. Is that why you won't invite me in for a bite?"

Now it's your turn. You have 20 words. Use them well.

Joe

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Joe and I will both choose a winner (he gets first pick, it being his challenge and such). The first prize winner will get a copy of AFRAID, signed by Joe himself. The second prize winner will get a copy of Joe's first Jack Daniels mystery, WHISKEY SOUR.

***EDIT: The deadline has passed.

The winners are jane, candid and lettera22.

You all did fantastic, and this was great fun! Thanks again to all for stopping by The Pen-ferno!