SPRING! by Nancy M Bell

 

To find out more about Nancy's work please click on the cover.

Spring! It's almost here. Spring is always welcome after the long nights and drawing inward of winter. Now is the time to stretch our wings and welcome the returning warmth and light of the sun as it makes its way northward again. I can see it's progress by the changing shadows thrown by the trees across the lawn slowly emerging from beneath the sheltering drifts of snow.

Spring is a time of new beginnings and renewal, but as I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I have found it is also a time of letting go of the old and welcoming in the new. So, Spring in its own way, is also an ending, a wrapping up things that are no longer beneficial and removing them from my life.

Having deposited the unwanted baggage, both physical and emotional, where it belongs. It is now time to dance in the dappled sunlight, laugh at the gophers and smile at their cute little sentinels who whistle sharply at  me should I dare invade what they consider 'their' territory. Time to seek out the first nubs of rhubarb, ruby red in the dark wet soil seeking the sun, the first prairie crocus, the greening of the withered grasses.

Birds are reappearing, I wait each Spring for the return of the hawks who will hover just over my head and somehow it seems we have a conversation without words. And the wind that holds their wings, ever present in Alberta, sweeps back the clouds in a wide Chinook Arch that embraces the western skies.

Welcome Spring, the Equinox, Alban Eiler, Easter.

April Earth

 

I saw the Earth breathe today

A pale pearl vapour rising from the plowed field

She exhaled as the east wind billowed

Her flowing breath across the raw mud

 

Shimmering in the April afternoon sun

Her breath shed diamonds as it hung

Above the snowy prairie

 

The Earth’s cold wintry breath

Mating with the warm spring sun

Birthing the moist mist dancing

In the strength of the moving air

 

The Raven’s shadow flashes across the snow

As he flies over head borne on April’s breath  

     

To learn more about my work please click on the cover 

What a crazy year this has been. Way too full of Covid and bad news. However, the sun is returning and we are turning our faces to the spring. Even while the Alberta prairies are still locked in cold and snow the flowers of spring are stirring in my heart.

I am working on the last book in The Alberta Adventures. Any of you who have followed Laurel and her friends through the three Cornwall Adventures series and then the first two of The Alberta Adventures will be familiar with Chance Cullen and his struggles. The first two books in this last series are about rescuing something, horses and dogs respectively. The third book is Chance's journey and his struggle to rescue his life from the downward spiral and bad choices he has made recently. I'm not sure where it's going quite yet as the story is still evolving. It begins right after Laurel, Carly and Chance graduate from high school. Chance and Carly's dad is in prison for his role in the events in Dead Dogs Talk and Chance is slowly coming to terms with the fact he needs to find his own way and that isn't following the example his father has set. I hope you'll watch for Chance's Way when it releases and see how things play out. I'll keep you updated on how things are going with the plot in my blog posts on the 18th of each month.

Until next month, stay well, stay happy, stay strong.

Nancy

www.nancymbell.ca

https://www.facebook.com/NancyMBell 

 

Christmas Memories by Nancy M Bell

 

Storm's Refuge takes place at Christmas and gives a stay dog a start at a new life. To find out more about Nancy's books click on the cover.  

Many years ago, I lived on a little farm in Uxbridge Ontario. I'm please to share A Brandy Hollow Christmas with you. This was originally written in 1987.

There is nothing quite like a country Christmas, in this fast paced world it is a very few of us wo have the chance to live with nature rather than against it. I am lucky enough to live on a small farm and experience the joys of working with the land. Recently we sold this farm and I began to say good-bye to all the little things that are so much a part of living here. Suddenly, I realized that this Christmas I wouldn't be in my little house in the hollow. Perhaps because I won't be in Brandy Hollow this year I want to share the Christmas' we did enjoy here.

The times when the snow bloomed against my living room window and laced the cedar trees, bending the woods beneath its weight. In the new light of morning the children and the dogs make tracks across the virgin blanket of the lawn, and the horses when we turn them out blow the snow up in puffs with their snorts and then roll and run and roll again. I want to share the special stillness there is here after a snow fall and especially a Christmas snow. The sun just catching the top of the cedars and the birch in the barnyard and the blue jays and the chickadees already searching for seeds. The gentle hand of the morning air sending sparkles dancing from the delicate fingers of the snow dressed trees. The warm smell of horses and hay when you step into the barn from the frosty stillness of early morning.

The warm glow of my little living room, the sun coming in the window, a fire in the woodstove and the Christmas tree taking over the living room. Every year we re-arrange the furniture so we can fit the tree in and by Christmas morning there are presents under the tree, on the tree, around the tree and presents across the floor and in front of the hearth as well. The cats just waiting for all that lovely ribbon and paper to be theirs.  The lovely peace of Christmas Eve when the children are asleep and the old folks are waiting for Santa. Jessie and Josh, the dogs, sleeping on the hooked rug my Grandfather Pritchard made by the stove, joined by most of our five house cats. There is that special thrill of anticipation that comes on only on Christmas Eve. The warm feeling of the love that goes with the presents. The sharing of joy in giving that special gift. The dark quietness of the night, moonlight throwing blue and silver shadows on the snow as i go out to the barn to tuck the horses in on this most special of nights. The music of the wind in the trees and the starfire crackling in the stillness as I take a Christmas walk around the pond and savour the opportunity to say my own private Thank You to the spirit who created al this wonder.

There is a peace on this farm and always a feeling of love. As this this house and this land have always been loved and blessed. But never is the feeling so strong as at Christmas. All things find refuge here. Strays find their way to my door, both wild and tame and human as well as animal. This is a safe place and a healing place. There is that little bit of Christmas love here all year.

One of the best things about Christmas is the love, the giving. It is the one time in the year we can hug someone and not embarrass them or ourselves, or kiss someone and say the things we think all year but never find the words to say.

This year I'm leaving my little farm and I will miss it terribly. But I will never lose the peace or the love that it has given me. And always I'll carry that little piece of Brandy Hollow Christmas in my heart.

My Christmas wish for you and yours is that you will know the peace and joy that Christmas brings. And that 'all things wise and wonderful' and 'all things bright and beautiful' will be yours.

I wish you a Brandy Hollow Christmas.

Nancy

  

Author Voice by Nancy M Bell

To learn more aobut Nancy's work please click on the cover above. What is Author Voice? Does everyone have one? What does it do exactly? I found a quote by Richard Nordquist which I thought summed it up quite well. “Voice is the music in writing that makes the meaning clear.” Sounds simple, but of course it’s not. Voice is hard to define and seems to possess chameleon-like characteristics. Changing from one minute to the next. Everyone has an author voice if you write anything at all. Even shopping lists. Some of you will make bullet points for your list, some will list items and where they plan to shop for them, others might categorize the list by price point. It all depends on your personal outlook and how you communicate. So, no matter what, we all have an author or writer’s voice, some of them are just more developed than others. What is Author/Writer Voice? Your voice is in reality the expression of you on the page. A unique collection of your world view, your passions, fears, beliefs and attitudes. A very good friend and mentor told me many years ago that you meet the writer in her books and stories not in her living room. I was young at the time and nodded sagely like I totally understood. It wasn’t until much later and with the seasoning of a few years that I understood what she meant. As writers, we reveal parts of ourselves we would never drag out into the light of day in a conversation or everyday life. Ah, but in our writing we can let those hidden aspects surface and run freely across our pages. Voice is unique to each writer and it’s about having the courage to express yourself on paper. To be a bit more technical: Voice is the unique and individual way an author puts words on paper, a compilation of idioms, syntax, punctuation, development of your characters, dialogue and sentence structure in a body of work. Voice is not choosing to write in first or third person, nor is it a specific technique or style. Voice isn’t about branding. An author’s voice tends to be consistent throughout their work. There will be slight variations depending on the genre an author works in. To complicate things a bit. There is also Character Voice, which exists within the Author Voice. No one wants to read a book with cookie cutter characters who all speak and act in similar ways. So the author must develop the characters in the story and give then each a unique voice, which will inevitably be some part of the author’s own unique voice and outlook. Each character will have their own way of speaking, certain phrasing and ideas they express that drive the story line forward. Every facet of ourselves can be given free rein in our work. Your cast may include authoritative characters, shy, warm, funny, silly, conceited, angry etc. All of these will reflect some part of the author, we can’t escape that fact. Our characters spring from our own wellspring of experience. The trick here is for each character to have a voice that is appropriate to their role in the work, consistent and believable. What is the Function of Voice in our Writing? A well rounded and honed voice makes every word count, set up a consistent thread through the work and speaks to the reader in a way that captures their attention. What is the Difference between Tone and Voice Tone is subset of Voice. Tone is the mood of the story or work while Voice is the personality. So while your voice might be described as ‘serious’ the mood of the individual piece may be quite humorous. In creating a Tone the author sometimes will use jargon or culture specific references. While this might be important if you are writing in a specific genre like Sci-Fi or Chick Lit, you also date your work and limit your longevity. Your writing will be around for years and if you reference a certain movie star or current trend, thirty or forty years from now most readers won’t identify with that. So, don’t be lazy and tell your reader the heroine looked like a Kardashian, or Helen Mirren, or Edward from Twilight. The more diverse your audience becomes the more important it is the you aspire for simplicity and clarity. Avoid slang and culture specific references. The exception to that, is of course, unless you are writing in a genre that your audience will expect it. Just know that you are aiming at a niche audience when you chose to write in that genre. Finding Your Voice Let’s explore how you go about finding that elusive Voice. There are three major elements to consider here: What do you want to communicate about yourself, of in the case of business writing, about the brand you’re representing. If you could ask your readers to describe your work in a few descriptive words, what words would you like to hear from them? What is the purpose of your writing? Your voice will moderate slightly if you are writing a novel, a movie review or an obituary. Decide what you want to convey to your reader. Will you need to use short blunt sentences, or longer descriptive passages? Who is your target audience? This will dictate the style and tone your Voice will acquire. Both of those being subsets of Voice. Take a minute to think about those three points and come up with a few words that apply to your voice. If you’re having trouble with that, think about what you don’t want to say. How is your voice different from anyone else’s? When you have a decent list, start to whittle it down. Scrap any words that aren’t really important, make sure the ones you keep are fairly specific. Pare your list down to four or five words. You can repeat this exercise every once in a while as your descriptors will change as your Voice develops and becomes fuller and multi-layered. Types of Voice Stream of Consciousness: narrative that is made up of the thought process of the characters. Examples are Faulkner’s The Sound and Fury. Character Voice: We spoke about this earlier. Character Voice allows the reader to experience the story from the eyes and POV the character. This can be achieved by the use of third or first person POV, depending on the genre and content of your work. Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series is a good example of use of Character Voice. When she is writing in Claire’s POV it is first person, but when she switches to any of her other characters’ POV she uses third person. A clever convention to keep the reader from being confused while sub-consciously never letting them forget it is Claire who is the main character of her books. Unreliable Voice: The character speaks directly to the reader in a highly exaggerated and excitable way. This is usually employed in first person POV where the character is biased, childish or ignorant and tries to deceive the reader. This is a Voice that can be quite useful in horror or thriller genres to take the reader deep into the POV of the killer or psychopath. Poe uses this Voice in the Tell Tale Heart. Epistolary Voice: This voice is a narrative one which uses letters or documents to tell the story. It may employ multiple characters’ voices, or no character at all if the author has chosen to tell the story through various documents and letters. Shelley’s Frankenstein uses this Voice. Third Person Subjective Voice: This is a very passive Voice where a narrator relays the thoughts, opinions and feelings of the characters in the story. Hemingway’s Old Man and Sea uses this POV. Third Person Objective Voice: The story is told by a narrator who doesn’t touch on the character’s emotions or thoughts. It supplies an objective and unbiased (except the author’s own ingrained bias) POV. I’ll close with a quote form Rachel Gardner: “So how do you find your voice? You can’t learn it. You can’t copy it. Voice isn’t a matter of studying. You have to find it. And the only place you can find it is within you.”

Dead Dogs Talk New Release from Nancy M Bell

For more information on Nancy's books click the cover above.

I'm excited to share with you the latest installment in The Alberta Adventures. The Coal and his band of wild horses are still safe, but now Laurel finds herself embroiled with a dog fighting ring after she and Carly come across an injured dog while out riding. Of course, bad boy Chance, Carly's brother is in it up to his neck trying to prove to his ringleader dad that he's tough enough to earn Daddy's approval.

As in Wild Horse Rescue, there is an underlying message in the book. Dog fighting rings and puppy mills are a real evil and they exist world wide. It is a horrible and reprehensible activity. The animals involved have no voice, other than their unheard cries for help and comfort. We must be their voice and we must speak loudly. Don't by cute puppies from pet stores that aren't supporting local rescues by featuring only rescue animals for adoption, don't buy off local see pages on the internet.

The inspiration for Dead Dogs Talk came from a very real event that a friend relayed to me. She was out riding her horse with a friend along a grassy pathway and they came across a very skinny dead dog tied to a tree by a ratty rope. The dog was obviously ill treated, with scars and wounds and the nails on the paws so long they curled under. Clearly the dog had been caged and not allowed to move normally as the condition of the paws made that painfully evident. She was most likely a used up victim of a puppy mill. No way to identify her or an owner, of course. And frankly, the authorities weren't interested and washed their hands of it. Sadly, even if there had been a way to trace the person or persons who dumped this girl, chances are the charges would have been thrown out of court, if things even got that far. At best, the perpetrator would have gotten a slap on the wrist a small fine. Even if they had been court ordered to not be in possession of any animals, there is no organization that monitors that. Many of those who are under similar court orders just move provinces or totally ignore the order and carry on. There is little or no follow up.
I give my injured dog a happy ending and the discovery of a microchip in another dog leads to the group responsible. In effect, the dead dog with the microchip manages to speak out via the chip.

Please hold your furbabies close and love them. Don't let them roam, keep them safe.

The story isn't all gloom and doom, so don't despair. Laurel ends up volunteering at an animal rescue and she gets to ride her barrel horse Sam at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Red Deer Alberta. Carly's brother Chance is maturing and starting to realize that his father isn't always the best role model. The last book in this series will be out next year and it will feature Chance and his struggles to find his way in the world. As always, the events play out against the rolling Alberta prairies under the wide Alberta blue sky. Working title is Finding the Way or maybe Second Chance. No clear winner yet.

Until next time, stay well, stay safe. These are my rescue dogs below. Miley, Gibbie, and George.

The Dos and Don'ts of Pitching Your Work by Nancy M Bell

To learn more about Nancy's books please click the cover above. Dead Dogs Talk is Book 2 of The Alberta Adventures and a worthy addition to Wild Horse Rescue. Now in pre-release.



What is a Pitch?
A pitch is short, concise presentation which can be given in person, over the phone, via Zoom, other similar platform, or in an email. Very rarely are pitches sent by snail mail anymore. The content introduces your story idea, the genre and word count. If given in person in a formal situation such as a writers conference or an in person meeting with an agent or editor you should have a hard copy to leave with them. All formal pitches should include your contact information.

Why should you pitch?
If you want to sell your story, you need to have a way to get the agent or editor interested. In order to be published traditionally or be represented by an agent you need to be able to give them a quick concise bit of information that will enable them to ascertain if what you are offering fits with their current requirements.

When Should you Pitch?
Now this is the sixty-million-dollar question.
The manuscript must be complete and polished before you even consider pitching.
Your manuscript should not only be completed, it should have been read by new eyes in the form of beta readers. These fresh eyes will pick up things the author misses. For example: time line issues, consistency of names or locations and spellings of names etc.
Then, before you consider pitching, the manuscript should be edited to the nth degree. You need to hire a good editor for this. No author can edit their own work successfully.
The presence of spelling errors, words used in the wrong context, missing quotation marks etc. indicate to the agent or acquisition editor that the author is either lazy or very inexperienced. Neither impression is going to get an offer of contract if indeed the author gets far.
You need to be prepared to produce your polished manuscript upon request. Nothing will turn the agent or editor off quicker than to go through the pitch process, ask for a part or full manuscript and discover that the manuscript in question is incomplete or ‘still with the editor’.

Do you need more than one pitch format?
Yes, for sure.
What if you run into your dream agent or acquisition editor in the elevator or God forbid the bathroom? You have a very limited amount of time to say “Hi, I’m so and so, I’ve been wanting to meet you. I have a that centres around that I think will interest you. Here’s my contact info (hand them your card complete with contact info and website etc). It was nice meeting you, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Then exit gracefully.
Your pitch in this instance should be a very short summary of what makes your book:
Unique
Striking
Fresh
Compelling
That’s the famous Elevator Pitch.
Do’s:
Write your pitch out. As many times as it takes to fine tune it.
Practice this pitch until you can recite it word perfect in 30 or 40 seconds. You will sound polished, confident and professional.
Be polite.
Be succinct and brief. Twenty words is perfect and certainly no more than fifty words.
Do remove everything from your book description except that part that most interests the reader.
Fox example: Harry Potter Orphan boy with magical powers goes to school for wizards.
Do smile.
Be pleasant- agents and editors are human- speak as you would to a casual friend. Not too familiar but not like you’re overwhelmed.
Do respect their personal space. It’s fine to be passionate about your work, but don’t get too close and invade their personal space.
Don’ts:
Don’t get wordy and longwinded - they will check out.
Don’t be pushy even a bit. It’s okay to be passionate but no one is comfortable caught in a confined space with someone who is clearly giving you the hard sell.
Don’t linger, or follow them off the elevator or out of the bathroom still pitching.
Don’t be flippant. Respect their attention and time they are giving you.
Don’t be touchy-feely. It’s fine to offer a hand shake (although not in these Covid-19 times) but no touching their arm to make a point.
You don’t need to explain all the granular aspects of your story line. You just want this Important Person to say, “Hey, that sounds interesting. Tell me more.”

The Formal In Person Pitch at a Conference.
In this instance you have a bit more time than the Elevator Pitch. Usually there is a ten or fifteen minute window scheduled for each pitch.
Create your pitch and revise it until it is clear, concise, to the point, polished and most important geared to hook the person’s interest you are pitching to. You’re fishing for that “Please tell me more” response and a request for either a part or full manuscript.
Once you’ve polished your pitch practice it. Practice in front of a mirror, practice on your friend or writers group, practice on your partner. Practice until you can recite it in your sleep. Be ready for any questions the agent or acquisition editor might ask. Be ready to sell yourself, have a concise answer in the back of your mind or questions like: Do you have anything published? If yes, be ready to answer if you are self or traditionally published. Don’t reel off along list of publications if you have them, stay succinct. “I have twelve novels published by . If they wish to know more, have a hard copy of all your bibliography ready to hand.
The agent/editor will know your name, but introduce yourself anyway when/as you sit down.
Remember to meet the agent/editor’s gaze without being too intense.
Smile.
Give your pitch- which should be short enough to allow time for the agent/editor to ask questions and for you to answer.
Exhibit an understanding of how the publishing business works, be familiar with the books and authors that the agent/editor you are pitching too and be able to mention them should the topic come up.
Be ready to discuss your marketing platform if the agent/editor is interested in asking about it. The same with your online presence and social media presence.
Regardless of the outcome of the pitch, be polite and thank the agent/editor as you take your leave. You never know when you might run across this same agent/editor in the future. Just because this pitch might not have been successful doesn’t mean a future pitch won’t be.
A point to remember: Agents/editors talk to each other. If you make a bad first impression with one agent/editor, it stands to reason they might remember that if another agent/editor mentions your name or a pitch you delivered to them in a positive light. If the first agent/editor shares their less than positive first impressions of you it will colour the second agent/editor’s opinion and might be the deciding factor in you receiving a request to submit or not.

The Formal Written Pitch- either via electronic means or snail mail.
This one is a bit less nerve wracking for the author. No face to face meeting where nerves can get the best of you. However, this also means everything you put before the agent/editor had better be letter perfect.
Your entire formal pitch or query should be one page. No longer. Agents and editors get multiple emails and hard copy pitch/queries. You need to get their attention and keep it quickly. Cardinal rule: Don’t be boring.


If you are querying different agents/editors then make sure when you copy and paste that you have the name and company right. No spelling errors, especially in a person’s name. perfect grammar and formatting.
You will need your pitch and a cover letter. You can combine the two as long as you are careful not to get too carried away.
Your cover letter should make it clear you are serious about writing and are passionate about it, that you are not seeing dollar signs flashing. If you are pitching your first novel but are working on a another that’s a good thing to include, so the agent/editor knows your not that one hit wonder ( or hope to be one hit wonder) and you’re in this for the long haul. Briefly list any contests, competitions you’ve entered, any articles published in magazines. What kind of networking you’ve done, attending writers festivals or conference, writing courses you’ve taken. Show them you are serious about writing as a business.
Make sure your pitch/query/manuscript conforms to the agent/editor’s requirements. For example if the information states TNR 12pt don’t send your manuscript in Calibri 10pt. Should it be double spaced, 1.5 or single spaced? Please don’t use hard tabs for indents, you can format your manuscript in Word to automatically indent. Failure to adhere to requested requirements is an immediate turn off to the person you are trying to impress.
Know the nuts and bolts of your work- be able to provide the basics in a few short lines- similar to the Elevator Pitch.
Exhibit an understanding of how the publishing business works, be familiar with the books and authors that the agent/editor you are pitching too and be able to mention them should the topic come up.
Your job is to sell yourself and your work.
Please don’t be flippant or attempt to be humorous. This is hopefully going to be a professional relationship, start as you mean to go forward. Don’t send pictures of your dog, or your kids, don’t send ‘presents’, no matter how innocent.
Do outline a marketing strategy and provide an overview of it. Please be sure you have one. That’s a whole other topic I’m not going to cover here.
Include information on your website, social media presence and any other information that would make you and your work more saleable. That might include education or professional contacts pertinent to the topic or genre of the work you are offering.
Be sure the work you are offering is consistent with what the agent/editor is interested in.
This is a job interview in a sense. Any sloppiness indicates to the person you are trying to impress that you are not someone who pays attention to detail, which in turn implies your work may be full of the same issues. If you display a lack of attention to detail in the all important initial contact it would follow that you are not a competent self-editor which is important. Not to say that you won’t need an editor, but as an agent or editor, you want to be confident the author is going to present you with a pretty clean and tight manuscript.
The hardest part of this pitch is the waiting. There most likely will not be a quick response. It will depend on a number of things, including how many submission emails are in the agent/editor’s inbox, along with whatever else they may be working on.
Make sure you read their website and take note of any expected response times that might be noted there. For example the agent/editor may indicate it may be 3 months, or six months for a reply. If that is the case, don’t email or contact them before that time is up. If after the specified time has elapsed, you can send a polite brief email asking for an update. Don’t nag, don’t bug, above all don’t be pushy.

Your Bio
Something else I should mention is the importance of a good author bio. You want to highlight your writing cred, past publications, awards won, competitions entered. You can include a bit of personal info, but don’t dwell on it. We don’t need to know your dog(s)’ names, or kids names. Keep it short and to the point and then you can include a bibliography below the short bio if needed or asked for.

I’ve whittled mine down over time. I was recently asked for one that was 50 words MAX.
This one was targeted for the editor of a poetry anthology in answer to a call for submission, so I removed anything that wasn’t pertinent to this particular instance.
Nancy lives near Balzac, Alberta. She has publishing credits in poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Her work is included in Tamaracks Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century, Vistas of the West Anthology and by the University of Holguin Cuba in their Canada Cuba Literary Alliance (CCLA) program.

The earlier version was a bit longer and covers more info, but the anthology editor probably doesn’t care that I also facilitate workshops. And he specified a bio of 50 words or under, so you have to be able to cut to the quick without losing the information pertinent to this situation.
Nancy lives near Balzac, Alberta with her husband and various critters. She is a member of the Writers Guild of Alberta. Nancy has presented at the Surrey International Writers Conference, at the Writers Guild of Alberta Conference, When Words Collide and Word on the Lake. She has publishing credits in poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Recently her work has been included in Tamaracks Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century and Vistas of the West Anthology of Poetry. Her poetry is also being included by the University of Holguin Cuba in their Canada Cuba Literary Alliance (CCLA) program. Her latest book Dead Dogs Talk will release in September 2020.


A Good Pitch
If in person- arrives on time-
Is targeted to the requirements of the agent/editor being pitched to
Is practiced and delivered confidently and professionally- if delivered in person
If by electronic means- copy sent to agent/editor is clean. Addressed to the correct person who’s name is spelled right. Copy is clear of spelling and grammatical errors and adheres to all submission guidelines.
Provides contact info clearly and easily found- you’d think this should be obvious, but you’d be surprised.
Gives a concise and succinct idea of what the work being pitched is about- the essence of your work, no long convoluted explanations-
Know what genre your work is- pick the ONE that most fits your work even if there are sub-genres involved
Gives an overview of your experience as a writer/author- publishing history- speaks intelligently about the publishing industry as a whole
Very brief overview of your marketing plans for the work at hand- social media/online presence
Wraps up in a timely and professional manner. Pitcher thanks the agent/editor for their attention etc
If in person- hand over your business card just before you leave.
A Bad Pitch
If in person- arrives late
Is not targeted to the requirements of the agent/editor- genre, word count, formatting
Is clearly not polished or practiced- fumbling for words- inability to answer questions
Inability to answer simple questions- i.e. What genre is your book? What is your word count?
Answers not straight and to the point, rambling on off topic or becoming too involved and convoluted to follow easily.
Uses unprofessional language and/or body language
Pitcher is abrupt or offhand or worse- defensive if hearing something they’d rather not
Going over the allotted time
Forgetting to say thank you and leaving gracefully
Failure to leave contact info- business card is best
Rudeness even if unintended- be aware of your body language and the tone of your words and how they are delivered.

If delivered by electronic means:
Addressed to wrong agent/editor OR name spelled wrong
Copy is not formatted to submission guidelines
Not carefully proof read- spelling and grammatical errors
Does not provide contact information OR it is hard to find
Does not provide some idea of author’s experience
No mention of any marketing strategy or social media/online presence
Rudeness- even if not intended- be aware of the tone of your words.
Incorrectly formatted
Genre not stated or clear


Until next month, stay well and happy.
Nancy www.nancymbell.ca

Building the Backdrop by Nancy M Bell

To discover more about my titles please click on the cover above.

Creating a backdrop, for me, is a bit different that world building. World building is more complicated like building something out of Lego where every little bit counts, while creating a backdrip is more like a broad sweep of the brush using water colours. Still needs to be taken seriously, but not as granular as world building.

Building the Backdrop
Nancy M Bell

Where do our stories take place, can our characters exist in a vacuum? Of course not. Our stories need to play out against a rich and engaging background. The environment our stories take place in can become as important as the actual characters and an integral part of the reader’s experience. Examples of this are Tolkien’s Middle Earth, McCaffrey’s Pern, Graham’s portrayal of Cornwall in his Poldark books, Rowling’s Hogwarts and alternate London to name just a very few.
Whether we are creating a whole new world complete with maps and exotic flora and fauna or are just setting our tale against something that exists in reality (or close to it), the behind the scenes part of our creation needs to be the layered, deep and rich foundation upon which we tell our story.
As the creator/author you need a strong concept and vision of what your world consists of. Where is it located, what types of characters live in the background to give flavour to our main characters. Consider the weather; are there seasons, is it always hot or cold, is the environment harsh or lush, are you building a backdrop in a city or a town or a more rural area. Take the time to think about these things before you begin. Draw maps if you need to in order to give you a sense of scope and ground yourself in the environment. Those maps may never get into the actual book, but it will help the author navigate through the fabric of his story and weave his characters into that fabric in bright colours.
You need to develop a 360-degree view of your characters. What dialogue will they speak? Is it cultured? Rough? Upper, middle or lower class? Consider how and what they say and what they don’t say but can be implied by their actions/reactions or movements which may be enhanced or initiated by elements of your backdrop. Sometimes what isn’t said comes across more powerfully than what is said.
Mine the stories behind the main story without distracting or overpowering your main characters. This helps create a vibrant and rich tapestry for your story. An interesting experiment is to write the same scene from different character’s point of view. This often gives a deeper view into the circumstances surrounding your main story thread and enrich your world.
Another important thing to consider is how your characters react to these four things:
Money, sex, food and sleep. This is a good way to get into your characters’ heads and will aid in your development of the characters and the backdrop against which they play their parts.
You want to evoke in your readers a strong emotional connection to your characters and to the world through which they move.
The backdrop is important to your character as it will dictate how they behave; their personal motivation should be reflected in the world you create for them.
What is the economy of your world? Supply and demand is a concept that knows no barriers as to genre or length of story. Consider how the economy you create shape and affect your characters both primary and secondary and the world dynamics. An example of this would be the Avengers and the Blue Cube (Tesseract) all you need to know to grasp the essential concept is that people want the Blue Cube and that dictates the rules of the world. The basis of this world is the Tesseract is the containment Bessel for the Space Stone, one of the 6 Infinity Stones that predate the Universe they’ve created and possesses unlimited energy. This one concept is the basis for the foundation of the that world and the fabric of the backdrop for their adventure.

Be careful not to over explain things, show don’t tell is still a rule to live by.
Consider what the character wants- this algorithm will drive your story forward.
You can draw from history for the foundation of your religious and political systems, given you’re not writing non-fiction you can mix and match from different sources, taking what works best for your story.
Your economy isn’t just based on wealth or class- supernatural powers or lack thereof can enter into it, as well as exchange of power or energy.
Don’t forget the sensory issues when creating your backdrop, what are the sounds, smells, what kind of food, what tastes do your characters enjoy, how tactile is your backdrop, can your reader appreciate the feel of your world, smooth concrete, rough cobbles, deep sand, rolling surf etc. You reader need to feel “immediate” in your world. That is to say engaged in the whole experience of your story. Give your readers physical sensations they know intimately- we all know what a paper cut feels like, or burning your hand on a hot pot etc.
Be sure your created fabric isn’t too perfect or sterile- there must be costs attached to actions, consequences for things that do or don’t happen. The reader needs to feel and enter into the tension and care about the stakes.
There are three hills to die on. Three points of high conflict which helps define your world. Know what they are before you start and work from there.
Alternatively, there is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle consisting of 8 major points to hit. Not unlike the various versions of the Hero Cycle.
Remember to write the book. Don’t get stopped or hung up by the little things. Write the climax first if that is what comes to you.
Write with a ragged edge, release control and allow yourself to be nimble.
Don’t be afraid to kill or rehome your darlings.
Always think “what is the point of this scene.”
Does it serve to drive the plot forward
Be sure your backdrop doesn’t over power your characters or story line- they need to mesh and be compatible.

You can find me at http://www.nancymbell.ca

Short Stories and Short Story Contests by Nancy M Bell

Calgary Stampede is cancelled this year so why not come and visit the Stampede in the pages of Come Hell or High Water. to find out more about my titles and where to get your copy of Come Hell or High Water click on the cover above.

Short Stories and Contests

What is a short story?
A short story is usually narrative prose. It typically focuses on a single self-contained incident and includes a small cast of named characters. The short story makes use of plot and other components used in the longer novel, just to a lesser degree.

Types of short stories are determined by word count or topic. For the purpose of short story contests there is usually a minimum and maximum word count which needs to be strictly adhered to.
Short Story Lengths in words:
Traditional: 1,500 to 5,000
Flash Fiction: 500 to 1,000
Micro Fiction: 5-350
It is most common to sell a story that is 1,500 to 3,000 words long.

Short Story Contests.
Should you enter? YES! Of course, you should. Even if you don’t win or get short listed, often you will receive valuable feedback from the judges.
How to decide which contests to enter? First decide what market you are writing for. Fiction or Nonfiction. Then look at what is open for submission and what is coming open in the future. Read the guidelines carefully, paying close attention to the rules and guidelines. Generally, these will include topics or focus of the contest, minimum and maximum length of the entry, entry deadline and method of delivering the entry. Generally, this is by electronic means these days including the use of the Submittable website, although some still ask for hard copy entries. Also pay attention to the entry fee asked for and decide if the cost is within your budget and if you feel it is worth the cost of entry. There is a list of 2020 short story contests online, the Writers Guild of Alberta also lists contests in their newsletter.

Crafting the Short Story.
Now, you need a plan. Again, this is going to be different for everyone. There are two basic ways of going about The Plan. This is what is referred to in author speak as Plotting or Pantsing.
There is no right or wrong way, just what works best for you. What is Plotting and Pantsing?
Plotting is just what is sounds like. The author plots out their story using what ever method works best for them. The plot plan will include, in some form, the following elements:
The Beginning of the Story/The Exposition
Rising Action
Climax or Turning Point
Falling Action
The End of the Story/The Resolution

So, now to start:
Generate the core idea. Ideas are all around us, you just need to learn to recognize them. This often starts from a memory, a fear, a problem, or an incident that resonates with you, stays with you and keeps nudging you to share it.

Write it down. Get it out of your head and onto paper. Rough first drafts are always just that rough. Write everything and anything that comes to mind, don’t worry about word count at this point.
Create the characters from people you know, or sometimes the characters just present themselves to you. Go with whatever feels natural to you. If you’re having trouble, it is easiest to base your character on people you are familiar with and grow them from there.
Trust yourself, believe in yourself. We are all writers and creators.

Now you have the basis, you need to add some structure and start to put things together.
Basic story structure is outlined below:
The Opening
Incident that changes things, sets things in motion
Series of crisis or events that builds tension
The Climax
The End

There are various examples of story structure: The Hero Journey, The Three Act Structure, The 7 Point Story Structure. You can look at these online if you want to delve deeper into them.
The structure should assist you in sorting out your conflict, climax and resolution.
In short: The Hero Journey
Call to Adventure
Challenges and Temptations
Revelation- death/rebirth
Transformation/Atonement
Return

In short: The Three Act Structure
Set Up- establish characters and setting
The Confrontation- appears simple with underlying complexity
The Resolution- a good ending contains high stakes, growth and transformation and a solution

In short: The Seven Point Story Structure
Hook the starting point
Plot Turn 1 conflict that moves the story to the midpoint
Pinch Point 1 pressure on the your protagonist- stumbling blocks in the pursuit of the goal
Mid-Point character responds to conflict with action
Pinch Point 2 more pressure and stumbling blocks between protagonist and the goal
Plot Turn 2 moves story from midpoint to resolution
Resolution where everything up to this point has been heading. Goal achieved and loose ends tied up.


Some other forms of Short Stories.
Anecdote: This is a short account that tells a story about a real person or actual incident. It can be amusing or interesting or both depending on the subject. Anecdotes are often used to support a point in larger work, for example an essay or article.

Drabble: This is a very short work of fiction, generally exactly 100 words not counting the title. This form is used to demonstrate a writer’s ability to express something meaningful in a confined number of words. It is an exercise in brevity.

Fable: This form uses anthropomorphic creatures to illustrate a story with a mora. These may include animals, plants, inanimate object, forces of nature etc) Burgess Thonton’s work in the early 20th century is a prime example, as well as Asesop’s Fables. The moral is usually spelled out for the reader at the end of the story.

Flash Fiction: This is short literary work. No widely accepted word count but usually between 300 and 1,000 words. Generally I have seen then around 500 words in contest rules. Pay close attention to the guidelines of the contests you wish to enter.

Frame Piece: this is not generally used now but has been used in the past. In Walter Farley’s the Blood Bay Colt one of the characters is bed-ridden and reads a book whose contents are shared within the context of the larger story.
It is also useful for introducing the main narrative or setting the reader up for a series of short stories that follow. Flashbacks- the dreaded and should be seldom used flashback- is also an example of this form.

Mini-Saga is a short story of exactly 50 words. A good exercise to learn to remove all but the most pertinent parts of the story or scene.

Story Sequence: this isn’t a novel, but rather a series of short stories within an over all timeframe that together tell a larger story while still remained complete stories in their own right. This is sometimes referred to as a composite novel.

Vignette: this focuses on a single character, setting or scene. No emphasis on conventional structure or story development. Can be stand alone or part of a bigger work.

We can go deeper here and look at three distinct types of short stories. The Epical Story, The Lyrical Story and The Artifice Story.

The Epical Story: realist short fiction. Commonly withholding a part of the narrative. Generally, the best of this type are the ones where in spite of the obvious clues within the narrative, the reveal of the missing part is unexpected from the reader’s POV. The revelation must serve to highlight what came before it, shining light onto what was just latent beforehand and locking with it seamlessly and showing it in a new way. The big reveal is always at the end, the quality depend on the unexpectedness of the discovery, the twist.
indefinite range of things, if not everything.

The Lyrical Story puts the emphasis on a central recurring image or symbol that the narrative revolves around, rather than focusing on the plot. The ending is considered to be ‘open’ as the focus doesn’t insist on one meaning but is open to many depending on the readers’ perspective. This form needs an external plot (often of the epical form) which flows alongside the development of the image. The central focus fills in where an expression is wanted but didn’t show up. There is a need to express what the protagonist won’t or can’t, to cry, or express joy, or grief.
The Artifice Story is the weaving together of two apparently non-compatible things. This can be two story lines, realities or perspectives. This can be used as an over-arching metaphoric device or it can be an abruptly introduced incongruity. This is inserted into the otherwise conventional narrative at the beginning, the larger meaning comes directly from the unexpected symbiosis between the deliberately inserted incongruity and the conventional plot.

Until next month, stay well, stay happy.

You can also find me at http://www.nancymbell.ca

Short Stories and Contests by Nancy M Bell

Second book in the Longview Romance series. Calgary Stampede is canceled this year, so why not take a visit in the pages of Come Hell or High Water? Click on the cover to find out more about my books and where to get your copy of Come Hell or High Water.

I thought I'd share a workshop I did for the Airdrie Public Library on short stories and how to get them ready to enter a contest.

Short Stories and Contests

What is a short story?
A short story is usually narrative prose. It typically focuses on a single self-contained incident and includes a small cast of named characters. The short story makes use of plot and other components used in the longer novel, just to a lesser degree.

Types of short stories are determined by word count or topic. For the purpose of short story contests there is usually a minimum and maximum word count which needs to be strictly adhered to.
Short Story Lengths in words:
Traditional: 1,500 to 5,000
Flash Fiction: 500 to 1,000
Micro Fiction: 5-350
It is most common to sell a story that is 1,500 to 3,000 words long.

Short Story Contests.
Should you enter? YES! Of course, you should. Even if you don’t win or get short listed, often you will receive valuable feedback from the judges.
How to decide which contests to enter? First decide what market you are writing for. Fiction or Nonfiction. Then look at what is open for submission and what is coming open in the future. Read the guidelines carefully, paying close attention to the rules and guidelines. Generally, these will include topics or focus of the contest, minimum and maximum length of the entry, entry deadline and method of delivering the entry. Generally, this is by electronic means these days including the use of the Submittable website, although some still ask for hard copy entries. Also pay attention to the entry fee asked for and decide if the cost is within your budget and if you feel it is worth the cost of entry. There is a list of 2020 short story contests online, the Writers Guild of Alberta also lists contests in their newsletter.

Crafting the Short Story.
Now, you need a plan. Again, this is going to be different for everyone. There are two basic ways of going about The Plan. This is what is referred to in author speak as Plotting or Pantsing.
There is no right or wrong way, just what works best for you. What is Plotting and Pantsing?
Plotting is just what is sounds like. The author plots out their story using what ever method works best for them. The plot plan will include, in some form, the following elements:
The Beginning of the Story/The Exposition
Rising Action
Climax or Turning Point
Falling Action
The End of the Story/The Resolution

So, now to start:
Generate the core idea. Ideas are all around us, you just need to learn to recognize them. This often starts from a memory, a fear, a problem, or an incident that resonates with you, stays with you and keeps nudging you to share it.

Write it down. Get it out of your head and onto paper. Rough first drafts are always just that rough. Write everything and anything that comes to mind, don’t worry about word count at this point.
Create the characters from people you know, or sometimes the characters just present themselves to you. Go with whatever feels natural to you. If you’re having trouble, it is easiest to base your character on people you are familiar with and grow them from there.
Trust yourself, believe in yourself. We are all writers and creators.

Now you have the basis, you need to add some structure and start to put things together.
Basic story structure is outlined below:
The Opening
Incident that changes things, sets things in motion
Series of crisis or events that builds tension
The Climax
The End

There are various examples of story structure: The Hero Journey, The Three Act Structure, The 7 Point Story Structure. You can look at these online if you want to delve deeper into them.
The structure should assist you in sorting out your conflict, climax and resolution.
In short: The Hero Journey
Call to Adventure
Challenges and Temptations
Revelation- death/rebirth
Transformation/Atonement
Return

In short: The Three Act Structure
Set Up- establish characters and setting
The Confrontation- appears simple with underlying complexity
The Resolution- a good ending contains high stakes, growth and transformation and a solution

In short: The Seven Point Story Structure
Hook the starting point
Plot Turn 1 conflict that moves the story to the midpoint
Pinch Point 1 pressure on the your protagonist- stumbling blocks in the pursuit of the goal
Mid-Point character responds to conflict with action
Pinch Point 2 more pressure and stumbling blocks between protagonist and the goal
Plot Turn 2 moves story from midpoint to resolution
Resolution where everything up to this point has been heading. Goal achieved and loose ends tied up.


Some other forms of Short Stories.
Anecdote: This is a short account that tells a story about a real person or actual incident. It can be amusing or interesting or both depending on the subject. Anecdotes are often used to support a point in larger work, for example an essay or article.

Drabble: This is a very short work of fiction, generally exactly 100 words not counting the title. This form is used to demonstrate a writer’s ability to express something meaningful in a confined number of words. It is an exercise in brevity.

Fable: This form uses anthropomorphic creatures to illustrate a story with a mora. These may include animals, plants, inanimate object, forces of nature etc) Burgess Thonton’s work in the early 20th century is a prime example, as well as Asesop’s Fables. The moral is usually spelled out for the reader at the end of the story.

Flash Fiction: This is short literary work. No widely accepted word count but usually between 300 and 1,000 words. Generally I have seen then around 500 words in contest rules. Pay close attention to the guidelines of the contests you wish to enter.

Frame Piece: this is not generally used now but has been used in the past. In Walter Farley’s the Blood Bay Colt one of the characters is bed-ridden and reads a book whose contents are shared within the context of the larger story.
It is also useful for introducing the main narrative or setting the reader up for a series of short stories that follow. Flashbacks- the dreaded and should be seldom used flashback- is also an example of this form.

Mini-Saga is a short story of exactly 50 words. A good exercise to learn to remove all but the most pertinent parts of the story or scene.

Story Sequence: this isn’t a novel, but rather a series of short stories within an over all timeframe that together tell a larger story while still remained complete stories in their own right. This is sometimes referred to as a composite novel.

Vignette: this focuses on a single character, setting or scene. No emphasis on conventional structure or story development. Can be stand alone or part of a bigger work.

We can go deeper here and look at three distinct types of short stories. The Epical Story, The Lyrical Story and The Artifice Story.

The Epical Story: realist short fiction. Commonly withholding a part of the narrative. Generally, the best of this type are the ones where in spite of the obvious clues within the narrative, the reveal of the missing part is unexpected from the reader’s POV. The revelation must serve to highlight what came before it, shining light onto what was just latent beforehand and locking with it seamlessly and showing it in a new way. The big reveal is always at the end, the quality depend on the unexpectedness of the discovery, the twist.
indefinite range of things, if not everything.

The Lyrical Story puts the emphasis on a central recurring image or symbol that the narrative revolves around, rather than focusing on the plot. The ending is considered to be ‘open’ as the focus doesn’t insist on one meaning but is open to many depending on the readers’ perspective. This form needs an external plot (often of the epical form) which flows alongside the development of the image. The central focus fills in where an expression is wanted but didn’t show up. There is a need to express what the protagonist won’t or can’t, to cry, or express joy, or grief.
The Artifice Story is the weaving together of two apparently non-compatible things. This can be two story lines, realities or perspectives. This can be used as an over-arching metaphoric device or it can be an abruptly introduced incongruity. This is inserted into the otherwise conventional narrative at the beginning, the larger meaning comes directly from the unexpected symbiosis between the deliberately inserted incongruity and the conventional plot.

Until next month Stay well, stay happy. YOu can also find me at http://www.nancymbell.ca

Something to take your mind off our crazy world by Nancy M Bell

TO learn more about Nancy's work please click on the cover.

It seems the world has gone a bit crazy. So I thought I would take your mind off it for a bit by sharing some writing advice. I hope it works. I also everyone stays safe and healthy.

Building the backdrop of your story is a little different that wholesale world building. I liken world building to crating something piece by piece like Lego, where as I view building the backdrop as a less intense (but not less important)endeavour, more like creating a water colour with wide bold sweeps of creativity.



Building the Backdrop
Nancy M Bell

Where do our stories take place, can our characters exist in a vacuum? Of course not. Our stories need to play out against a rich and engaging background. The environment our stories take place in can become as important as the actual characters and an integral part of the reader’s experience. Examples of this are Tolkien’s Middle Earth, McCaffrey’s Pern, Graham’s portrayal of Cornwall in his Poldark books, Rowling’s Hogwarts and alternate London to name just a very few.
Whether we are creating a whole new world complete with maps and exotic flora and fauna or are just setting our tale against something that exists in reality (or close to it), the behind the scenes part of our creation needs to be the layered, deep and rich foundation upon which we tell our story.
As the creator/author you need a strong concept and vision of what your world consists of. Where is it located, what types of characters live in the background to give flavour to our main characters. Consider the weather; are there seasons, is it always hot or cold, is the environment harsh or lush, are you building a backdrop in a city or a town or a more rural area. Take the time to think about these things before you begin. Draw maps if you need to in order to give you a sense of scope and ground yourself in the environment. Those maps may never get into the actual book, but it will help the author navigate through the fabric of his story and weave his characters into that fabric in bright colours.
You need to develop a 360-degree view of your characters. What dialogue will they speak? Is it cultured? Rough? Upper, middle or lower class? Consider how and what they say and what they don’t say but can be implied by their actions/reactions or movements which may be enhanced or initiated by elements of your backdrop. Sometimes what isn’t said comes across more powerfully than what is said.
Mine the stories behind the main story without distracting or overpowering your main characters. This helps create a vibrant and rich tapestry for your story. An interesting experiment is to write the same scene from different character’s point of view. This often gives a deeper view into the circumstances surrounding your main story thread and enrich your world.
Another important thing to consider is how your characters react to these four things:
Money, sex, food and sleep. This is a good way to get into your characters’ heads and will aid in your development of the characters and the backdrop against which they play their parts.
You want to evoke in your readers a strong emotional connection to your characters and to the world through which they move.
The backdrop is important to your character as it will dictate how they behave; their personal motivation should be reflected in the world you create for them.
What is the economy of your world? Supply and demand is a concept that knows no barriers as to genre or length of story. Consider how the economy you create shape and affect your characters both primary and secondary and the world dynamics. An example of this would be the Avengers and the Blue Cube (Tesseract) all you need to know to grasp the essential concept is that people want the Blue Cube and that dictates the rules of the world. The basis of this world is the Tesseract is the containment Bessel for the Space Stone, one of the 6 Infinity Stones that predate the Universe they’ve created and possesses unlimited energy. This one concept is the basis for the foundation of the that world and the fabric of the backdrop for their adventure.

Be careful not to over explain things, show don’t tell is still a rule to live by.
Consider what the character wants- this algorithm will drive your story forward.
You can draw from history for the foundation of your religious and political systems, given you’re not writing non-fiction you can mix and match from different sources, taking what works best for your story.
Your economy isn’t just based on wealth or class- supernatural powers or lack thereof can enter into it, as well as exchange of power or energy.
Don’t forget the sensory issues when creating your backdrop, what are the sounds, smells, what kind of food, what tastes do your characters enjoy, how tactile is your backdrop, can your reader appreciate the feel of your world, smooth concrete, rough cobbles, deep sand, rolling surf etc. You reader need to feel “immediate” in your world. That is to say engaged in the whole experience of your story. Give your readers physical sensations they know intimately- we all know what a paper cut feels like, or burning your hand on a hot pot etc.
Be sure your created fabric isn’t too perfect or sterile- there must be costs attached to actions, consequences for things that do or don’t happen. The reader needs to feel and enter into the tension and care about the stakes.
There are three hills to die on. Three points of high conflict which helps define your world. Know what they are before you start and work from there.
Alternatively, there is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle consisting of 8 major points to hit. Not unlike the various versions of the Hero Cycle.
Remember to write the book. Don’t get stopped or hung up by the little things. Write the climax first if that is what comes to you.
Write with a ragged edge, release control and allow yourself to be nimble.
Don’t be afraid to kill or rehome your darlings.
Always think “what is the point of this scene.”
Does it serve to drive the plot forward
Be sure your backdrop doesn’t over power your characters or story line- they need to mesh and be compatible.

Until next month, stay well, stay healthy. Please don't hoard food or paper products. Reach out to those vulnerable members of our communities. You can drop groceries or other needed items at their door without any contact if that is what is needed. Seniors are in the high risk group - as well as other vulnerable demographics. Let's all do our part to be sure everyone is safe and taken care of.

A little Sneak Peak by Nancy M Bell

To learn more about Nancy's work please click on the cover.

I've been working on the next book in The Alberta Adventures series. It's working title is Dead Dogs Talk. Where Wild Horse Rescue centres around the wild horses in Alberta, Dead Dogs Talk will centre on the horrendous practice of dog fighting and puppy mills. Often the two go hand in hand. I thought I would whet your whistle so to speak and share the first bit of Dead Dogs Talk with you.

Dead Dogs Talk
©Nancy M Bell 2020

Laurel surveyed the buckskin prairie rolling away from her toward the purple hued Rockies in the distance. She inhaled the familiar scent of dry grain stubble and dust with underlying notes of cool brought on the wind from the west.
“I know it sounds lame, but have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Laurel turned and spoke to Carly, her best friend.
“I love this time of year. The sky is just so…so…blue and the aspens are all turning gold.” Carly nudged her mare up beside Laurel’s Sam, the saddle leather creaking as she shifted her weight.
Laurel grinned at her. “Let ride down by the river under the trees, the sun’s just about the right angle to turn those leaves all gold and sunstruck.”
The girls turned the horses away from the harvested barley field and followed the worn path along a fence line toward the coulee. The track snaked around and followed the gravel range road before detouring around a stand of aspen crowding the fence near the road. Laurel turned Sam toward the path that dipped down the slope of the coulee.
“Hey, Laurel, wait up!”
Laurel pulled up and twisted in the saddle to see what was holding Carly up. “What’s wrong?” She pivoted Sam on the narrow trail and moved back to where Carly was sitting motionless. “What? You okay?” Laurel drew even with her friend and let Sam halt beside the mare.
“Look…” Carly motioned toward the aspens and low bushes. “Is that what I think it is?” her voice choked off.
“I don’t see…” Laurel nudged Sam a few steps closer and leaned down trying to see what was upsetting Carly. “Oh my God!” She piled off her horse, dropping the reins to ground-tie the gelding. Shoving her way through the tangled bushes, she halted by a bent aspen tree. Tied by its neck to the lowest branch was a brindle dog. Blinking back tears, Laurel reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out her jack knife. Muttering words her father would frown at, she started to saw at the thick rope.
“Who would do something like this?” Carly’s voice trembled as she pushed through the long grass and brush. “The poor thing, I hope it didn’t suffer.” She stuffed a hand against her mouth.
The dog’s head flopped to the side when the rope finally parted, and the limp body collapsed onto the trodden grass. Laurel dropped to her knees and began working at loosening the noose around the thick neck.
“It’s dead, Laurel. What are you doing? Let’s go, we should tell someone. What if whoever did this comes back?” Carly started edging back toward the horses.
“I don’t care! The least we can do is take this damned rope off her.” She pulled the noose free and sat back on her heels. “Poor baby. Look at the scars on her face, and the wounds all over her. Makes me so mad I could just spit.”
“Shit!” The limp body gave a shuddering convulsion and the unfocussed eyes fluttered. Laurel scrambled backward. “Carly, she’s alive! The dog is still alive. Come help me.”
“We should go and get help, Laurel. What if the thing is vicious? Or has rabies?” Carly hesitated at the edge of the trees.
“We can’t leave her like this. She might run off before we can get back once she’s recovered a bit. She needs a vet. And we need to take pictures of everything. Damn, I should have thought of that before I touched anything.” Laurel pulled her phone out of her pocket and took pictures of the rope and the dog and the area while keeping an eye on the dog who panted in rasping breaths. “Keep breathing, girl. Keep breathing.” She edged closed to the dog, reached out cautiously and straightened out a front leg that was twisted under a broken tree limb. The dog lifted her head and Laurel froze with her hand still on the leg.
“Get back!” Carly’s voice was shrill.
“It’s fine, she’s not even growling. I think she’s too weak to do much more than lie there.”
“Now what do we do? It’s getting late, you know. Look at the sun.” Carly waved an arm toward the western horizon where the sun hovered a hand’s width above the shorn barley.
“Call Chance. He can bring the truck.” Laurel released the dog’s leg and stood up.
“I don’t know if he’ll even come,” Carly was doubtful. “You know how he gets.”
“Call him, will you? I’m going to call Dr. Sam and let him know we’re bringing in an injured dog.” Laurel scrolled through her phone to the vet’s number. She glanced at Carly and scowled. “Call your damn brother, Carly. If he says no, we’ll figure something else out. He can’t bite you over the phone.”
“Hi Marg,” she responded when the vet’s receptionist picked up the phone. “It’s Laurel Rowan. I’ve got an injured dog that’s in pretty bad shape here.” She paused to listen. “No, no, not one of mine. Carly and I found this dog while we were out riding. It’s in pretty bad shape, she was tied to a tree, half strangled and looks like she’s been in a fight. What? No, there’s no one around that we saw. As soon as we can get a ride, I’ll bring her in. Thanks.” Laurel ended the call and shoved the phone back in her pocket.
“Chance is coming.” Carly joined her under the aspens.
“Good. Hey, did you bring any water? I bet she’s dehydrated.” Laurel squatted beside the dog again and reached out a hand. When the big dog did nothing more than roll an eye toward her, she stroked the dog’s shoulder. Running her hand gently over the ribs and down her spine, Laurel’s gut clenched. Her exploring fingers found bumps and contusions, along with matted blood and open wounds. “Hey baby girl, it’s okay now. We got you,” she murmured.
“Here.” Carly shoved a half full bottle of water at Laurel. “It’s all I’ve got on me.” She hesitated before kneeling beside Laurel. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough. Looks like someone beat the crap out of her before they dumped her here.”
The growl of tires on the gravel heralded an approaching vehicle. Laurel glanced through the trees toward the road. “Is it Chance? Stay down, Carly, until we’re sure it’s him.”
“Oh God! You don’t think whoever did this would come back, do you? What about the horses? Anybody could see them from the road…” Carly turned pale.
“Don’t freak out on me, now. Just stay in the trees until we’re sure it’s Chance. I don’t think whoever did this cares enough to show up again.”
The crunch of tires on gravel slowed and a beat up brown pickup slowed to a halt where the horses stood ground-tied on the opposite side of the fence.
“Carly? Laurie? Where the hell are you?” Chance stepped out of the truck, sounding annoyed.
“Here!” Carly pushed through the trees toward her brother. “The dog’s in the bushes here. It’s too heavy for us to move. Laurel’s with her.”
Chance reached inside the truck and killed the engine before he stalked down the ditch and swung a long leg over the top strand of barb wire. He followed his sister through the low brush and halted beside Laurel.
“What a shittin’ mess. You sure it’s alive?” He nudged the dog with is boot.


Well, that's as much as I'm going to share for now. You can find me at www.nancymbell.ca AuthorNancyMBell on Facebook and on the BWL Publishing Inc webpage.
Until next month, stay well, stay happy

Silent Night Nancy M Bell

To find out more about Storm's Christmas and other books by Nancy please click on the cover.

Christmas festivities change over the years. When we're young things are so simple.
We always put the tree up on December 20th as that was my birthday. Mom and Dad never wanted to put the tree up earlier than that as we always had a real tree and they worried that it would dry out.
We had these really cool bubble lights that were all different colors but got really hot when you left them on too long. There was a fluffy white angel on top.
One Christmas Eve when we were still outside in the driveway just getting out of the car Wendy and I got a huge surprise. There, coming down the Cooney’s driveway, who were our next door neighbors, was Santa Claus!

We both screamed and then bolted for the back door. If Santa came while were still up and awake he wouldn’t leave us anything. We tore through the back door into the kitchen and down the back hall to the bedroom. With our wet snow boots and coats still on Wendy and I scrambled into bed and pulled the covers over our heads. I had a harder time getting into bed as I had to climb up into the top bunk, but I made it. Mom and Dad came in and tried to get us to take off our coats and boots and change into night clothes. Wendy and I wouldn’t budge, we were pretending to be asleep so that Santa would leave our presents. We were sure that he was coming to our house any moment because we KNEW he just next door and he hadn’t been to our house next. He must have already been to Jo-anne and John Lee’s place because they lived on the other side of the Cooneys, so we had to be next. Mom and Dad must have removed our boots after we were asleep because they were gone in the morning. And Santa did leave our presents for us that year.

Then we get older and things get a little more complicated. Boyfriends and eventually husbands enter the scene and there are now two families with sometimes conflicting traditions to juggle. And then babies come, and bring with them a whole new dimension to the planning and logistics of the holidays. Somehow we survive the chaos and suddenly the babies aren't babies anymore. They grow up and acquire girlfriends and obligations beyond out small family circle. The years pass so quickly it's hard to fathom the reality of it.

And then our family circle grows smaller as children and their spouses go their own ways, often taking them far away from the home place. Though we are always together in our hearts, there is now a new meaning to Silent Night. No squeals of laughter on Christmas morning, tons of leftovers from a Christmas turkey cooked for only two. Looking down the years, I see the thread of my ancestors walking the same journey that I do, from maiden to mother to crone. Ahead of me I see the line of my descendants, walking the same journey as life spans wax and wane. There is a certain surety in the notion, the players may change but the story goes on forever.

Wishing you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons. Welcome back the light on Solstice Night.

www.nancymbell.ca