I just finished reading Marley & Me, the bestselling book about a misbehaving mutt and his owner. I’m reading animal books occasionally to try to find a hook for a book about my squirrels.
The preface sets up the idea dog-owner relationship in the author’s youth. The opening lines of Chapter One immediately clued me in that Marley wouldn’t live up to that ideal.
We were young. We were in love. We were rollicking in those sublime early days of marriage when life seems about as good as life can get.
We could not leave well enough alone.
Great writing, huh?
I guess I could compare/contrast my relationship with the squirrels to my relationship with Tiger, the oversized, aloof cat I loved as a child.
But I still don’t think I have an angle that I can work for an entire book-length manuscript.
I’m new to your blog–I’d love to hear more about your squirrel book idea!
Comment by Bug — August 11, 2006 @ 10:57 am
Bug, I’ve written some humorous essays about my feeding and observing the squirrels in my back yard. If you click on my “Squirrel” category, you’ll find lots of evidence of my obsession.
Fat Charlatan has come the closest to thinking up a viable theme for my book. She suggested combining the squirrel story with the story of my crisis when I got laid off and had to reinvent myself as a home-based freelance writer.
Oh well, maybe one day I’ll wake up with the enough squirrel essays to fill a book, and then I’ll find a good editor to whip me into shape.
Comment by Administrator — August 11, 2006 @ 12:42 pm
That’s really neat! I’ll take a look at your squirrel posts and let you know if any theme strikes me!
Comment by Bug — August 11, 2006 @ 3:17 pm
Wow–that’s a kick-ass opening graph. And I like your idea about comparing Tiger to the squirrels…maybe start with an essay on that and see where it takes you.
Comment by Fat Charlatan — August 12, 2006 @ 8:28 am
Maybe I can work on a Tiger vs. squirrels essay on the plane to Amsterdam…
Comment by Administrator — August 12, 2006 @ 9:27 am