Me, Bandit, editor friend Carol Bryant and Dexter.
In the interest of full disclosure, this post will make a shameless pitch for why I need to win an all expense paid trip to BarkWorld 2012. What can I say? I’m desperate.
They look cute. But you can't imagine the stress these three furballs caused in 2011!
1) I had a rough 2011. I know readers found the antics of Bailey, Bandit and Scout amusing – mostly because it was happening at my house and not theirs.
But the tension of warring dogs and Scout’s illness and death took its toll. So I made a vow that in 2012 I am going to surround myself with positive people and experiences. And a pet blogging conference definitely fits the bill.
Me with American Idol finalist Mandisa (GMA Week 2009)
2) I need to interact with other people in my (fairly new) field. For more than a decade, I covered entertainment for a dozen Christian and community publications, spending lots of time with people in the music industry in fun places like Nashville.
But making the switch to animal writing means I’m creating a whole new network of professionals and colleagues. And with my new Heavenly Creatures blog at Patheos.com, a chance to get together with other bloggers for education, networking and fun is just what I need. Plus, it’s doggone fun!
Me and some of my conference peeps from the Erma Bombeck Conference 2006.
3) And I love fun! Writers like me spend most of our time in our jammies, pecking away at the keyboard with our dogs at our feet and our cats on our laps – and very little time interacting with people. So it’s important to get dressed once in a while and talk to other humans. And what better way to do that at BarkWorld? Fun! Fur! Wine! What more could you ask for?
Bandit and I on our 2011 road trip to a writing conference in Virginia. This trip provided me with lots of column material.
4) The more fun I have, the better writer I am. Oe one thing that I’ve learned is that the more experiences you have, the richer you are as a person and the better writer you become. Plus, I really need some fun. No, really, I do. (See #1.)
This late night wine and gab session with editors of whom I had never met before led to years of steady work and some of my most cherished friendships.
5) I need the money. A conference is a fantastic place to meet new editors and learn about small publications in need of writers. And even if you don’t end up working together, the friendships you form make the trip worthwhile.
So there’s my shameless pitch to win the grand prize in the Eukanuba Paws In Motion to BarkWorld contest. I heard a rumor going around the back yard that Bandit is also working on an entry. If he wins, maybe he’ll let me come with him.
Hilarious! I can only imagine what Bandit would say…
He’s working on his post!
Joanne
you are a great writer and need a vacation
Thanks, mom!