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Jill Hedgecock

Fiction Writer

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Art of Racing in the Rain

A Dog’s Viewpoint: Breaking the Rules and Getting Away with It

Certiain rules are not meant to broken.  Or are they?  I never considered making the canine character, Shadow, the narrator in my book.  Even if I hadn’t heard that novels told from the dog’s point of view were unpublishable, my novel focuses on a young girl’s unfortunate circumstances rather than the dog’s special talent.  Yet, now that I know it is not only possible to get these types of books into print, I wouldn’t rule out experimenting to see if I could write in a dog’s voice in the future.

One great example of successfully capturing a dog’s mindset  is demonstrated in Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain.  And Stein isn’t the only author to overcome this supposed insurmountable publishing hurdle either.  W. Bruce Cameron also broke the forbidden barrier in his novel, A Dog’s Purpose.  Clearly, readers are not nearly as biased against watching the world through a dog’s eyes.  Both Stien’s and Cameron’s books made it to the New York Times bestseller’s list. 

The lesson learned?  A good story trumps all.  Write what you love and, with a little luck, readers will follow.

Filed Under: Dogs, Publishing, Reading, Writing Tagged With: A Dog's Purpose, Art of Racing in the Rain, Cameron, dog narrator books, Garth Stein

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Ekphrasis Speaking Event at Orinda Library 5/4/23

I’ve been chosen to speak about “Contentment” my art initiator project on Saturday at the Ekphrasis Reception on 5/4/23. The speakers will be on hand from 3 to 5 pm and the talks will be held at the Orinda Library Auditorium between 3:30 and 4:30 pm.

12/7/23 Event- New Zealand Great Walks and Great Bird

Mount Diablo Audubon Society presentation, Main Speaker, 7:30 pmPleasant Hill Community Center at 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, 94523

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