Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Writing Under Way

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Sailing and writing together again. #writetip #sailing Off watch is the best time to write. I find when I’m on watch, there are too many distractions and I can’t focus on the words. Maybe I can do some editing ion watch, but not always.

A catamaran provides many spots to sit and write. If the seas are calm, lying on my trampoline always inspires ideas. This is where my digital recorder comes in handy.

If it’s too hot and sunny, I hide in our main salon. If the bimini is providing good shade, I’ll write while sitting in the cockpit. The one constant when I’m writing: Farley is always at my feet.

I guess the message is sailing and being underway is not an excuse to miss out on writing.

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Provisioning For Farley

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments
Farley's Fed for the Winter

So who says my wheaten terrier is spoiled? #sailing Here he sits with his high-end pet food, Orijen, waiting patiently to eat.

Today, Farley and I went shopping. This mound will get him through till the spring. He even got to pick his own treat. Of course he chose a Bully Strap. While I loaded the car, he ate his treat in the pet store.

Dog food in the Bahamas can be expensive and the choice limited. I buy the smaller bags to reduce the risk of spoilage. If I lose one bag, that’s okay.

The smaller bags are easier to store on a sailboat. We just have to remember where we store them. After six months, it’s easy to forget.

My lucky dog.

Cruising and Dog Safety

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments
Farley gets a ride

If you plan to cruise with a dog, one thing you might want to consider is your pet’s safety gear.

Farley has his own life jacket, a gift from  Chopper’s Pet Supplies in Invermere BC, but doesn’t wear it all the time. He’ll wear it kayaking in rough weather, or if we are kayaking along a rocky shoreline where he couldn’t get ashore himself.

When we are underway, Farley has his own tether and harness. He is not allowed out of the cockpit unless he is tethered to me or the boat. He has a safe spot to curl up when the boat is rocking.

We keep him in a harness instead of a collar when we are underway, so if he gets jarred his neck won’t het hurt. It also makes it easy for us to hoist him onboard if we have to.

Farley has a dog tag for each collar or harness wears. That way we don’t forget to put a tag on. His tags are engraved with his name, our email address, boat name and phone number. If he gets lost, we are easy to find. I’d love to hear about any other safety gear used by cruisers.

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Dog Parks While Cruising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

Dogs bring special needs with them onto a cruising boat. #sailing One of their needs is exercise. While in the U.S. or Canada is easy to find dog parks. When you pull into an anchorage, Google will find one for you if you don’t know where one is. Locals are always happy to point us in the direction of a good dog park.

Just north of the Titusville Municipal Marina in Florida is  a fenced in dog park. It’s split in two. Half designated for small dogs, half for big dogs. It has a double gate for entry, ensuring our pup can’t run away. It even has water. It was a nice surprise for us and for Farley.

There is a dog park near Vero Beach Municipal Marina, but it’s not fenced.

Seaside beaches in the U.S have varying rules for dogs. Some allow them, some don’t. We always check first before taking Farley for a run.

If you’re cruising to the Bahamas, dogs can run free on the beach. Some places have organized “doggy beach parties” depending on how many dogs are in an anchorage. It’s easy to start one up. Just get on the VHF and announce one.

“Who let the dogs out?” Woof Woof

Animals as characters?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment
Chica - The Diving Dog

The great part about having an animal in your novel is you don’t have to worry that you will insult them. #writetip. I became interested in including a dog in my novels when I read a Dean Koontz novel. I think it was Tick Tock. A scary novel where the dog provided comic relief. I thought is was a good way to break tension in a scene when it was needed.

Dogs can provide an infinite source of distractions and difficulties for any of your characters. If you need a situation to be unpredictable, add a dog to the scene.

Chica – my yellow lab – has a place in my first novel Fracture Line. Chica is no longer with us, but she still provides me with story ideas.

Farley – my wheaten terrier, has a place in my third novel (yet to be named).

Preparation for Writing

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments
Farley - safe on deck

Writing, like cruising, takes a lot of preparation. #writetip  It took me many hours to install the netting behind Farley on my catamaran. First I had to research the product, then order it, figure out how to install it, and finally install the netting. Was it worth the effort? You bet. Farley is safe when we are underway.

To me writing a good novel is similar. It takes a lot of preparation too. I wanted to mention Mary Lou Dickinson’s blog about “So you want to write: Some questions to ask yourself.” Mary Lou gives you a good list of questions to ask yourself if you are thinking of writing a novel.

Writing my first novel was the hardest. I had to figure out what my story was, what genre I was writing in, figure out the rules of the genre, and then take the big leap and start writing. The first words on the page were the most intimidating. Hard work will get you a long way. Just keep at it.

Was it worth the effort? You bet. I have two completed manuscripts and a third one at the first draft stage. I have an agent willing to represent me. And best of all, I have the satisfaction of working hard at something and being proud of it.

Writing Schedules

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments
Dogs know how to have fun.

When do you write? #writetip My dog (updated cruising with dogs today) hasn’t noticed the water is cold or that it’s Friday. He doesn’t know we’re preparing to go cruising for the winter. And he doesn’t feel guilty about not writing.

I read somewhere once that “writing is like having homework for the rest of your life.” How true. To overcome this feeling, I write Monday to Friday and take the weekend off. Because I’m not trying to get words on the page every day of the week, my mind relaxes and sometimes a plot issue solves itself or the next scene pops into my head.

Everyone has different writing times. Find yours, but also find your time off.

Cruising with Dogs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment

My dog who loves to dig is about to change his lifestyle.

This is the time of year I start focussing on the cruising part of my writing lifestyle. Cruising and writing are a great combination and our dog Farley (soft coated wheaten terrier) is a big part of it.

Receiving Farley’s dog permit in the mail from the Bahamian Government signifies the start of our winter cruising preparations. The dog permit allows us to take Farley into the Bahamas on our sailboat. It’s part of the process we go though in the fall.

My goal now is to keep focussed on writing while getting ready for the winter, and I will update the pages on my site for Lagoon 380 and Cruising with Dogs along the way.