I Guess I'm an Old Timer ...snicker

I became a member of DWAA in 1985 as a professional member. I guss that makes me an old timer although I certainly don't feel like one! snicker.... By the way, You'll find out those snickers are one of my trade marks; I have a tendency to laugh and snicker at lots of things - sometimes appropriately and sometimes not! More than one person has tried to cure me of this sometimes bad habit but I'd rather snicker and laugh than cry - so I snicker.

I have always wanted to write and even in school as a kid, I liked to write stories. However in college a creative writing teacher told me I couldn't write and to stop trying. Now looking back and reading some of my work I have to admit I wasn't very good. However, he could have tried to teach me rather than condemning my efforts.

I stopped writing for ten years but then couldn't restrain myself; I just have to write. So I began corresponding with other dog owners, dog trainers, and people who participated in some of the same dog sports that I was working in at the time. My first work was published in FRONT & FINISH, then a now defunct magazine called BREED & SHOW, then now DWAA member Kim Thornton took a risk on me and I wrote a column for DOG FANCY called "Living With Dogs". That column ran for fifteen years - a long time for a monthly column - and it garnered many awards, including quite a few from DWAA.

Now, 20 some years later, I stopped counting published magazine work after 1000 had been published - magazine essays, columns, and features - I've been published in all of the major pet publications as well as SATURDAY EVENING POST, NEWSWEEK, and more. I am working on my 61st book, to be published in April 2009.

I still love to write and do so just about every day. I also enjoy dogs. I share my life with three Australian Shepherds: Riker, 9 years young; Bashir, 4 years old; and Archer, our 11 month old puppy. I enjoy this breed because they keep my active physically and mentally, and they challenge me every day. They are funny, way too smart, and gorgeous.

I hope these blogs will be a place where people can share information about themselves, about DWAA, and their goals for both DWAA and their writing about dogs. As someone we all know says, "It's all good!"

Liz Palika

Liz Palika LLC
www.lizpalika.com
www.kindredspiritsk9.com
Tags: dog writing, dwaa, liz palika