The Belly Crawl

My dog loves to be outside during the day. She'll find a nice spot in the sun, throw herself down and be out for a nap. Sometimes, though, like this morning, there are just too many good spots to choose from. She'll start in one and then I'll glance out the window into the yard to see her belly crawl across the grass to the next spot she would like to try. I was hoping to get a picture of the belly crawl this morning, but the minute she saw me step into the yard, she rolled onto her side hoping for a belly rub. I had to comply. She's too cute not to. Since I didn't snap a picture of the belly crawl today, I'm including one from the Dog Park on a really hot day (85 degrees). She belly crawled to the bench and proceeded to make out with a smaller dog under it (I believe a jack russell). Just picture her without the bench and the make out dog and set her in motion across the grass - you get the general idea of the Belly Crawl. She's a hit at the Dog Park because she looks like she is in combat traning crawling across the grass, under benches, then sprinting off with dogs chasing her. But I digress.

My Belly Crawl. Sometimes when I am writing, like this morning, I feel like Lily doing a belly crawl across the grass. I'm inching my way forward to the next tempting, sunny spot. Sometimes it feels soooooo slow and I wonder how long it will take to get there. Will the sun even be there anymore? Will it have dropped enough that the spot I was crawling for is now in the dark, shaded by the trees in the yard? In my outline this week, my story took quite a few turns that I was not expecting. It didn't change the outcome of the story, just added a little turmoil and more adventure before my character belly crawls into the sun at the very end. Those dark spots can be scary, though. As an author, we take on the adventures of our characters. I like to write mine out of the dark spots quickly, not lingering there. Belly crawling can seem an eternity during an afternoon write full of unexpected dark creatures to fight, riddles to crack and important items to retrieve before hitting another snag and having to battle my way, her way, our way out of that one! I will get her there in the end. She may even get a kiss when she gets there! Her first kiss, the very best kind. Awkward but still worth remembering. It will make the slow belly crawl she has to do and the few dark patches she hits along the way worth it when she edges across that finish line!

Happy W.I.P everyone!