Ashley Lister is a prolific writer of genre fiction, having written more than fifty full length titles and over a hundred short stories. Aside from regularly blogging about writing, Ashley also teaches creative writing and lives in Lancashire
To find out more about Carver Pike you can visit his website, http://carverpike.com/ or find him on Amazon, or at the usual places where good writers sell good books.
You can also find him on social media through the following links:
What’s the protocol for when you’ve got a dog on a lead and it starts sniffing another dog?
If they were just sniffing noses/mouths or other innocuous areas, this wouldn’t be an issue. But, as I have dogs that immediately sniff at the less salubrious parts of their canine chums, I’m wondering if there is a phrase that I should be using to lessen the embarrassment, or if this is something I should just tolerate.
For example, if I’m walking my dog and I encounter another man walking a dog, Oswald starts to sniff at the other dog’s rear end. I’m not going to say if he’s sniffing ass, taint or ball sack. I don’t look closely enough to make an accurate distinction. I’m just giving you the idea that his head is in that area.
My current fallback is to not make eye contact with the other dog’s owner. Making eye contact would be akin to saying, “Hey! These little chappies seem to be having fun doing that, so why don’t we try it?” Consequently, eye contact is not an option.
Similarly, it’s difficult to make a remark that doesn’t sound like I’m condoning the behaviour or secretly enjoying the voyeurism. A comment such as, “Oh! They’re making friends,” seems like a disturbing understatement given the situation. A comment such as, “Isn’t it lovely weather we’re having?” suggests that I’m oblivious to the fact that my dog’s nose is buried up another dog’s backside. I definitely can’t say, “He’s enjoying that,” without sounding like I should be on a register.
So, if you’ve got any suggestions for how to tactfully respond in these scenarios, please drop them in the comments box below.
Addendum: after our recording, Emily contacted me with the following message: This is the quote I so ridiculously flubbed during our discussion, by the way. It’s from W. H. Auden: “Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.”
Emily McCay’s latest title is available through the links below:
Nat Whiston is from Birmingham, England and started writing in her first voluntary job with Magazine Voice 21 as a feature writer and reviewer. When her health took its toll, her writing took a backseat. But now, intent on reinventing herself, she posts stories and reviews on her website. She also started a YouTube channel for her book blog as well.
She has been published in books by Black Ink Publishing, Redcape and D&T Publishing. She published her first short story on Godless – What’s Eating You and recently collaborated with Ash Ericmore on Your Move.