I find writing for magazines completely different to writing stories
or books. For one thing, I know what I want to say and plan the whole manuscript in my head. It is then just a matter of writing the first draft then knocking it into shape.
My first published, true, story about our pet rabbit was published in a Sunday Newspaper under the title ‘Ruby just had to be the Boss.’ It was thrilling to see my writing in print and knowing many thousands would read it. A story about a Staffordshire Bull Terrier brought me my first letters from readers. Later, I had the pleasure of seeing a short story in a Boy’s Annual.
My first story for an animal magazine was about a holiday in Alderney, in the Channel Islands, when we took our two Burmese cats. They flew with us in a small aeroplane from Southampton, yelling their anger at being cooped in a wicker basket on a back seat. I had some great colour photos of them on the beach.
Then came a series in a dog magazine on my Staffordshire Bull
Terrier and the Champion reared by my father-in-law. A request in
yachting magazines for stories about animals on boats gave me an
amazing array of adventures, which I was happy to relate in an animal
magazine.
Apart from a plethora of articles in professional magazines, my love of writing short stories has given me the satisfaction to see many published small press magazines, and I have even had the satisfaction of an agent, liking my book, with photos, about the exploits of my Burmese cats. I still hope a publisher will like it.
Now, I have the excitement of seeing my children's books in print.
For more information about my writing, see the Loppylugs or Court of Foxes pages or read some of my articles: