Every author needs a writing partner

Every author need a writing partner and this is mine! Her name is Elfie and she is 5 years old.

When I take a walk to think about a plot line, Elfie walks with me. When I sit at the computer typing, she sits on the chair next to me, and when she thinks I have been sitting for long enough, she lets me know it's time to move.

We are lucky because we live surrounded by fields and open heathland that lead into woods, sand-hills and finally miles of wild beach. It's a wonderful place to walk and think, and a wonderful place for dogs to roam free, as Elfie is always telling me!

She loves her walks, and in the autumn, when they are ripe, picks and eats blackberries faster than anyone I know. She is also the sort of dog everybody likes to pat. That is because she makes eye contact with anyone who talks to her, to the extent that a woman we once met said that Elfie had seen right into her soul! Fanciful or true? Who am I to question someone else's beliefs.

Don't think she is a paragon of virtue though. She chases all the birds and squirrels that visit the garden, barking mightily. And don't be fooled by her ladylike appearance either, as she is an ace ball catcher and retriever. She swims too, and digs deep into the sand. She's not above rolling on the dead fish that wash up on the beach either.

On the positive side, she likes to please so mostly does as she's told, is affectionate and friendly, loves children, tolerates other dogs, and, most important of all, takes me out every day whatever the weather. Without her I would probably sit staring at the screen for far too long. An ideal writing partner indeed.