A Day in the Life of an Author’s Pet

Hello, I’m Levi. I’m a twelve-year-old male Pembroke Welsh corgi. I live with my family in a small town called Purcellville, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Mom is a writer. Over the years, I’ve learned that is a code word for what she really does—talks to invisible people all morning. Doesn’t she realize she can just talk to me? Anyway, she spends a great deal of time typing on her computer wearing “comfy clothes,” and drinking tea.

How does an author's pet spend their day? Check out what @KellyGoshorn has to say. Share on X

Our day starts around 5 a.m. The house is quiet, and Mom says that’s her best time to write. First, we sit on the landing at the top of the stairs and Mom gives me “belly-lovin’.” There isn’t anything I won’t do for a good belly rub. You’re probably wondering why she hasn’t taken me outside yet. Dad, my second most favorite two-legger, bought me an automatic doggie door that opens with a sensor on my collar. How cool is that? I can take myself outside whenever I want!

Once mom has her tea, she reads her Bible and prays for a while then she starts clicking on the keyboard. She likes to work at her desk, but if the weather is nice, we sit on the back porch. This is my favorite place she writes. She brings a cup of ice just for me. I lay beside her and peruse my kingdom. Dad calls it the backyard.

After mom hits her word target for the day, she takes me for a long “W.” My two-leggers know I can spell W-A-L-K so they say “W.” They haven’t figured out yet that I know what that means, too. Corgis are highly intelligent. As much as I love my walks, sometimes Mom embarrasses me by muttering to herself about the characters in her story who are misbehaving—right in front of the other dogs and their owners.

Mom and dad have trained me to walk off-leash in my neighborhood. I stay close and wait at the corners for them to tell me it’s safe to cross. This seems to impress most humans. When we get home, Mom works on her story again for another few hours. Sometimes she uses fancier words like editing and marketing. I haven’t figured out what those mean yet, but sometimes the marketing word makes her eyes roll.

After lunch, we take a shorter walk to stretch our legs. Sometimes, Barnaby, our orange tabby cat, follows us. This annoys me because that’s my time with

Mom, and he starts meowing after only a few blocks. Why doesn’t he just stay home if he’s going to complain?

When we get back to the house, Mom gets on her computer AGAIN. This time, to work as a Grant Administrator for the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. She likes her job, but I know she’d rather be writing. Someone has to keep my treat jar full, right? Sometimes, I jump on her lap and lay across the keyboard so she has to pay me more attention. Then I curl up by her feet and take a nap so I’m rested when Dad gets home. He usually plays tug-of-war with me.

By the time Dad gets tuckered out, our supper is ready. After walks, dinner is my favorite time of the day because my entire family is seated at the table eating people food. My dad calls me a “professional mendicant.” That’s a fancy term for a beggar. I usually have to perform tricks to earn my people treats, so technically, I work for a living, but I have no shame when it comes to chicken or steak. I know how to sit, lay down, shake, and give high-fives.

Mom posts lots of pictures of me on Facebook and Instagram. Dad suggested she make an account for me. Mom refused. She says she can’t handle her dog having more likes and follows than her. It’s not my fault I’m so dog-gone cute. She did give her heroine in A Love Restored a corgi named Buddy. I guess that makes me her muse.

Thanks for visiting with me today and learning a little bit about what it’s like to be a writer’s pet. Oh, do you have a favorite fictional animal? Mom said hers is Wilbur, the pig from Charlotte’s Web.

Really, Mom? A pig?

 

Meet Kelly Goshorn

Kelly Goshorn mixes her loves of Jesus and history into inspiring and compelling stories of faith and family. Her debut novel, A Love Restored won the Director’s Choice Award at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference as well as being a finalist in several other prestigious contests. Kelly is married to Mike with three grown children and a love for BBC dramas, games, and corgis.