It’s not always about looking forward to what’s ahead of you. Sometimes it’s all about looking back at the things that define you.
~Amina Tabasum~
Mom likes looking ahead – to the next idea, the next manuscript, the next book, the next poem. But sometimes, she HAS to look back. It’s her worst part of writing. She gets ideas all the time, mind writes, writes on the computer, and takes her characters from the beginning to the end – not always in that order.
Then it’s time to revise. *gulp* She is forced to look back at the story she liked (loved) a lot and start deciding what she hates about it. There are even some rules to follow. Like the rule of three, building conflict, and making the ending special by solving a problem, bringing a twist, or circling back. Nobody likes rules. Ugh. Even though looking back is difficult, it has to be done because it makes stories better. So she looks back at every single story she writes, and fixes and fiddles and cuts and corrects and tightens and turns things upside down. Mission accomplished.
Mom looked back in her rear view mirror while we were driving to the Veteran’s Home on Saturday. This is what she saw.
It’s because of this!
I was heading to work to get petted, eat treats, cuddle, give kisses, and make people smile.
Mission accomplished…
Cupcake Speaks 
Comments on: "Inspirational Quote of the Week" (57)
Aww, Cupcake, you look like a cute little Easter Bunny, you certainly make me smile. Pawkiss 🙂
Thanks, AW. I think bunny ears are a good look for me.
Love and licks,
C
OMGoodness Cupcake! Don’t tell my dogs I said this, but you are the cutest! 🙂
Thanks, Susanna! I won’t tell if you don’t tell.
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake, you are such a multi-talented pup: a perfect young lady & a perfect Easter bunny. You would certainly brighten any basket! Hoppy Easter!
Thanks, Pat! I am kind of happy that Mom didn’t try to stick me into a basket. That would been awkward.
Love and licks,
C
You look great Cupcake!
Thanks, John. Bunny ears is a great look for me.
Love and licks,
C
You are such a cute Bunny-Girl …. yellow is absolutely your color!!!
Thanks, E. Mom loves yellow. Somebody told her it’s the color of insanity. That sounds about right…..
Love and licks,
C
Oh cupcake you are adorable
Thanks, M3M! Adorable is a good look.
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake I know you made a lot of people VERY happy at the veterans home (not to mention at your OWN home!) and of course all of us who saw you in your pretty Easter dress on Easter, along with those matching ears! You are adorable ALL the time. My Mom and I love the inspirational quote too…..Mom says looking back is important and makes looking forward that much more fun!
Kitty Hugs, Sammy
Your Mom is smart, Sammy. I think writers are like that….
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake – I admire your Mom for looking back, that’s not easy to do! And I have big respect for the work you’re doing, I’m sure you made lottsa people very happy, love the costume, it suits you!
Wags to all,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Thanks, Snoopy. My work is work, but also FUN. I love cuddling with friends.
Love and licks,
C
Cute post. Cupcake, you are so patient with your Mom. My Archie would never let me dress him up. He hate the little scarves he gets when he’s groomed.
Enjoyed reading your mom’s writing process. Interesting perspective on “looking backward.”
Thanks, Pat! Archie doesn’t know what he’s missing. If he keeps the scarf on long enough, people will say, “Aaaawwww, Archie….” and then they will cuddle with him.
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake, you are sweet enough to eat. You look adorable! Your Mom is so creative, how lucky you are.
Piggy kisses,
Katie and Coccolino the mini pig
Thanks, K&C. Mom is creative in her writing. I wish she would take a break from being creative with ME!!
Love and licks,
C
Is that how you do it Cupcake? Do you think I’d get more loves if I wore bunny ears on my trails?
I don’t know, B. You should try it and see. Maybe you’d at least meet up with a real bunny and make friends…..
Love and licks,
C
I bet you made everyone smile:-)
Yes, Misaki! I made people smile, and they made ME smile! Perfect setup!
Love and licks,
C
In that outfit, I am sure everyone smiled! I used to write lots of stories like your mom too. Mostly when I was younger. I would get all kinds of ideas and just write and write, but didn’t finish many of my stories.
Thanks, Ann. Mom’s stories are wicked short, so she finishes them like crazy, and then starts new ones. You should try writing some short ones!
Love and licks,
C
Rule # 7. Don’t antagonize.
(Ok. Private joke) but we need a few rules to keep things in order. Otherwise we’d be doing things all willy-nilly – whatever that means. Mom puts a lot of work into her writing and you put a lot of work into making people happy. Rule # 1: a lot of work never hurt anyone. (It builds character which is good,when you’re writing books ;-). )
You are dead right about rules, Gemma! Mom hates them for herself, but loves them for me. She is willly-nilly, sometimes. I am always working, learning, and practicing. Rule #62. Stop telling me to fetch it!!
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake,
you do put a smile on my face.
Thanks, Alesia! That’s my job!!
Love and licks,
C
What a fabulous quote Cupcake! And goodness do you make a cute Easter bunny! Hugs to you!
Thanks, Wiley! That quote helps Mom a lot with her work.
Love and licks,
C
Your quote this week is particularly relevant for me in the past couple of days as I look back and remember how lucky I am to have had my friend in my life. xox
Thanks, BR2B. That is exactly what you need to do. 😦
Love and licks,
C
Bawaahhaaaa, you are adorable Cupcake and you have such funtaztic dress sense 🙂 xx00xxx
Mollie and Alfie
Thanks, Mollie! Mom says I’m a slave to fashion. Maybe just a little.
Love and licks,
C
You look so cute with bunny ears!
Thanks, C. Cute is always my main goal.
Love and licks,
C
You’re very good at cute!
Love the quote! I’m sure you made a lot of people smile cupcake! You’re absolutely adorable!! What a cute bunny you are 🙂
Thanks, Kia! People made me smile, too! 🙂
Love and licks,
C
Oh, Cupcake, it is very interesting what you wrote about your mom’s working methods. My writings are not so well-behaved: they go in circles, or rather in cycles almost from the beginning. Usually, I have an idea and try to elaborate on it but after a while it turns out that the thing I’m writing about is more complicated than I thought previously. Thus, I try to take another perspective and go into another direction. Sometimes I get stuck for some days. Then I can go ahead with a lot of new ideas in my mind. After a while, a little crisis comes again with new perspectives and directions. If this runs smoothly, than I feel as if I would go on a serpentine trail, looking down from an always higher point to the route I’d taken. If it does not go so smoothly then my train of thoughts is more similar to a ball of string after two cats have played with it.
OMGoodness, K! Your writing work may need to go to obedience school like I did. Those words zigging and zagging and squiggling like a ball of yarn, can trip you up if you’re not careful. Don’t give up. Mom stuck with me till I straightened out….
Love and licks,
C
You look adorable! I should team up with your mom. I love revising. It’s the writing it the first time that can be a bit stressful for me.
Thanks, WIM2S. Mom has heard legends of these people who love to revise. She thought they were mythical beings…. This just got real!
Love and licks,
C
Where does your momma find these costumes!!!! They are sooo precious! I love love love the yellow bunny dress and ears, it has cupcake all over it! xoxoxo- leah and kirby
Thanks, KDB. Mom gets my clothes at Petco and online and all over the place. I love wearing dresses because whenever Mom dresses me – something fun happens!
Love and licks,
C
I do love when a good mission is accomplished, especially with laughter.
Thanks, DD. Laughter and smiles are my specialty.
Love and licks,
C
Hi Cupcake, you look simply adorable in your costume.
Keep your mom on her toes and tell her to keep revising until her writing shines.
You might want to meet me–Indy. Sometimes I write on my mum’s blog. I have my own page–Fur Babies!
Thanks, Tracy. Indy sounds a little like me! If he’s afraid of the sound of crinkly paper, we already have something in common.
Love and licks,
C
Yeowzer Cupcake! I’m not sure I would let Mom dress ya up like that…but you are very cute…but then again…I’m thinkin’ you and Mom know that, huh?
Don’t worry, Savvy. When Mom dresses me up, it usually means something fun is going to happen. I wore my dress and ears to visit the Veteran’s Home. Everyone who saw me laughed! That’s my job!
Love and licks,
C
Sorry about the delay in commenting. Oh Cupcake you are so adorable! We are warning you if your mom ever brings you to our area we are dognapping you…. at least for a hour so we can hug you and spoil you rotten! 🙂
Thanks Chuck and Collies. I wonder how I would do inside that cloud of collies….. It looks like FUN!
Love and licks,
C
[…] Here I am “working” with some old friend at the Veteran’s Home. […]
[…] we are out walking she Mind Writes about her main character, his goals, his issues, his problem, and how she will increase tension and […]