Good Writer, Good Dog: Laura Stanfill & Waffles.
Petey Sellers Secret Society Presents Good Writer, Good Dog, a new feature about writers and their best editors/co-pilots/muses – their dogs, of course.
I’ve always been curious about writers and their dogs. After writing so much about Petey Sellers, our relationship, and writing life, I wanted to chat with other writers about their dogs, writing practices, and the intersection of the two.
Our first guest, Laura Stanfill, is an all-around amazing person, publisher, author, literary citizen, and awesome dog mom (and regular Mom.) Her novel was described by Buzzfeed as a “charming debut” and her press, Forest Avenue Press, publishes wonderful lit fiction. Take it away, Laura!
Writers and dogs are the best! Introduce us to your dog. Waffles is a pomchipoo – Pomeranian, Chihuahua, and poodle mix—we adopted from a family that couldn’t keep him. He takes himself very seriously despite being named after breakfast.
Have you always been a writer with a dog? When did it start? In fifth grade, we adopted a two-year-old dachshund-beagle mix from our neighbor’s son. Baron came with his name, too, after the Red Baron from Peanuts. He was so patient and attuned to my tween emotions. I was already a writer with a few “published” books. Baron always stayed nearby while I worked. So yes – I have always been a writer with a dog, although there were a few decades of doglessness between my two dogs.
Dogs (and writers) love a good routine. What’s yours? Waffles loves a good chew stick. I love coffee. So we meet on the couch to chew (him) and sip (me) while I work on my pages. This cycle begins when I wake up in the morning and continues in sessions throughout the day.
He often wants to sit on my lap, displacing my laptop, which I then balance on the side table or the edge of the couch. He’s very funny about lap-sitting, though. Waffles, in his “I’m-a-big-dog” brain, feels like relaxing on my lap is as far as he can venture into cute territory. If I croon to him or stroke his luxurious floof, he’s quick to complain. Like, I can be this cute and lovable but on my terms – and no cuter! I think he likes my hands on my keyboard, where they belong. I wrote a whole novel draft in the first few months we had him.
Cats are great, but let’s face it – dogs are hilarious. Share a favorite writer’s dog story. I’m allergic to felines, but I’m pretty sure Waffles has learned something from them because he curls up and sleeps inside paper bags.
If Waffles could talk, what would he say about your current work-in-progress? I’m working on a nonfiction project, Imagine a Door, about the writing life, building community, and setting realistic publishing goals. Waffles likes it when I’m stuck because our walks get really long. But I think he’d say that Imagine a Door needs more dog stories. Don’t all books? Especially books about writing.
What are you and Waffles currently reading? Beth Kephart’s latest, My Life in Paper (Temple University Press), is a gorgeous exploration of papermaking and the paper artifacts we keep. It’s a must-read for book lovers and anyone interested in the intersection of craft and life.
We love animal communication around here. Are there any special ways you and your dog communicate? Any magic you’d like to share? If I’m working on the couch and he’s ready for a new activity, Waffles paws my laptop shut. He bats at it until it closes. It’s a great reminder for me to get up and stretch.
Have any of your dogs made it into your books or stories? I’ve written an essay, “The Flying Dog,” about Baron, but it’s unpublished. And Waffles made it into the acknowledgments of my novel, Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary.
What’s the very best part of having a dog as part of your writing life? Even though he’s an anxious dog, Waffles keeps me rooted and grounded in the everyday. I can dream big with him on my lap, soar through imagined landscapes in my fiction, and then return to the present – which usually involves finding tufts of floof on my pants – or having him tell me that something exciting is happening outside.
Anything new you want to talk about?
Yes! I have a new series of classes called Pop-Up Publishing – PUP for short. Liz Prato and I are teaching this series of three classes on agenting, publishing with a small press, and querying/submitting. They’re $25 each and accessible on Zoom. You can sign up, here.
PUP! Those classes are obviously human and dog-approved. Big thanks to Laura and Waffles for participating in the first Good Writer, Good Dog. Big hugs and Petey Sellers high-fives from the clouds to you both. Keep writing. Keep talking! Keep dog walking. xo
About Laura
Laura Stanfill is the publisher of Forest Avenue Press and the author of Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with Waffles and the humans in her family.
Books
Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary (Lanternfish)
Forthcoming: Imagine a Door (Forest Avenue Press, 2025)
SIgn up for The Bright Side, Laura’s newsletter about publishing, writing, and running an indie press.
Visit Laura at laurastanfill.com, @lhstanfill on Instagram, and Laura Stanfill on Facebook.
Want to be featured in Good Writer, Good Dog? Drop me a note!
It publishes once a month and I’m booking for 2024. I love supporting authors and talking about dogs, so let’s keep it going! Participating includes promoting your new ventures and a Very Kari Comic Pet Portrait via mail. I know! Analog! xo, Kari
Thank you so much for showcasing Waffles and me! I love the post so much and I especially love your FLOOF! portrait. It captures him so well!