One of the most interesting aspects about my work-in-progress is the amount of research that I’m doing; about Eastern cottontail rabbits, of course, but also about their predators. A main character in my animal adventure/fantasy is a barred owl who develops an unlikely friendship with Nettie Rabbit. I’ve been fascinated by barred owls ever since my family and I discovered one living in a hollow tree in Fort Snelling State Park one Christmas Day a few years back. When we went back in search of him (or her) the following Christmas, the owl was still there, high up in the very same tree!

This image is a screen shot of Plate No. 46 in my copy of The Birds of America by John James Audubon. The author notes that a barred owl is large with a length of almost two feet and a single distinguishing characteristic: the absence of “ear-tufts.” The barred owl’s voice is a series of loud, staccato hoots ending in an emphasized HOO-AW. And, speaking of voice … today I spent my limited writing time developing the fictional “voice” of the owl character as well as exploring his inner emotional life. Thus far today, I’ve only written 417 words, but the thing is, they were good ones. I may or may not write more this evening; if not, I’ll have some catching up to do this weekend. But for now, I’m signing off.

(Day #9 of National Novel Writing Month was cold, snowy, and windy—I’m not sure I’m ready for our state’s longest season quite yet.)

#NaNoWriMo18