eReads podcast - Exploring the World of Publishing: Navigating the Journey
Prompt: Curiosity
Original work by Liz Bullard
Curiosity
"You're going to get hurt, Pablo," said Felix the cat to his mousey friend Pablo, who was exploring a precarious contraption.
Pablo, with his large round mousey ears, was investigating a mousetrap. He swung under the thin metal bar and got up close to the metal springs.
"Felix," Pablo called. "What do you think would happen if you put your paw right here?"
Pablo pointed to a brown sticky substance that smelled like peanut butter. Felix leaned in and smelled the substance and looked at the bar hanging above it. Swallowing hard, Felix said, "I don't think touching that would be smart. And I wouldn't do all that bouncing on it."
But Pablo was curious to see what this thing does. It was also tempting because Pablo really likes peanut butter. He especially liked it when his fingers got gooey with the sweet and nutty treat. "Hmm...What if I touch it a little bit? Do you think it would be okay?"
"I don't think we should touch things we are unsure about," Felix warned as he twirled his whiskers.
"Ok, but what if I just took a piece from the edge?"
"Pablo, you should leave it alone," Felix purred nervously.
Pablo folded his arms. "But how will I learn if I don't try?"
Felix stretched and purred louder. "I have a bad feeling about this. I'm going to take my nap and hopefully you have found something new to play with when I get back."
Felix shifted to walk away, and Pablo angrily stomped his foot. But when he stomped, it was at the same time Felix's tail was in position under the trap. Pablo's stomp was forceful, causing the spring to go, snap!
"Meow!" Felix snarled as the trap clamped on his tail. Pablo was flung from the trap and landed in a pile of clothes as the humans came to investigate the chaos.
Episode Takeaways
- Embrace the journey: one step forward, two steps back, it's all part of the publishing ride.
- Criticism: a stepping stone to improvement, not a stumbling block.
- Explore your options: indie or traditional, discover the path that suits you best.
Learn More About Anne Butler Montgomery
Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, author, and amateur sports official. Her first TV job came at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award-winning SportsCenter. She finished her on-camera broadcasting career with a two-year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. Her novels include The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wild Horses on the Salt, The Scent of Rain, and Wolf Catcher. Montgomery taught sports reporting at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and taught high school journalism for 20 years. She was an amateur sports official for four decades, a time during which she called baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games and served as a high school football referee and crew chief. Montgomery is a foster mom to three sons and a daughter. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, musical theater, and playing her guitar.
https://annemontgomerywriter.com/
Books The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wild Horses on the Salt, The Scent of Rain, and Wolf Catcher
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