How My Niece and Her Dog Inspired My First Story

From my heartbreak to a family heirloom

Over the years, I have written many stories and articles. I have enjoyed every minute, from short stories to explorations of true crime cases. All this started from a children's book I wrote fifteen years ago.

When I thought about this article, I realised my first book is fifteen years old. I know this because the story's star was my baby niece and her dog. This year, she will be sitting her GCSEs, and although she will always be my baby niece, she now towers above me and teaches me how to do the latest TikTok trends.

The Idea Spark

When she was a toddler, she had a best friend, the scruffiest boxer dog you will ever meet. My sister rescued him when he was a year old, and he had every problem you could imagine. He was allergic to the central heating, his nose flaked, and his tail hadn't been appropriately docked.

He loved every human that came near him and hated other dogs with the same unbridled passion. He came to stay with me once, and I had to walk him at night to ensure he didn't attack anything else on a lead.

There was one person, though, that Ollie loved more than anyone: my niece. He would lay by her cot until she woke and always stay by her side. They shared games, toys and even the occasional ice cream. 

There were times when I watched the two of them together that they seemed to be talking together, and that was where the idea spark hit me.

The Detective Two

What if they could talk and no one else realised it? If they could talk together, then maybe they could solve mysteries together. I was brought up on a reading diet of The Secret Seven, and Famous Five adventure books were in my blood.

The first draft of the book was a short story where the two of them worked together to solve the mystery of who lived in the abandoned house and was stealing food and clothes from the neighbours. 

The house was real; it sat three doors from my sister and was a sinister-looking place, deserted by the last owners. Many of the factors in this story were based on life with our family. 

I remember writing it as if a fever had taken over my body. I could not stop until it was complete. I loved every minute of it. It worked so well that I considered publishing it once it was finished.

Heartbroken

I learned everything I could about querying and getting a publishing contract. In hindsight, I did not learn enough because I was so green it must have shone through all my emails. 

Then, one day at work, I was scrolling through my emails and saw something that stopped my heart: the subject line said publishing deal. The email stated that they loved my story, thought it had real potential and were willing to publish it. There was one problem, though it was too short. Did I think I could extend it?

Bloody right, I could. I was that rare enigma, a writer who would be published on her first attempt. I was also a fool.

So, for the next couple of months, I extended the story. I put more characters in and increased the problems and mysteries. The second draft was so much better than the first. I had written a pretty decent book in my mind. The extra hours were worth it. I was going to be published.

I sent the manuscript off and received a reply that broke my heart. Yes, they were willing to publish my book; I only needed to pay £3000. I had been fooled by one of those vanity publishers that preyed on writers' dreams. 

Amazing Writers

At the time, I considered paying the money. That was when I started talking to other writers and joining Facebook groups. Everyone said the same thing: don't do it. 

I am so grateful to those writers who took the time to advise me and stopped me from spending a ton of money on nothing more than a con artist. It hurt to know I would not be published, but every writer cheered me on and told me it would happen.

I try to be that type of writer to new writers now. That is the best part about writing the community. Everyone seems to have your back, no matter what platform you write on or in what genre. 

Family Heirloom

One day, I will get published. I know this. Looking back on The Detective Two, it was no surprise it was rejected; it is not great. We have all been there looking back on our old work and shuddered. 

What I do have, though, is a lovely family heirloom. All my family have a copy, and my niece still tells people she has a book she inspired. We all remember a fantastic bond that one little girl had with her dog. 

Ollie is sadly no longer with us, but he lives on in the pages of that book. Despite the heartbreak, I would not change anything about my first story; it is as precious as its characters. A true family heirloom.