I recently had the pleasure of reading Cranky Paws, by Darrel and Sally Odgers, and reviewing it for Aussiereviews. You can read that review here. Today we are lucky enough to have Sally Odgers, co author of the book, drop by for a chat.

Welcome, Sally.

Cranky Paws is the first in your new Pet Vet series. How many books are planned, and where did the idea for the series come from?

We have a contract for four Pet Vet stories. If these are successful, there might be more. (Jack Russell #10 is about to be published.)
The idea came when Scholastic approached us to write a series set in a vet clinic. The details were left up to us, so the set-up is entirely ours. At first we were a bit worried about keeping the series happy enough for children, as vet visits often mean bills and illness. After some discussion, we hit on the idea of using a dog for our protagonist. That way, we could avoid the details of drugs, procedures and bills, and concentrate on the characters and their stories.

For our narrator, we chose one of Jack Russell’s daughters. Trump was born to Jack and his friend Jill Russell, so we decided she should have elements of character from both parents. Like Jack, she is curious and loyal. Like Jill, she is sensible and loving. She doesn’t use puns as Jack does, as we wanted to differentiate the voices of the two series narrators. However, she does have the same passion for sharing information. Jack has his Facts (tips on dog behaviour from a canine perspective), and Trump has her Diagnosis (tips on general animal behaviour, patients’ needs and animal care). She works hard at being an excellent A.L.O., but her terrier nature is sometimes in conflict with her duty.

We set up the core characters with an eye to future stories. Dr Jeanie is a young vet who took over the vet clinic after her grandfather, Dr Max, retired. Dr Max, a hale but arthritic person, lives in a cottage close by with his elderly cockatoo. The cockatoo was his A.L.O. (Animal Liaison Officer), and that’s the post Trump holds with Dr Jeanie. Completing the main characters are Major Higgins, the secretive cat, a master of misdirection, and the teenaged Saturday helper.

The stories all centre on a single main case, but other patients and characters come and go.

The series is being co written with husband Darrel. Is it hard to work creatively with your spouse? How do you divide the writing?

It’s fun! We’ve been co-writing off and on since the 1990s, and before that I used to discuss plots with Darrel. He has a good mind for plots and logic, and he comes up with ideas and approaches I wouldn’t have thought of.

We come up with a new situation first of all; the main case for the Jack books or the main patient for Trump’s stories. We block out a logical plot based on that idea, usually through talking it over when we walk with the dogs. We also take into account on-going situations, and decide which secondary characters will appear. In Jack’s stories we often have to concentrate on a handful of the characters, because of the large cast that’s developed over ten books. In Book 1 – Dog Den Mystery – we began with Jack Russell and Sarge, his human, along with Auntie Tidge (Sarge’s aunt) and Foxie, a street dog who became Jack’s sidekick. Also in Book 1, Caterina Smith and her dog Lord Red played a large part. Jill Russell soon became an important small role, and later Preacher, son of Jack and Jill, moved in with Jack and Sarge. The stories can be read independently, but if Jack makes a new local friend, then s/he must be remembered in the next book, even if only as a brief mention.

Trump’s stories are a little different, as a patient might not need to reappear in the next book once it has recovered. However, continuity is still important. If Trump learns a new skill in one book, she must remember and possibly use it in the next. All these things impinge on each new plot.

Once we have the main plot and the elements of the ongoing series arc, we make notes. Then I write a rough draft on the computer. Darrel goes through it and makes changes. He is an expert at spotting over-complicated passages and paragraphs that need pruning. We go through the ms page by page and incorporate his changes, then I do another draft and he goes through it again. It sounds complicated, but it works!

What do you see as the best part of being an author for children?

I just love telling stories, and I like to entertain readers. Inventing new characters is always fun. Coming up with JUST that phrase or bit of description is satisfying. I don’t set out to teach anything in fiction form, but I believe young readers who see poor old Paris the Dalmatian (from Pet Vet 2) fretting over his increasing infirmity will henceforth remember old dogs need extra love, warm bedding and must have their water bowls close by for easy access. Children who see a dog waving just the tip of its tail may remember Jack telling them in Jack 11 that this is not always a sign of a friendly greeting. Children who see Jack’s son Preacher react in terror when a young child dives at him may think again before they let their small siblings swoop on a hapless animal.

And the worst?

The shifting sands and the tick-the-box thing. I know we should write for the mid-range mainstream readership, and of course I WANT my books to sell lots of copies, but I also want to please the minority group of young readers who want something new and original. I would rather not have to have everything pigeon-holed, or mind my step with PC concerns. My favourite writers never pander to mass mentality. They write the best books in the world, and if the reader has to follow on tiptoe and with a craned neck and up-stretched arms, then the rewards are that much better. Such books never fade into a homogenised mass of generic characters and situations.

As well as writing the Pet Vet and Jack Russell series, you work in a wide range of genres and for adults as well as children. Is there one genre you prefer?

I like to write a variety of things. I do enjoy stories at the Jack/Pet Vet level, because the books are so short (usually under 10 K) that every paragraph has to add to the story, and the whole thing can be held in mind. I also love writing long complex fantasies and sf books for the YA market.

Do you find it easy to change between genres and target audiences?

Yes, on the whole. It’s like changing gear in a vehicle, and also like the automatic change we make when conversing with children rather than adults. The parent/child or teacher/child relationship is often necessarily about practical learning and direction, but I have always enjoyed stepping out of the boundaries and talking to children about ideas, concepts and philosophies. When my son was a young teenager he was one of my favourite conversationalists. I still love to talk to him, because his mind set is very unlike mine, though we share some interests and concerns. When writing for different age groups, I simply switch tracks, like a train.

What things are you doing to promote Cranky Paws?

We had advertising tee-shirts and cards made, and have made over a section of Jack Russell’s official web site to Pet Vet. We talk about the books to anyone who appears interested. Our car has large door magnets that advertise our site, and we hand out cards to anyone who stops to read the magnets. We visit schools, and use blogging to promote, and have put some of our material in a couple of real vet clinics.

What next for Sally Odgers? What is your next project?

We have just finished writing Jack #11 and are about to embark on Pet Vet #4. Meanwhile, I have a picture book contract just signed and two YA fantasies half written. One of them is nagging me for attention, but I need to do deadlined work first. Affordable Manuscript Assessments is also busy.

Thanks for dropping in, Sally. You can visit Sally Odgers online at
www.jackrusselldogdetective.com OR www.sallyodgers.com