The writing process begins with an idea

Where does Vancouver's Linda Bailey get her ideas?
When it comes to her children's book series about Stanley the fictional dog, her ideas come from real life - her own dog Sophia.
"She's a good dog - most of the time," Bailey told several local children attending a Saskatchewan Festival of Words presentation at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery theatre on Thursday.
According to Bailey, the idea for her book Stanley's Party, came from never witnessing her dog Sophia on the couch, but always noticing dog hair on the furniture whenever Bailey returned home from some event.
From there, Bailey said she dreamed up a scenario about what a dog like Sophia might be doing when humans aren't around.
"That's what I do all day. I make up stories."
From the dog hair on her couch, Bailey imagined her dog might figure out how to open the fridge when nobody is around, turn on the stereo and maybe even call up other dogs to come over for a visit.
"You'd have the best dog-gone party is what you'd have."
Once Bailey came up with her idea, she wrote the story. She changed certain aspects of the main character though, so it wasn't exactly like her dog. For example, the dog in her story has a different name than Sophia.
As well, Bailey switched the gender from female to male.
"I though I could get him into more trouble. I don't know why."
During the Thursday session, Bailey read her book, Stanley at Sea. The book is about Stanley and his dog friends accidentally getting on a small boat and drifting out to sea, finding their way onto a large tanker where the ship's crew feeds them lots of meat.
Bailey then showed where she got the idea for the book - an actual picture of her dog Sophia sitting on a B.C. beach with a tanker floating in the background.
"All I had to think about was the little boat in between."
Following the session, Moose Jaw's Julie Dann, 8, told the Times-Herald she loves dogs "because they're so adorable," which is one reason why she really enjoyed listening to Bailey so much. Dann said she had ideas of her own for stories about Stanley the dog.
"I would have written that he gets married to his new wife in Crescent Park."
For more information on Bailey's books, visit www.lindabaileybooks.com.
Please see Page 3 for additional coverage of the Festival of Words.

Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.