It's Kestrel Time!!
In case you didn't know this, my grand master plan for the book is this:
Having been an education specialist at aviaries all over the place, I really enjoy teaching kids about birds and the sense of wonder on their little faces as I show them the birds sitting on my hand.
My novel is for young adults, and has a fantastical element where the main characters go to a world just like ours except animals talk. The main animal friend they have is a male American Kestrel named Gavin.
I am in the process of applying for permits to adopt a non-releasable kestrel to use as an education bird when I do the book talks. That way I am creating a non-traditional education program, getting kids excited about the environment and books at the same time. I get excited just writing about this!
I was full-speed ahead with the permits a few months ago as I thought things were moving faster with the book than I realized they were. Surprise, I am not the brilliant, perfect writer I thought I was (duh), and the book has more work, which pushes everything back. So I put the permit process on hold.
Well, I just got a call from the local wildlife center that they have a kestrel for me! This was a surprise, as kestrels rarely come through the rehab centers. It has a leg injury, so I need to see if it will actually work for my needs, but it is a sweet-natured little falcon, still eating out of the keeper's hands. It is still a juvenile, so they aren't sure if it is a boy or a girl. I really want a male, as Gavin is a male and I wanted the audiences to relate directly with him, but there is a 50/50 chance it is in fact a male.
The bird might find a home somewhere else while I am getting my act together, so it isn't 100% set in stone that it's mine, combined with the fact that I have to make sure it will work for what I want, with its leg injury. I'm going to go out next week and check him out...
But this is SO exciting to me. This is my life, my future, my dreams, coming to reality right in front of my face. I always wanted to name my bird Widget... guess that will work for a boy or a girl!!
So yea for the potential Widget! And talk about motivation to make sure my outline is in to my editor by Monday!
Having been an education specialist at aviaries all over the place, I really enjoy teaching kids about birds and the sense of wonder on their little faces as I show them the birds sitting on my hand.
My novel is for young adults, and has a fantastical element where the main characters go to a world just like ours except animals talk. The main animal friend they have is a male American Kestrel named Gavin.
I am in the process of applying for permits to adopt a non-releasable kestrel to use as an education bird when I do the book talks. That way I am creating a non-traditional education program, getting kids excited about the environment and books at the same time. I get excited just writing about this!
I was full-speed ahead with the permits a few months ago as I thought things were moving faster with the book than I realized they were. Surprise, I am not the brilliant, perfect writer I thought I was (duh), and the book has more work, which pushes everything back. So I put the permit process on hold.
Well, I just got a call from the local wildlife center that they have a kestrel for me! This was a surprise, as kestrels rarely come through the rehab centers. It has a leg injury, so I need to see if it will actually work for my needs, but it is a sweet-natured little falcon, still eating out of the keeper's hands. It is still a juvenile, so they aren't sure if it is a boy or a girl. I really want a male, as Gavin is a male and I wanted the audiences to relate directly with him, but there is a 50/50 chance it is in fact a male.
The bird might find a home somewhere else while I am getting my act together, so it isn't 100% set in stone that it's mine, combined with the fact that I have to make sure it will work for what I want, with its leg injury. I'm going to go out next week and check him out...
But this is SO exciting to me. This is my life, my future, my dreams, coming to reality right in front of my face. I always wanted to name my bird Widget... guess that will work for a boy or a girl!!
So yea for the potential Widget! And talk about motivation to make sure my outline is in to my editor by Monday!