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Meet Debbie's Brother…Cowboy Poet Mike Logan
Every family has its unique talents and abilities. A love of words seems to run in my family. My mother wrote narrative verse, I write stories, my son writes songs, and one of my brothers writes amazing poetry.
Meet my brother…Mike Logan, cowboy poet extraordinaire and resident of Helena, Montana. A few years ago, Mike was Montana’s Poet Laureate, and in 2006 he was named the AWA’s Cowboy Poet of the Year.
This last November, Mike was asked by the Montana Historical Society to write a poem commemorating the Capitol Christmas Tree destined to grace our nation’s capitol. The tree was cut in the Sapphire Range in the Bitterroot National Forest in Western Montana. As the tree traveled across the county, Mike’s poem went with it.
With Mike’s permission, I’d like to share that poem with you now.
MONTANA TREASURE
by Mike Logan
(copyright 2008)
Way up in the misting Sapphires
There grew a wondrous tree.
A hundred years it stood there
In a range high, wild and free.
Tall and straight as an arrow
It pierced high country skies,
Gained symmetry and beauty
And grace and shape and size.
As though through mountain magic,
Some forest wizardry,
All things beneath and around it
Came to be a part of that tree.
Its limbs felt the prowl of the cougar,
Heard the bugle of a phantom bull,
Watched the waddle of a porcupine,
And a moon that was almost full.
It knew the white hot lightning
And thunder of a long gone storm,
The velvet touch of the sunrise
When the air was sweet and warm.
Enduring the fury of the blizzard,
It bowed ‘neath the weight of the snow,
Looked down on the track of the mule deer
As the gray wolf passed below.
It fed and sheltered the pine squirrel,
Saw the blue grouse mating dance,
And the ambling gait of the grizzly
As he grazed on the new-green plants.
The ghostly hoot of the owl at night
The haunting yodel of the loon,
The howl of the lonesome coyote
Gave voice to its mystic rune.
All these gifts together
Formed the soul of this shining tree
A glowing Sapphired jewel
For all the world to see.
This Christmas all Montanans,
In honor of The Christ Child’s Birth,
Send, along with this mountain treasure,
Our wish for “PEACE ON EARTH.”
Tuesday Cuteness – Beary Comfy
It’s been a harsh winter here in the Pacific Northwest, so I’m dreaming of sunny beaches and warm water. *happy sigh* Somehow, this guy just illustrates the desire to kick back and enjoy life!
Happy Tuesday, Everyone!!
Epublishing Class at Romance Divas!
Angela James, editor extraordinaire, is coming to Romance Divas for a 3 day class on Epublishing! Come join us Jan 13-15 and ask her anything.
Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Epublishing (and some things you didn’t know you should know)
Why doesn’t epublishing offer advances? What are some of the pros and cons of publishing my manuscript via epublishing? How do I research publishers? Can I really make money in epublishing? What exactly is POD? Can you give me a snappy comeback for people who say that epublishing isn’t real publishing?
Epublishing has evolved and grown, especially in the last 5 years, but with growth comes pitfalls and problems, and trusting an epublisher with your baby might seem like a risky proposition. We’ll cover the basics of epublishing, from choosing an epublisher and contract details to methods of ebook and print distribution to reasons why you might not want to epublish your manuscript.
Bio:
In 2005, Angela James joined Samhain Publishing, Ltd, a small press company focusing on digital publishing, as its executive editor, where she has played an instrumental role in building the company from the ground up. In her executive position at Samhain, Angela is responsible for managing the publisher’s editorial services division. Her responsibilities include the management of editorial staff, quality oversight, networking and marketing efforts at regional, national and international writing conferences to promote the electronic publishing industry as well as Samhain.
In addition to her administrative duties, Angela continues to edit more than 50 authors including national bestselling authors Lucy Monroe, Lilith Saintcrow and Deidre Knight.
Settling In
Now that we’re a week into 2009, how are you doing? Are you settling into the new year? Finding your comfort zone? Is it the same comfortable wallow you occupied last year, or have you expanded into new territory?
What about your goals and resolutions? Are they still viable after a week? I hope so.
I’m excited about 2009. I’ve met my goals this week in the areas of writing, promoting, and health. I’ve recognized some errors in judgment I made in 2008 and am determined to avoid them in this shiny new year.
How about you? Have you figured out where you fell down last year? Good. Now map a detour around that hole for 2009.
A huge, gaping maw that I fell into in 2008 was concentrating so exclusively on finding an agent and an appropriate placement for one book that I forgot to write new books. *sigh* SO not a good place for a writer to be. Writers write…and I’ve got weekly and monthly goals in place for 2009 to ensure that I remember that truth.
I’ve discovered two facts in the last week that will help me keep moving forward in 2009…and beyond:
One is that a writing spreadsheet is worth its weight in gold. I finally found one that works for me. Not too complicated, but providing enough analysis to keep me motivated.
The second is that plotting is good, as long as you don’t carry it too far. I used Holly Lisle’s Notecarding lesson on my current project and have found it to be an excellent road map. There’s enough information that I don’t have to wonder “What should I write today?” but not so much detail that I lose interest in the story. That’s the fine line a plotting process has to walk for me…to provide a road map, but leave me plenty of wiggle room so that when inspiration strikes I have permission to roam beyond the confines of the plan.
A few years ago I followed another system of plotting and discovered that I’m fully capable of plotting a novel to death. When I finished with the extremely detailed outline, I was no longer interested in writing the book. I already knew what was going to happen. The magic was gone.
I’m not suggesting the system was flawed, just that it wasn’t the right tool for me. For many writers, that level of detail would be a dream come true…just flesh out those scenes and voila! you have a novel! Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. For me it reduced the creative joy of the first draft to just one more revision pass. And revision is definitely NOT my favorite part of the process.
Yet another example of “the right way to write is the way that works for you.” You can study other authors’ processes, but be aware that just because they’re where you want to be (published) doesn’t mean their process is the one you should adopt. Examine their tools. If they happen to fit your hand, hooray! If they don’t, keep searching. Your tool set it out there, you just have to discover it!
Enjoy your weekend!
