Looking for an Ark

The monsoon season has set in here in south Arkansas, with 20 or more inches already this month( compared to 0.6 inches this month last year). I have moved my dogs to higher ground, my wife has sheltered the chickens, and we have wished the cat our best. The Ouachita River, which is normally 3 or 4 miles away, is a lot closer now. Where can I find some gopher wood to construct an ark? At last glance, Home Depot had none. Oh well...

The rains are good for something, at least. I have spent a little more time at my writing station working on poems and my western novel. I have also signed up (FREE!) for NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month. It is a program in which writers vow to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November (approx. 1667 words a day). I figure maybe a deadline and the pressure of others pushing me will get me off my good intentions and onto the Novel Express. If you are curious or interested in signing up, type NaNoWriMo in your search box and click on their site. It should be fun!

Time falls back this weekend, and, unfortunately that means I'll be working 13 hours Saturday night instead of 12. But, on the bright side, the company will apologize on my next paycheck!

If you are socked in by the rains, USE your time indoors wisely and write something. Rain is a great inspiration for poets and fiction writers as well as essayists. Look out the window and dream! As Mary Oliver says, "Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell (or write) about it."

Until next time, be good, stay well and write on.

Swamp Music

My friend and very talented writer Rob Thornton has a wonderful website/blog called Swamp Music, linked on this site. I encourage you to visit his site as well as mine. He is a wonderful story teller who has won top awards with his short fiction, and has written a couple of great books. Sitting and talking with Rob is one of the great pleasures of attending writers' conferences. He always makes you feel as if you are on his front porch in a rocker, kicked back and sippin' sweet tea as the sun sets on the bayou. He is one of very few people who lives in my old birthplace. Congratulations, Rob, on your winnings and wonderful site and writings.

Jim

Welcome to A Different Eye

When I decided to join the modern world and become a blogger, I thought I'd try to not only provide updates on my work and writings, but also share some things I've learned along the path from secret scribbler to published author. I'm nowhere near my destination yet; the Pulitzer Prize is still beyond my grasp, so I'm continuously learning new things to help me achieve my goals. All writers are in the same boat, or at least in the same flotilla. We write and read and write and share and grow little by little, step by step. I imagine even Stephen King and John Grisham learn something new on occasion.
The name of my blog comes from one of my favorite quotes about poets, roughly paraphrased:
A poet is someone who sees the world with a different eye. I think this goes for most writers as well. I'll try to post at least twice weekly with some information that will (hopefully) help you and me all become better writers. I'm looking forward to this journey, and I hope you'll make comments along the way.

Keep writing!
Jim

"Music" from Kentucky to hit Arkansas soon

Jim Barton is the author of one full length collection of poetry, For the Animals Who Missed the Ark, and one chapbook of poetry, the award winning At the Bird Museum.
Jim Barton's newest chapbook of original poetry, "Music", is being published by Finishing Line Press in Georgetown, KY, and is now available for pre-order! You may pre-order the book that Arkansas Poet Laureate Peggy Vining calls 'superb' at http://www.finishinglinepress.com
Go to New Releases and Forthcoming Titles and scroll til you see "Music" by Jim Barton. All pre-sales help determine the size of the pressrun, so every order helps!
As a bonus, EVERYONE who preorders my chapbook will also receive a sneak peek at my next collection of poetry AND a sampling of my recent award winners.
Simply let me know via this blog or drop me a line including your mailing address, and I'll send them out to you upon confirmation of preorder.
I hope to use this blog as a way to reach the poetry community at large, and will post regularly. Thanks for visiting!