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Cowboy’s Quill: Advice on writing about the West
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Doug Hare EBS Staff
How does someone become a writer of the American West? Well, here is my unsolicited advice.
I’ve met a lot of folks who like to talk about how they are going to write a book “one day.” Well, anyone can dream of being a writer, but writers write. It may sound trivial, but the first prerequisite of becoming a writer is to put pen to paper.
Writing is a craft, one that must be practiced to be mastered. A few lines of doggerel or a paragraph of drivel is better than nothing. Even for the most talented of writers, the editing process is where many of the best sentences magically appear. Once you can see the forest for the trees, it’s easier to find the trailhead.
Another piece of universal writing advice is to “write what you know.” But it’s often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean that we should all strive to write some thinly-veiled autobiography. No, I think that the old adage means that we should mine our own life experiences first, and then blend them with our imagination’s ability to transport into different time periods, places, and the minds of others.
This rule also entails that writers should be amateur historians. None of us have likely robbed a stagecoach, but it helps to know who these two-bit outlaws were and why they chose their profession or what it might have felt like to lose all your earthly possessions at gunpoint in a matter of moments. Our history, if looked at objectively, is a tale of brutal, violent, lawless past that we have not yet collectively atoned for.
There is still room to write about the strong, silent cowboy type. That stereotype still exists in modern day Montana; I’ve met them from time to time. We must address the myths and wrestle with the stereotypes that we are pigeon-holed by head on.
There are reasons we choose to live west of the 98th meridian. Some of us were drawn here by the idea of a place where we would be less bothered by sidewalks, streetlights, car horns and stoplights. Most people who live in big cities don’t inherently understand or fully appreciate the solace of open spaces. There is still much to be said not only about what draws people West, but also what keeps us here in the land of fire and ice.
If you want to learn more about what it takes to become a chronicler of the region we live in, I wholeheartedly recommend “West of 98: Living and Writing the New American West,” a collection of 66 established Western authors expounding, alternately praising and cursing, how the land they live in shapes their work, edited by Lynn Stegner and Russell Rowland.
As Rowland writes, “Westerners have a history that is as hard to overlook as a ten-gallon hat…We know that the wild, wild West where men were tough as nails and women were just as tough but looked good in gingham is a myth, but not entirely.”
Maybe we aren’t as sophisticated as the fancy East Coasters or even those on our own coast. But we, as Westerners, needn’t have an inferiority complex. One of the great virtues of the Westerner is and has always been our authenticity and lack of pretension. Those qualities should be reflected in our words.
Doug Hare is the Distribution Director for Outlaw Partners. He studied philosophy and American literature at Princeton and Harvard universities.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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march, 2024
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Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
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Children turning 5 on or before
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Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
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Verge Theater
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
Time
(Wednesday) 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Location
Bozeman Public Library
626 E. Main St, Bozeman, MT