Tag Archives: poem

Hold Your Breath

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It’s be an interesting few days.  I cannot talk about most of what is going on.  I can tell you, however, that the next few weeks promise to hold almost as much intrigue.  I have less than a week until I start of month of exploring this country.  Connecticut.  Iowa.  Washington.  All in five weeks.  I cannot wait.  I will do my best to continue updating as this Summer carries on.

Two updates today.  First and foremost, I have a new memory for the memory challenge.  I realized I had far too few memories about family.  This one should make up a little ground on that level.  I have also started adding videos of myself reading my stories and poems.  This started off as a Kickstarter supplement, but I love to idea too much.  Let me know what you think.

My Sister’s Wedding

 

Fascinated by Scripts

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I know I bid far to low to ghostwrite the script I am currently working on…but I love it.  I’ve written Haikus, Poems, Flash Fiction, Short Stories, and Novels.  The one format that I have never worked with is screenwriting.  It’s very different and dialog-oriented.  Now that I am learning the ropes as part of a job, I can’t help but wonder if I would enjoy doing one on my own.  I absolutely love movies.  Plus, I usually envision my stories in scenes.  Maybe this is the perfect in-between.

Aside from working on the script today, I am getting back into the swing of working on my 50-Day Memory Challenge.  I’m going to try to do as much work as I can over the next couple weeks.  Once the end of July hits, I’m going to get crazy busy.  Trip to Connecticut.  Trip to Iowa.  Trip to Washington.  All within the course of one month.  It’ll be amazing, but difficult to write consistently.  I can’t wait.

Day Twelve: Dances with Cougars

A Fine Frenzy

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I am officially addicted to the band “A Fine Frenzy.”  As you will see in today’s poem, I even borrowed a phrase from their hit, “Almost Lover.”  The song is fascinating.  It might just be me, though.  A woman’s voice entangled in a piano is one of the most beautiful sounds I can think of.  I recommend that everybody click through and listen to the song.

For any of my followers, I suspect you will see a change in my writing.  I feel like I am standing at another crossroads.  I’ve crossed plenty in my 8,500 days of life.  Many have been small…several have grown in significance.  Today, as I watch my closest friend prepare to move 1,000 miles away, I know this crossroads will be significant.  With less than 200 days until I enter the Peace Corp, I want to do all that I can to create the life I’ve been waiting for.  =)  Enjoy the poem.

These Days We Wait

The Intimate Sunrise

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It was strange watching the sunrise this morning.  It was the first time in many many months that I successfully stayed up all night and watched the sunrise.  It was beautiful, yes, but that barely explains it.  It’s almost like an intimate moment with a celestial object when you see it’s silver lining cross the horizon and fold into a dome over the next several minutes.  Those hours of waiting in darkness were well worth the wait.

Caffeine seems to be the perfect aide for editing.  I had three red bulls last night and got through about 20 pages of editing.  This afternoon, as I work my way through some espresso, I have almost completed another ten pages.  I now have only 28 pages of editing left to finish the second draft.  I’ve already worked out half the bullet points of things I need to work on.  This manuscript is already looking pretty clean.  My daydreams about sending it to an agent are starting to peak.  I need to control those daydreams until I have a clean manuscript.

With Love,
Richard

Friday All-Nighter

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Considering the absence of any friends in my general area this Friday Night, I have taken it upon myself to make this night interesting.  I just got back from a short evening on the town.  I picked up a four-pack of Redbull on my way back.  Tonight will be a night that I need.  One where I fight my body, the urge to sleep, and come out the other side with a beautiful glimpse of the sunrise.

I wrote a short poem for everybody.  It is linked below.  I am going to spend tonight, editing my novel, writing memories, walking the dark streets around my neighborhood, and probably watching the movie “Brick.”  I haven’t had a night like this in a while.  I need it.  I hope I last past 3:00am this time.

Freckle
I wrote this shortly after wandering the roads of my new town.  I remember doing the same thing in my hometown–traveling around like an explorer.  Only this time, I was alone.  The difference was immense.

A Day to Write

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Yesterday was great.  There were eleven of us at the poetry critique this month.  I got a lot of great feedback. Every time I go to one of these things, I figure out what I need to work on.  Coming away from this one, I found two things that I need to work on: Metaphor and Line Breaks.  I was actually quite surprised at the power of line breaks within poetry.  When I reworked my poem today, that was my main focus.  As I write more in the future, I need to work on creating metaphors.  I’m so used to writing stories straight out that I’ve never developed that aspect of my writing.

Wednesdays are a good day to write for me.  I get my normal writing in during the day.  I’ve already reworked a poem and I’m preparing to write more on my novel.  The thing is, my roommates hold a gaming night on Wednesday Nights.  It’s usually reason enough not to be around the house for a couple hours.  That means I’ll have another writing session later today.  My goal for today is to reach 60,000 words.  I am racing towards the end.  I can’t wait to have this rough draft done.  Then I have to make a decision on whether to edit on the computer or on paper.

Fell free to read The Wailing Wall again.  I think the changes made it significantly better.

The Wailing Wall
I wrote this poem following a bad breakup.  I tend to allow my mind to wander…and that usually leads to worst-case scenario thoughts.  The combination led to this poem.  It sat in a folder for more than a month.  I rewrote it twice and finally like it.

With Love,
Richard

Dilemma: Writing & Working

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A couple weeks ago, I watched “Girl, Interrupted.”  In the movie, they ask the protagonist what she wants to do with her life.  Her response: Write.  The reaction is one that many writers know well.  There are blank stares and then the inevitable question.  “What’s your backup plan?”  Few non-writers understand the mindset of a writer.  We writers may do something else to make money.  That is not who we are.  We are writers first.

I have built a life that allows me to focus on my writing.  It is something I hope to maintain for years to come.  With my Bachelor’s Degree, I am able to substitute teach whenever I want for decent money.  With cheap rent and a cheaper lifestyle, I honestly don’t work very often.  I do, however, write at least three hours a day.  It’s difficult to build a lifestyle that allows you to be a writer first.  If you are able to accomplish it, it is well worth it.  I encourage all writers out their to honestly sit down and think about their priories.  If you can put writing first, you should.

I’m about to hit another major milestone in my novel.  More tomorrow.

Much Love,
Richard

Peace Corps & Poetry

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Within the next 24 hours, I will send in my medical review for full entry into the Peace Corps.  It’s been a long journey already–simply filling out the paperwork.  After tomorrow, however, it is all in the hands of the government.  In the months ahead, I’ll learn where I am going and when I leave.  It is going to be a 27 month endeavor.  I can’t wait to get started.

I hope to finish as much as possible before I leave.  I will finish this novel before the end of May.  I hope to also edit all four of my novels until they are ready for publication.  If I get to that point, I will let everybody know and present a link to get a severely discounted copy.  I should be able to get all of them done so long as I don’t get called into early duty (which I wouldn’t mind).

While in the Peace Corps, I hope to still have electricity.  If I do, I will continue to update this website with writing.  If I don’t, I will only be able to update periodically when I get access to a computer.  Either way, I will be writing a lot while serving.  Who knows what will come of this adventure.

A poetry update today…

Young Darling
While substituting in an Art Class, I eavesdropped on a conversation between two third graders.  The conversation was so fascinating, that I needed to write about it somehow.  This is a lighthearted poem.  It is also my first attempt at rhyming poetry.

Multiple Climaxes?

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With the end of today’s writing, i have entered the core climax of my novel.  With a minor outline through the end, I find that my story will have three climaxes.  A small one at 35,000 words.  The major climax at 50,000 words.  A medium-sized climax around 65,000 words.  I am writing this story under the idea of “write what you would read.”  None of my favorite novels have a storyline shaped like a bell curve.

So, I can’t help but ask: how many climaxes?  Is there a certain formula that works for most stories.  Or does each story need to be taken on a case-by-case basis?  I know certain things don’t work.  I don’t like books that don’t have a true climax or only have one real climax.  Is there a limit to how many?  If so, what is the range?  I’m going to be thinking about this one in the months ahead as I continue to read random books.  Anyone have any ideas?

For the first time in a while, some actual writing.  Here is a poem:

The Wailing Wall
I wrote this poem following a bad breakup.  I tend to allow my mind to wander…and that usually leads to worst-case scenario thoughts.  The combination led to this poem.  It sat in a folder for more than a month.  I rewrote it today and finally like it.

Outlining versus Free Writing

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When it comes to short stories and novels, I’ve always had trouble with the question of free writing versus outlining.  In my first two novels, I outlined them to death.  One of the reasons I have problems with them is that over-outlining lead to less of a realistic flow.  A good flow comes building a good base to your story and building realistic characters.  Then you set them free.  The magic happens when you let them do what they would normally do.  You no longer control them.  They are their own person.

However, such free writing is often difficult.  If you don’t set up “checkpoints” for how far the story has to go in a certain amount of time, it will lead nowhere.  I think I have found a good in-between with my new novel.  In no way am I outlining the piece to death.  At the same time, I am putting together the right amount of checkpoints.  I know that these checkpoints cannot be the end-all.  Everything must be flexible.  Otherwise you are trying to stuff a story into a box that it should not fit in.

I’ll try to have a poem or flash fiction piece for you tomorrow.  And yes, I did reach my 2,000 word goal for today.  I also extended the outline toward the finish line.  The end is within reach.  I can almost taste it.