Tag Archives: poetry

Pre-Peace Corp Writing Goals

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A lot is changing in my life.  There’s only one problem.  Many of these changes won’t take place until January.  I need to fill the gap between then and now.  I’ve though of a lot of different ideas–from traveling to working.  In the end, the best idea I can come across is to immerse myself in my writing.  So I created a list of writing goals I want to accomplish over the next 200 days or so.  Here they are:

Writing Goals

  1. Finish Editing my fourth novel
  2. Do final editing on Stitch [Novel Three]
  3. Do final editing on The Saints [Novel Two]
  4. Do final editing on The Fire Saviors [Novel One]
  5. Write a fifth novel
  6. Do final editing on fifth novel
  7. Compile a collection of 50-100 poems
  8. Do final editing on Poem Collection
  9. Compile short Stories/Flash Fiction
  10. Do final editing on Story collection
  11. Join Every Writing Club in Northern Colorado/Go to them
  12. Finish Memory Challenge
  13. Do final editing on memory challenge
  14. If money allows, print one set of books “Before Peace Corp Writing”
    1. The Fire Saviors [Novel One]
    2. The Saints [Novel Two]
    3. Stitch [Novel Three
    4. Novel Four
    5. Novel Five
    6. Poetry Collection
    7. Story Collection
    8. Memory Challenge

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.

Returning Home

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I meant to start the “50 Day memory Challenge” yesterday.  I ended up editing way too much instead…then life got in the way.  Today will be different.  I’m back in my hometown today to babysit my nieces while my sister goes to class.  When I am down here, I have a long list of things I need to get done: reading, editing, memories, and fix up a poem.  That’ll take at least a good two hours.  I’m ready for it.

I feel like I haven’t been creative in too long.  I kinda want to just write a random flash fiction piece.  I might do that.  There really is something to the idea of always having that creative outlet open.  I fear that if I don’t keep using it, it won’t get better.  That’s why I love having this website.  It forces me to write because I have an audience.  That’s all the the encouragement I needed to get back on track.  I hope I don’t slip off this wagon anytime soon.

God I’m Tired,
Richard

50 Day Memory Challenge

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I am back from the mountains.  While talking with some close friends I decided to do something I’ve been needing to do for a while.  I have a horrible memory.  In order to help me remember, I created a 50 Day Memory Challenge.  Starting tomorrow I will write down a memory.  There are a few guidelines.

  1. You must write about a new memory each day.
  2. Upon completion, you should have memories of each age (that you can remember).
  3. Upon completion, you must have at least one memory that falls under each:
    1. Happiest Memory
    2. Saddest Memory
    3. Memory you are not proud of
    4. Most excited memory
    5.  Craziest Memory
    6. Most vivid memory
    7. Memory you would like to relive
    8. Romantic
    9. Sexual Memory
    10. Embarassing Memory
  4. Try to include one memory of every person who was important to you at some point in your life.
  5. Memory must not be altered (to the best of your ability).

I will be starting this challenge tomorrow.  I may not upload everything that I write.  This is more of an excercise.  It may result in material that I may upload, but that is not the focus.  I will continue to edit and work on other things as well.  Now that it is summer, I have plenty of time to work.  Here is a quick poem I wrote last night.

Changing Perspectives
I’ve starting spending more time writing poems with regard to the past/present/future.  It may having something to do with my critique group wanting to do a theme night (time travel).  In the end, however, it is bringing out a strange sense of nostalgia.  I love it.

Summer Break Means Time to Write

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When I finished substitute teaching today, I went over how many days are left in the school year.  Suddenly, I realized I was on Summer Break.  I am heading up to the mountains tomorrow for a long weekend of reading, writing, editing, and friends.  When I get back, I am going to a fundraising lunch with my mother and helping out my sister with babysitting.  After that, I’m pretty sure there is only one day left of school…and I’ve never much desired to sub on the last day of school.

With time abound, I have plenty to do.  I have four books on my immediate to-read list.  I need to finish editing my latest novel.  On top of all that however, I will continue writing.  I have two stories in my head that I may start working on.  I also have two poems in-progress that I will try to flesh out this weekend.  This summer break will be a godsend to my writing.  I must make sure I keep it up the entire summer.  I need to give my followers some new material.  When I get back from the mountains, you can expect some.

With Love,
Richard

Creating Free Time to Write (or Edit)

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I remember all the tipsI found about writing when I was a teenager.  It was all great advice.  It’s just that I didn’t understand all of them.  One was: “Don’t find time to write.  Make time to write.”  For a high school student, this idea was brilliant.  I kept failing to write anything of length because there was always so much else to do.  Forcing yourself to write is one of the best things a writer can do for themselves.

As I quickly approach the district’s summer holiday, I realize there is a new layer to this advice.  It’s one thing to make room for writing in your day.  It is another thing entirely to make room for writing in your life.  I substitute teach and take odd jobs because it allows me to focus on writing and (most importantly) write every single day.  Lately, I only take about two days off a month from writing/editing.  I make the decision to write on a daily basis.  But I also take it into account when i make decisions about my life.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

With Love,
Richard

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

Poetry Critique

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Along with my friend–Jordan–I attend a monthly poetry critique.  I’m a bit nervous.  This is our second month and the first time that I will be sharing a piece.  I decided to use “The Wailing Wall” for my piece–partly because it’s short and partly because the others are extremely personal.  I hope to gain a better grasp on how to develop my poetry through these work sessions.  I’ve already done pretty good by writing more often.  Getting the input of other poets will be priceless.

I wrote 1,300 words today.  I ended up combining two chapters into one.  Now I’m getting a little worried that by word count will fall short of 70,000.  Although this isn’t entirely a bad thing, I would really prefer it to be in the golden range of 70,000-80,000.  I do have a short list of extra scenes I could include if I need the content.  I might have to end up using it.  None of them are fluff–I just wasn’t sure how to include them initially.  The editing of this book will be complicated anyway.  I might as well make it even more complicated…right?

With Love,
Richard

The Plight of the Writer (Huzun)

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It’s strange being a writer at times.  Your writing depends so much on emotion.  The thing is emotion is ever-changing–much like a river.  The question that stands is: How to you harness the power of that river in order to produce something that will allow a reader to care.  If I write to fast, I worry about the quality of my writing.  If I write to slow, I worry about the changing emotion (of me) changing the state of the writing even when that is not what I want.

There is a reason depression and writing are forever bound.  For one, those who suffer from depression seems to have a more poetic view of their world.  Aside from that, the depressed mind is constant.  If you allow yourself to fall into depression, you need not worry about the changing state of your writing.  The question you are left with is: Can you sacrifice your life for your writing.  When writing becomes your life, the question is simple to answer.

For my readers: A poem.

Questions Deep in a Cavern
I go on regular hikes in the mountains behind my house.  I have found a beautiful waterfall where I’ve started to write.  I went there to write about a something very specific.  The idea merged with my surrounding and formed my favorite poem to date.