Tag Archives: travel

Multiple Climaxes Revisited

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I just finished the third draft of my latest novel.  I believe it is quite clean and ready for the eyes of family members and friends.  While reading it this time, I realized that I had organized the book in strange way.  I knew I gave it multiple climaxes.  That was on purpose.  What I didn’t realize was that each one was a different kind of climax.  First comes to the action climax.  Then comes the emotional climax.  Lastly comes to the story’s climax.  Each one has its own purpose.

I am very happy with the progress I have made on this novel–considering I’ve only really been working on it for three months or so.  I can’t wait to have someone else read it.  I’ll focus on something else tomorrow (probably the memory challenge).  After than, I am taking a road trip to see and old friend halfway across Colorado (I’m thinking about taking the long way past Colorado Springs to see how bad the fire is).  Until then!

Much Love,
Richard

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

Wrong Side of the Bed

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Today was just one of those days.  From the moment I woke up, I was pissy.  Luckily, I know how to deal with it.  I’ve stayed away from most everyone all day and just read.  When I get like this, my writing tends to suffer with it…so I just relax instead.  Thus the reading.  I haven’t read nearly enough int he past few weeks so I’m glad I gave myself this opportunity.

I keep getting random emails from the Peace Corp.  My medical has been in for a month.  If the tentative date of January 2013 sticks, I will be leaving in 202-233 days.  A big part of me wants to be called in for early duty.  This waiting game is killing me.  I want to date but I feel guilty about entering a relationship knowing it has to end in six months.  I wouldn’t mind getting a job, but I know I would have to lie to get it.  I would love to move to Denver, but I can’t sign a lease.  Just let me go already!  I can leave tomorrow!  Anywho, here is Day Five of the Memory Challenge.

Day Five: The Break Up

Order of Operations

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I have three heavy-duty, time-consuming projects going on right now.  First, I’m four days into The 50 Day Memory Challenge.  Second, I have a large Elance job.  Third, I need to finish the third draft of my manuscript.  It’s getting difficult to sit down and figure out which one I should be working on.  This is the third day that it has been like this.  In the end, it goes like this.

1. Memory Challenge.  It’s quick and makes me feel creatively accomplished when I finish.
2. Elance.  Since I accomplish creativity early, I feel like I have the energy to do monotonous work.
3. Edit.  Doing this last means that I can do it for as long as I want without causing a problem.

I still might have to take a break to go on another adventure.  The fire here in Fort Collins is kind of crazy–37,000 acres in 48 hours.  It’s starting to hit the outer edge of town.  It’s still 0% contained and burning lots of houses to the ground.  I went on two expeditions yesterday–one brought us close to the flames.  The other got me pulled over.  What does today’s adventure bring?

Here is today’s memory:

Day Four: AIM Crush Realization

Editor Richard Reilly?

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I started work on a big Elance job today.  This one is particularly interesting because the end result will actually carry by name: “Edited by Richard Reilly.”  It’ll be a great way to build my portfolio.  It’s an easy task…it’ll just take some time.  I’m just excited because most of the work I do through Elance is Ghostwriting…meaning my name will never be carried on the finished work.  It’ll be nice for some real recognition (and a good paycheck).

I spent my morning garage saling and watching a fire grow in the mountains west of town. Now I’m spending several hours writing–trading between memories, work, and editing.  Lot and lots of work to do on every front.  My goal is to finish by Elance job early and finish the third draft this week.  It’ll take a lot of work, but it will be worth it.  Until tomorrow, here is day two of The 50 Day Memory Challenge.

Day Two: Kicked Out of a Bar 

Starting the Memory Challenge

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Twenty pages of editing down.  Today was utterly exhausting.  Lots of yard work followed by an afternoon with my grandmother followed by a couple hours of editing.  It is the good kind of exhausting.  The kind where, at the end of the day, I feel like I have accomplished a lot.  And the day isn’t over.  I have plans for what sounds like an incredibly strange evening ahead.  I can’t wait.

I started the 50 Day Memory Challenge today.  I’ve been wanting to start this for quite some time.  Having Jordan preempt me was all the encouragement I needed.  My first one comes from the trip I made to Europe during my Senior Trip.  I hope you like it.  More to come over the next 49 days.

Day One: Love in Frankfurt

A Long Day of Moving and Editing

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I spent four hours of my day helping my mother move out of her office.  After the role I played in getting her fired (or reassigned, as they put it), it was the least I could do.  As I walk away from today, I have a renewed understanding for why I hated working in an office and would prefer never to be a part of one again.  Politics is frustrating enough in a family or set of friends…it’s simply Hell at work.

I’ve started working on the third draft of the novel.  Since there are so few changes necessary, I am breezing through it.  There are 52 chapters in all…and I just spent the past 90 minutes getting through the first five.  A part of me just wants to finish off the draft over the next two days so I can focus on some other projects (like actually starting the Memory Project) while other people look it over.  I’m at least going to continue editing for the next 80 minutes (I hate that the coffee shop in this town closes at six).  Maybe I will continue working at home.

With Love,
Richard

Best Coffee Ever

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My hometown has some of the best drip coffee I have ever tasted.  It’s called The Blue Mug.  For only $2, they give you a mug that you can refill as often as you would like.  That’s why I feel like I can get so much work done here.  I just finished writing one of the extra chapters and loved it.  I was preparing the information for the second chapter when i realized it really wouldn’t add much.  I’m going to scrap the idea.  My novel is going to be short of the planned 70,000 to 80,000 range.  Going into the third draft, it stands at 67,344 words.

I’m going to alternate between Ghostwriting and working on the Third Draft the rest of this week.  I’m house sitting for my parents again–which gives me a lot of free time.  I just got a pretty big ghostwriting job via Elance.  I can’t wait to get started.  I think I will be able to strike a nice balance between writing as a job and writing as a hobby.  Only time will tell on that front.  I have to run.

With Love,
Richard