Poem – Between the Silence

Sometimes, things don’t go as planned in life. We lose those we love, and we’re left only with the memories. Though they might be a place of comfort, they are often imperfect, and they tragically fade with time.

This poem was built around the idea of those memories. It isn’t necessarily a happy piece, but it is one of the truest pieces I’ve ever made, and I relate to it in a way that I cannot explain. I hope you all enjoy it, and get half as much of an experience as I had writing it.

Between the Silence

You lived here once before

When there was so much time to kill

Now you dwell between the silence

And I know you are there still

When things become too loud

You’re impossible to see

Then the silence comes once more

And you’re waiting there for me

The quiet blinds my senses

And leaves me lost within

The tranquil, sighing hollows

Where I see your face again

With time the space there narrows

How I wish that it could last!

But the roar becomes a mutter

And too soon, the space has passed

With practice, could I find it?

Is it mind, or strength, or will?

You remain there in the silence

And I know you are there still.

Randall Madden

April 4, 2015

Camp NaNoWriMo 2015

Tomorrow begins Camp NaNoWriMo, a second month full of writing for those of us who can’t get enough punishment in November! The goal is once again to push through 50,000 words over the course of the month, getting each writer who participates that much closer to finishing their work.

I’m excited to get started on Dawnbringer 2 once again. I’ve been so lost in getting Dawnbringer ready for the publisher, I really haven’t messed with the work on D2 since last November. I will probably give it a quick reread tonight before midnight to get myself reacquainted. The plan is to knock out my first two thousand words right out of the gate, while my energy is high!

To any aspiring writers who have never given NaNoWriMo a try, I couldn’t recommend it more. If you’re willing to hold your own feet to the fire and be self-motivated, it is an excellent way to move your story forward. The focus is not on editing; just write, write, write!

For those of you who are already a part of the crazy train that is Camp NaNo, I will see you all in a few hours; the fate of Cestre hangs in the balance!

www.campnanowrimo.org

Counting the Days

The final round of edits concludes today, with the exception of my last rewrite. It is still in process, and will undergo one last bout of edits before the book goes out for the query process. I’m excited as I reread the manuscript, because I think I’m truly on to something good.

I’m working with a local artist on getting a map set up and drawn out to accompany the manuscript, and for the first time in quite a while I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Each time I’ve thought that I was rolling into the station, I’ve found another tunnel that must be endured on the long march to publication.

Still, I know that there is a good chance the publisher at the far end will put my manuscript back on the train for a little bit longer of a ride. There is always the chance that they won’t like what I’ve written, or that they will feel another rewrite is in order. Patience is the name of the game at this point, and I’m desperately trying to keep that in perspective.

The book is almost ready!

Knowing When to Stop

I’m a perfectionist. I know that many writers will fall into that camp by nature, but I can only speak for myself. I constantly criticize my own work, looking at it over and over to see what more I can squeeze out of it to make it better.

I’ve really been experiencing this with my Dawnbringer series. I planned to have it ready for submission to agents by the beginning of this year, yet here I am working through one more edit. I’ve added a new set of characters, been through three edits, and listened to a series of “alpha readers” and made some adjustments based on their feedback. I’m now completely rewriting one of the story arcs, and trying desperately to finish one last round of proofreading.

In short, I’m calling an end to the madness! You must know when your work is good enough, and for now, I’ve reached that point. I’m completing this last batch of edits, and then the project is going out to a set of agents for consideration. I could dwell at this stage forever, given my perfectionist tendencies. I simply must set my foot down, take a chance, and send it out.

I may forever wonder if I misspelled a word somewhere in the text I submit, but it has no chance sitting on my desk. Wish me luck; before March is out, I will begin the submissions process!

Poem – Thaw

With all the crazy weather in my area recently, it seems appropriate that my mind is stuck on cold weather. I’ve also been in a moody place recently, reflecting on the nature of man and how we come to be so distrustful and cynical. I decided to roll the two together, as I was watching the last of the snows melt.

Thaw

The virgin white drifts all around

Cascade of perfect flakes

I know I must trod purest field

Though a step, the perfect breaks

Such beauty in this world I see

Moonlight off unstained glass

The path is lost in powdered sheet

Until cold travelers pass

Like nature’s beauty, soul shines clean

Despite inherent flaw

Yet rises sun, as trials come

And purest clothing thaws.

Randall Madden

February 27, 2015

Streams of Consciousness

One of my favorite things about writing is the open nature it presents. I can literally write about anything I want, whenever I want, and in any format I choose. I think that exploring multiple avenues of expression is a critically important approach for any writer who is attempting to flex their creative muscles.

This is one of the reasons I occasionally drop off my novel writing and punch out a poem or two. It is also the reason I like to throw in a short story or two when I’m stuck somewhere with nothing but a pen and a pad of paper to occupy my time. It is also the reason that I write daily streams of consciousness.

In their purest form, streams of consciousness seek to emulate the thought patterns as they occur. Rather than breaking for standard dialogue or descriptions, they seek to follow the thought process as it comes. For me, this forces a very spontaneous, unplanned way of putting words to paper. This can be useful, as it forces you to write on the fly, leaving less thought to the words themselves and instead putting down the words as quickly as they come to mind.

This can be a valuable tool for building understanding of how your characters think and feel. Sometimes we get so lost in the idea of telling a story, we forget that our characters are (usually) human, with all the hopes, dreams, and fears that come along with such a state. If you write, or want to write, I would highly recommend this form of writing as a regular exercise. It takes time to become comfortable with the style it forces, but you will not regret the time you spend.

Heck, you might even learn something about yourself.

Poem – Flower

It has been too long since I’ve had an update for the blog. I plan to start doing regular updates again, as I work to add more content to the site. I’d like to start reviewing books as I read them, and perhaps sharing news stories regarding writing when they move me to do so.

In the meantime, here is something I have been working on recently. Enjoy!

Flower

Through sooty, smoke-filled room

Past dingy, cold formed glass

A bright speck makes its mark

As its brief time here does pass

Can any say for sure

Why wisdom chose this place?

Was its presence in this gloom

Benefit for my beholding face?

This moment spent between us

Juxtapositional beauty, take in

And wonder if there be meaning

Through miasma of caked sin

Frail resilience, ruthless progression

Bright and vibrant, cold and gray

Can such beauty truly last here

Or is it destined to fade away?

Randall Madden

January 30, 2015