The risk

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time. I still like the idea. I want to revisit that practice on this last leg of my Golden Shovel Poems. I plan to take the lyrics of some of my favorite poems and use each word to end my lines. Bob Dylan’s from the Storm will be my first selection. I might as well start this off with a master like Mr. Dylan. Therefore, this new Golden Shovel Poem will be titled The risk.

 Terrance Hayes invented the Golden Shovel style of poetry. This form of found poetry allows the writer to take a favorite poem and use it to make something original. I experimented with found poetry last year when I wrote Blank Verse poems. Now, I am having fun writing Golden Shovel Poetry. 

The rules for writing a Golden Shovel Poem and Palm The risk

While researching this style of poetry created by Terrance Hayes, there seem to be four simple rules. You can use as many lines of the poem as you want, and the poem will end with you being your creation. I find this idea interesting. Written below are the three simple rules.

1). Choose a poem that you like. Currently, I will use Bob Dylan’s Shelter from the Storm.

2)Use each word in the line or lines as the end word in your poem. Make sure they stay in order.

3) Construct an entire poem around them. The meaning doesn’t have to be the same.

4) Give credit to the original poet who wrote the line or lines you used.

The risk


There is a single letter between no and not
A temptation, a trap, and a
Decision wrapped in a single word
Both negative as it was
But with a smile he spoke
“There is no in-between
The two of us”
And I trembled standing there
Because I knew the way it was
And I hesitated a little
Because I knew the risk
And wondered if I should be involved

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #9

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

Before the Storm

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

2 thoughts on “The risk

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Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes the scenery becomes tedious. The repetition of editing can become monotonous. Computer glitches can become obstacles along the path as tiresome as construction zones. It can leave a person stuck in technical traffic for hours. The best solution to such problems is sometimes to drive a different route. Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for this new stage on my writing journey. Therefore, I titled this post Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store.

Remember, editing is an important part of the writing process. Editing is where the artistry takes place. It’s where a writer thinks with their head to catch mistakes. Editing is the sweet spot where the delete button comes in handy. It’s where the creator decides which words belong to the reader and which ones remain with them.

My morning pages and Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store

I finished chapter 31 this morning. The word count has me a little worried. I know I haven’t added enough description to do a good job of world-building. That will come during the rewrite. I worry that I haven’t added enough color to bring this story alive for the reader. There are at least two more chapters and an epilogue left before the first draft of the book is finished. Marla and Braydon’s story wants to be told. That will be next year’s NaNoWriMo project.

In the meantime, I need to write some poetry. I plan to finish the year out writing Golden Shovel poems. I think they caught my interest because I get to revisit the world of some of my favorite poets. The idea struck me that it would be fun to examine some of the things I took away from participation in NaNoWriMo. I’ve ended that now, but I might try something similar about other topics in the new year.

What I am currently reading and Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store

I’m enjoying Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. The Snowman hits puberty. His mother leaves, and he meets Crake, who was named Glenn then. They hang out getting high, playing video games, and watching porno like teenage boys will do. Their first glimpse of Oryx is in one of the pornos they watch. In the future, the children of Crake and Oryx will inhabit the world ravaged by the plague. This book is the first of the trilogy. It gives the reader a slimes of the world right before things fall apart.

The music I selected today and Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store

I was in the mood for Sarah McLachlan this morning and selected Mirrorball and Surfacing for my listening pleasure. Including the music I listen to when I write is important because it helps set the mood.

The stuff going on in my life at the moment and Entry 345: Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store.

(This is the part that might get boring. You can skip it if you want.)

Rooster and I worked and went to the gym and the grocery store. We walked away with sticker shock. We spent one hundred dollars more on the stuff we bought than we would have last year. The gas prices haven’t affected us much. All of our vehicles get over 30 miles per gallon in town. I don’t know what happened. We are all getting gouged by the same companies that remained open during COVID. I am not trying to get political here. Both parties suck, in my opinion. Who gets elected doesn’t matter because none of them are looking after us. There is something wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it. You know you live in Indiana when you see a horse and buggy at the grocery store. I bet those people are even feeling the sticker shock even though they grow most of their food.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

The risk

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 344: Trying to Find Time

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #8

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

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What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #9

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish line that first year. I have participated ever since. I’ve learned several important lessons during the nine years since joining the battle for words in November. Some of them apply only to me, but there are several that a fellow writer might take and run with. A good place to start is at the beginning of what I learned from participating in NaNoWriMo #9.

What I learned from participating in NaNoWriMo #9.

The interesting thing about NaNoWriMo is that sometimes it turns into something bigger. The book Water for Elephants started as a NaNoWriMo challenge project. I have finished numerous books that are waiting to be edited. Amazing Buchanan and The Beast was a NaNoWriMo book. It hasn’t been published yet but has survived a rewrite and an edit.

I guess the biggest win for me is my writer’s group. It evolved from a NaNo Write-In. It took a while for me to work up the nerve to join. It’s a scary thing to consider submitting your work for critique. That was back in the day before I felt comfortable with my writing. Joining was one of the steps I needed before considering allowing my babies into the world. Blogging is the second step.

Maybe you don’t need to evolve into something bigger.

There is something to be said about remaining in your comfort zone. You never get challenged, and you never grow. Writers in my group tell me they started dozens of times but never finished NaNoWriMo, but there they sit, submitting work every month. Who cares if they finish? Something bigger happened to them. They kept writing.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

Palm Sunday Tornado

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #7

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

One thought on “What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #9

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Before the Storm

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time. I still like the idea. I want to revisit that practice on this last leg of my Golden Shovel Poems. I plan to take the lyrics of some of my favorite poems and use each word to end my lines. Bob Dylan’s from the Storm will be my first selection. I might as well start this off with a master like Mr. Dylan. Therefore, this new Golden Shovel Poem will be titled Before the Storm.

 Terrance Hayes invented the Golden Shovel style of poetry. This form of found poetry allows the writer to take a favorite poem and use it to make something original. I experimented with found poetry last year when I wrote Blank Verse poems. Now, I am having fun writing Golden Shovel Poetry. 

The rules for writing a Golden Shovel Poem and Palm  Before the Storm

While researching this style of poetry created by Terrance Hayes, there seem to be four simple rules. You can use as many lines of the poem as you want, and the poem will end with you being your creation. I find this idea interesting. Written below are the three simple rules.

1). Choose a poem that you like. Currently, I will use Bob Dylan’s Shelter from the Storm.

2)Use each word in the line or lines as the end word in your poem. Make sure they stay in order.

3) Construct an entire poem around them. The meaning doesn’t have to be the same.

4) Give credit to the original poet who wrote the line or lines you used.


Before the Storm

I glanced at the weather report and
I had to wonder if
The cupboards were empty and I
Thought they couldn’t let an opportunity pass
To frighten the population like this
A new term, a snow tornado is moving our way
And I wondered if they were exaggerating again
These days they like to rattle you
And make you do everything you can
To be prepared for an unpeaceful rest
Bad weather is one thing you can be assured
I’m not running to the sore, I think I’ll
Stay home and watch from the sideline like always
I don’t want to do the way they do
Grabbing what they can and my
Living room couch is always the best
Place for me to rest and wait for
The snow to fall all over her
The one you can depend on
To reach for all the stuff that
Sit on the shelf and I
Don’t have the time to give
To push and grab and my
Temper flares, and mark my word
The grocery stores will pack them in
Searching for bread, eggs, and a
Gallon of milk in a white world
And I don’t want to look into the face of
A forager with steel-eyed
Determination and images of death
A temper to match and
Focus that would frighten strong men
They are the ones who
Know where all the commodities are
The ones up for the fighting
The ones who always manage to
Move to the front of the line and be
Comfortable, safe, and warm
When I consider what is to come
I wonder about the world we’re living in
You and me, he and she
The things that get said
And all the while I’ll
Try to remember to give
A pleasant word to you
And offer a warm shelter
The Snow Tornado we're all running from
The terrible terminology and the
Warnings worse than the approaching storm

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

The Arrival

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 342: Examining Next Year’s Goals.

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #6

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

One thought on “Before the Storm

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Entry 344: Trying to Find Time

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes the scenery becomes tedious. The repetition of editing can become monotonous. Computer glitches can become obstacles along the path as tiresome as construction zones. It can leave a person stuck in technical traffic for hours. The best solution to such problems is sometimes to drive a different route. Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for this new stage on my writing journey. Therefore, I titled this post Entry 344: Trying to Find Time.

Remember, editing is an important part of the writing process. Editing is where the artistry takes place. It’s where a writer thinks with their head to catch mistakes. Editing is the sweet spot where the delete button comes in handy. It’s where the creator decides which words belong to the reader and which ones remain with them.

My morning pages and Entry 344: Trying to Find Time

Okay, so I am still working on Chapter 31 during my morning pages. Rooster and I don’t have the luxury of working until the afternoon today. We are entering that time of year when everything has to be cut short. I wouldn’t say I like the feeling of being rushed. It keeps me from being focused. I did come up with some interesting stuff, such as the connection of the pub near Red Hook in the story. I have poems to write, and blog entries to make. I feel like time is running out.

What I am currently reading and Entry 344: Trying to Find Time

Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake is getting interesting. I’m enjoying how this author leaves like hints that Snowman might have been responsible in some way of releasing the sickness into the world back when he was Jimmy. His dad gets a big job in a company that does medical experiments. The kids mom is depressed. She questions if what her husband is doing is ethical.

The music I selected today and Entry 344: Trying to Find Time

I put Tracy Chapman’s New Beginning on the stereo this morning. I enjoy her music when it isn’t political. I am so tired of all the posturing that goes on everywhere these days.

The stuff going on in my life at the moment and Entry 344: Trying to Find Time

(This is the part that might get boring. You can skip it if you want.)

Spent the day trying to make up time. We had to cut our work time short because of Rooster’s eye appointment. It would be stupid and wasteful to drive to the gym separately, so our walking time was cut short. The eye appointment took forever because they didn’t have enough staff. That cut our evening short because we needed to work on the apartment. This got cut short because they needed to run to the hardware store for supplies. It turned into a vicious circle.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

Cancel the Women

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 341: Catching Up

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #5

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

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What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #8

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish line that first year. I have participated ever since. I’ve learned several important lessons during the nine years since joining the battle for words in November. Some of them apply only to me, but there are several that a fellow writer might take and run with. A good place to start is at the beginning of what I learned from participating in NaNoWriMo #8.

I thought I’d run out of things I learned taking the NaNoWriMo challenge, but I was wrong. There is one more thing to add to the growing list. We have a funny concept about time. Human beings can save it, spend it, waste it, and most of the time, we squander it. The big lesson I learned by participating in this contest with myself is how to manage time. The 50,000-word challenge helped to weed out all the nonessential elements that made up my day to give myself time to write. The first year I tried NaNoWriMo, it was hard to tell the difference. I use this method daily to get my writing time in.

The Essential elements in life

  1. Eating
  2. Sleeping
  3. Going to the bathroom
  4. Showering or bathing
  5. Spending time with the ones you love
  6. Exercising
  7. Reading
  8. Living up to obligations such as work

The time sucks

  1. Television
  2. Social media
  3. Long phone conversations for no reason
  4. Watching or listening to the news
  5. Worrying about writing

I am not saying that the things listed in the time suck list can’t be enjoyed, but you should get your word count in first.

Maybe you have time to spare

Being able to waste time and still achieve your goal is a wonderful position. Your list might not be the same as mine, but I bet there are places where you could save time to do the thing most important to you.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

The Imposters

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 340: Every Day

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #4

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

4 thoughts on “What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #8

  1. Watching or listening to the news is the biggest time waster there is and hard on your mental health as well. Once I cut out TV in general and especially the news, I got lots of writing done.

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Palm Sunday Tornado

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time. I still like the idea. I want to revisit that practice on this last leg of my Golden Shovel Poems. I plan to take the lyrics of some of my favorite poems and use each word to end my lines. Bob Dylan’s from the Storm will be my first selection. I might as well start this off with a master like Mr. Dylan. Therefore, this new Golden Shovel Poem will be titled Palm Sunday Tornado.

 Terrance Hayes invented the Golden Shovel style of poetry. This form of found poetry allows the writer to take a favorite poem and use it to make something original. I experimented with found poetry last year when I wrote Blank Verse poems. Now, I am having fun writing Golden Shovel Poetry. 

The rules for writing a Golden Shovel Poem and Palm Sunday Tornado  

While researching this style of poetry created by Terrance Hayes, there seem to be four simple rules. You can use as many lines of the poem as you want, and the poem will end with you being your creation. I find this idea interesting. Written below are the three simple rules.

1). Choose a poem that you like. Currently, I will use Bob Dylan’s Shelter from the Storm.

2)Use each word in the line or lines as the end word in your poem. Make sure they stay in order.

3) Construct an entire poem around them. The meaning doesn’t have to be the same.

4) Give credit to the original poet who wrote the line or lines you used.

Palm Sunday Tornado



In the corners of my mind T’was

A memory of a storm lying in

Wait to help another

But it seemed like a lifetime

Ago when the bad one

Streaming in out of

The west, leaving us to search and toil

In the rocky soil and

Covered us in sweat and blood



It was back in my childhood when

The sky filled with blackness

And a swirling wind was

All we heard and a

Vision of hope was our virtue

When the tornado touched down and

It came with its darkness and the

Vehicles trapped on the road

Flew like crows because the wind was

Frantic and blew at us full

Of deadly destruction and the threat of

Turning the city where we lived to mud



There was no time to run because I

Didn’t understand how these storms came

No time for me to rush in

Because I didn’t know what I ran from

The wind and the hale and the

Rain traveling from the wilderness

To fall on the head of a

Child hiding like a feral creature

Staring into the face a powerful void

Not understanding my great fear of

The turning twisting forceful form



I heard a voice say come

And I decided to enter in

There was safety in the invitation she

Gave, a safe harbor she said.

It was a promise I’ll

Never forget to give

A strong thank you

For the safe shelter

The thing I ran from

The kindness and the

Safe shelter from the storm.



Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

The Heart Thief

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 339: My Brain Needed a Rest

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #3

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

Leave a Reply

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Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes the scenery becomes tedious. The repetition of editing can become monotonous. Computer glitches can become obstacles along the path as tiresome as construction zones. It can leave a person stuck in technical traffic for hours. The best solution to such problems is sometimes to drive a different route. Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for this new stage on my writing journey. Therefore, I titled this post Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice.

Remember, editing is an important part of the writing process. Editing is where the artistry takes place. It’s where a writer thinks with their head to catch mistakes. Editing is the sweet spot where the delete button comes in handy. It’s where the creator decides which words belong to the reader and which ones remain with them.

My morning pages and Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

I started chapter 31 of Precipice but didn’t have time to finish it. Time ran out on me. This chapter is important because it brings in a collection of people with differing motivations for rescuing the Archer brothers. These people come from different backgrounds, but how much they have in common by the time the book ends is surprising. I am starting to worry I won’t have enough to reach my goal of 80,000 words by January. There is a chance the book will get written before I reach that goal. I am sure I’ll need to ass color during the rewrite. Going into the details of the description of place and people is almost impossible during NaNoWriMo.

What I am currently reading and Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

I like how Margaret Atwood adds the backstory when she writes Oryx and Crake. Snowman reverts to Jimmy’s childhood as he goes about his day. He is almost alone in the devastated world where he lives. The reader learns that his father works for a company that bioengineers pigs to grow organs for harvest. His mother suffers from depression. She used to work for the company. The reader catches snippets from Snowman’s memory of life before the plague.

The music I selected today and Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

I listened to Melissa Etheridge’s Yes I Am.

The stuff going on in my life at the moment and Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

(This is the part that might get boring. You can skip it if you want.)

Rooster and I spent the morning working. In the evening, we went to a Christmas Party sponsored by a motorcycle rights organization we belong to. The ugly sweater contest got very interesting. We ate some good food and had a great time before we came home.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

Rich Men

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 338: I Need to Think The Process Through

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #2

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

2 thoughts on “Entry 343: Still Working on Precipice

  1. I appreciate your making headway in your writing, though I appreciate how time presses, too. I also appreciate your take on Margaret Atwood’s writing. And as for the “boring” part, I enjoyed reading about the group you were with in the evening. You and Rooster spend time in cool ways with cool people.

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What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #7

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish line that first year. I have participated ever since. I’ve learned several important lessons during the nine years since joining the battle for words in November. Some of them apply only to me, but there are several that a fellow writer might take and run with. A good place to start is at the beginning of what I learned from participating in NaNoWriMo #7.

The last reason I participate in NaNoWriMo every year is for the simple joy of accomplishment. I love to look over my November journey to see where the adventure led me. It warms my heart to file another book away on my flash drive to be taken out to edit later. It doesn’t matter if the writing goes anywhere. The words are there for me to mine whenever I feel like it. I find nothing more rewarding than to fill up a blank page.

When I first started participating in NaNoWriMo, I didn’t have blog posts to worry about. I did the challenge before I started my blog. This situation presented a new challenge to my writing adventure in November. The fact that I managed to keep up with both added to my sense of accomplishment.

Maybe you don’t need the simple joy of accomplishment.

You’re a versatile writer with several books to your credit. You’ve accomplished all you need to accomplish. There is no need for you to challenge yourself. Set back on your laurels and feel sorry for the rest of us who must grasp every win.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

The Message

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time.…

Entry 337: Bringing the Players Together

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes…

 What I Learned from Participating in NaNoWriMo #1

I started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2014 because of a dare. Someone was planning to try the 50,000 words in a month challenge and dared me to participate. I didn’t think the word count was achievable, but I also thought I had nothing to lose if I tried. I barely made it over the finish…

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The Arrival

In high school, I had a young teacher straight out of college. She came up with the idea to have us study song lyrics as modern poetry. We’d pick the words of a song and analyze what the songwriter was trying to say. I thought it was a cool thing to do at the time. I still like the idea. I want to revisit that practice on this last leg of my Golden Shovel Poems. I plan to take the lyrics of some of my favorite poems and use each word to end my lines. Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower will be my first selection. I might as well start this off with a master like Mr. Dylan. Therefore, this new Golden Shovel Poem will be titled The Arrival .

 Terrance Hayes invented the Golden Shovel style of poetry. This form of found poetry allows the writer to take a favorite poem and use it to make something original. I experimented with found poetry last year when I wrote Blank Verse poems. Now, I am having fun writing Golden Shovel Poetry. 

The rules for writing a Golden Shovel Poem and  The Arrival

While researching this style of poetry created by Terrance Hayes, there seem to be four simple rules. You can use as many lines of the poem as you want, and the poem will end with you being your creation. I find this idea interesting. Written below are the three simple rules.

1). Choose a poem that you like. Currently, I will use Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower.

2)Use each word in the line or lines as the end word in your poem. Make sure they stay in order.

3) Construct an entire poem around them. The meaning doesn’t have to be the same.

4) Give credit to the original poet who wrote the line or lines you used.

The Arrival 


Many of us are standing on the outside
A thin pane of glass for us to see in
To watch the others dining at the
Table, and the music playing in the distance
Persuades us to spin and dance a
Jig for the eaters like a wildcat
Caught in a trap, so I did
But inside I let off a growl

They always come by two
The masked urban riders
As ferocious as they were
We didn’t flinch at their approaching
Because they came to play in the
Shadows of the ice-cold winter wind
Now, with their arrival the party began
They brought the mist and we knew to
Dance under the moon and let off a fierce growl

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

Winter Funeral

Okay, Word Daddy is missing in action. He must be on another one of his cross-country road trips. I hope his motorcycle breaks down and leaves him stranded in Tucumcari. Sorry, I shouldn’t talk smack about my unreliable muse. I decided to hang out with the Golden Shovel Poems for a while longer. What can…

Entry 336: The Best of Times

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps and got stuck in ditches, and sometimes,…

Noise on the Roof

Okay, Word Daddy is missing in action. He must be on another one of his cross-country road trips. I hope his motorcycle breaks down and leaves him stranded in Tucumcari. Sorry, I shouldn’t talk smack about my unreliable muse. I decided to hang out with the Golden Shovel Poems for a while longer. What can…

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