I’ve never been good about keeping a journal. It all boils down to consistency. There are days when I skip making an entry. Life can crowd out the time I need to write down my thoughts about a day’s events. I’ve also been reluctant to pose as an expert on the writing process. If I knew anything of value about writing, my work would already be in print. I went out on a skinny limb of a tall in 2022 when I shared my 365 days of thankfulness. The exercise forced me to put myself out there with my soft belly exposed. Thank you for joining me on my journey in the written word. Therefore, I plan to keep a journal in 2023 to document my progress. I will call Entry 17: writing my way through the rubble.
Note: I consider editing an important part of the writing process. Editing is where all the artistry happens.
The project I am working on now is entry 17: writing my way through the rubble.
Okay, the edit of Amazing Buchanan and the Beast is turning into a major rewrite. The stuff I am adding now makes more sense and serves as major plot points. That is the big problem with being a pantster during NaNoWriMo. You don’t have the characters sketched out, and there are sometimes big holes in the plot that could be filled with better stuff. This morning, I felt like I was wading through a pile of rubble made up of words. I am sifting through them to find the story buried in the mess. A rewrite of Chapter 5 was necessary because of the inclusion of chapter 4. I will move on to chapter 6 tomorrow but don’t expect to make it very far.
My poetry adventure has moved onto the acrostic style of poetry. I felt like it was time to make the switch because I don’t want to get hung up on any one style like I did last year. I think I got too comfortable with the blank verse. The thing is I don’t consider myself a poet in any real sense of the word, but I’m more of a student of poetry. I’ve always wanted to learn more about moving people by using words in rhythmic meter and verse. I figured if I was going to learn more about it, the only way to do that was to jump in and spend time writing poems.
The book I am currently reading now while entry 17: Writing my way through the rubble
I’m drawing to the end of Alexander McCall Smith’s The Lost Art of Gratitude. Isabel discovers she’s been used and explores what it means to hate. This book is beautifully written, but I can sometimes lose my train of thought while reading Isabel’s rambling thoughts. I plan to get through all four books that I bought. It might take a while at the rate I am currently reading.
What I’m listening to today during Entry 17: Writing my way through the rubble
I pulled two CDs off the shelf by John Mayer; Heavier Things and Sob Rock. I am writing a love story, and Mayer’s music provides the perfect background soundtrack to set the mood. This series of books I am writing has drawn me toward his sound.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
I am thankful that our health insurance provider has sent us a card where we can purchase items at the store. Rooster and I each get fifty dollars. This sum is small, but with the price of groceries so high, we’ll take it. The paltry benefit is the equivalent of saying, “sorry old people, that your life has been made so hard by all drug companies and government policies, but we care just a little bit. It might not be much, but I am grateful they gave us this benefit.
This old lady says
The world is still spinning on its axis, and we all have choices to make. I’ve decided to spend every day sitting at this desk, writing words nobody might ever read. It’s the journey of creation that means so much to me. Find something to have joy in, and have a great day.
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.
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