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 23: A Trivial Quest.
Note: I consider editing an important part of the writing process. Editing is where all the artistry happens.
My morning writing before I started Entry 23: A Trivial Quest.
I completed the rewrite of chapter 9 and started chapter 10 for Amazing Buchanan and the Best. I used most of the elements that existed in the first version, adding better dialogue and description. Will Chandler is about to be faced with an important challenge. The question is how much he is willing to risk to help the woman with the jade green eyes. The plan Chad Wallace develops could come at a high cost to him both financially and emotionally.
Somedays, I feel like I am spinning my wheels here and not getting anywhere. The longer I spend on this journal plan for this year, the more I think this project is more about me than anyone else. I might not bring any help regarding the writing process to all the pile of information currently available. The reader is more or less witnessing my rambling about the journey I’m taking with the written word. It might work out best if I kept this adventure to myself, but I guess it is what it is. Sometimes I think I am in the middle of a trivial quest, but I have no choice but to keep walking toward the end of the road.
The book I am currently reading before Entry 23: A Trivial Quest
I am still reading Alexander McCall Smith’s The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds. Isabel has agreed to help Duncan with the recovery of his stolen painting. A lawyer has contacted him because she represents a person acting for the people who stole the painting. They are essentially ransoming the return of the painting. The insurance company favors paying the money because it will be cheaper than replacing it. Isabel has moral qualms about the process. I have to agree with her.
What I’m listening to today during Entry 23: A Trivial Quest
I am listening to Abby Road by The Beatles this morning. I love this CD because it always brings up good memories. This album came out while I was in middle school. It inspired my girlfriends and me to state a band. We didn’t get very far because none of us were musically inclined or could play a single instrument. We could listen to music on the radio, so I guess that was something.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
Today, I am grateful that Rooster and I have our productive mornings. We sit at our desks and try to create magic on our laptops. Retirement can be a challenge. People return to work at jobs they don’t like because of boredom. Rooster and I don’t have that problem. We love how we spend our days.
This old lady
People should find something they like to do and spend the rest of their lives doing it. We are all running out of time. Life is too short to spend your days in front of the boob tube.
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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