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 75: Listening to Cool Jazz.
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 75: Listening to Cool Jazz
The writing flowed during my morning pages. I am glad I developed the character of Eli Buchanan in Amazing Buchanan and the Beast. He is Maizie’s older brother. He will become one of the main characters in the final book in this series, or at least that’s how I have it planned so far. I might not live long enough to write all the books I want to pen. I could get sidetracked and start a different project.
Word Daddy says consistency is the key. He keeps harping about how ditzy writers are. He claims we live in our heads daydreaming about stuff. We need to be more practical and develop sound work ethics. I don’t know if I trust a muse that doesn’t understand writers. He’s old like me and tends to get grumpy if he isn’t fed regularly. He claims he doesn’t like my cooking because I burn everything. In my defense, how am I supposed to know if something is done if the smoke detector doesn’t go off?
The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 75: Listening to Cool Jazz
I am still working my way through J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey. The mother in the story would drive me crazy because she seems to have no boundaries with her youngest son. Oh, that’s right, she reminds me of my mother, only she isn’t deaf. That invasive form of parenting must have been popular back in the 1950s. Zooey doesn’t like Franny’s boyfriend. He has formed the opinion that he is a phony.
I agree with Zooey based on Salinger’s words about this character. Bessie doesn’t agree. She returns to the bathroom while Zooey is shaving to tell her son that Franny needs help because of the book she is waving around that she got from the school library. Zooey informs his mother it is two books by the same Russian peasant. Franny got them from the older brother’s room, who committed suicide.
What I’m listening to right now and Entry 75: Listening to Cool Jazz
I listened to the John Coltrane Pandora radio station today because I wanted some cool jazz. It helped with the flow of the writing. I am in a part of the book where the characters wait for Melvin Samples to make the next move. Jazz is the perfect blend of mellow with an edge.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
I am thankful for the lunch we had with our oldest grandson. We don’t often spend time with him now that he is grown. He works the third shift at a food processing plant in a town thirty miles away.
This old lady says
When you can spend time with the people you love, take advantage of it. You never know what will happen tomorrow. Plus, listen to some cool jazz every once in a while. The melodies will help you chill.
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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You combine a number of things here that are enjoyable to read: how the writing’s going, your response to the Salinger story, and invoking cool jazz by Coltrane. And how do you know that something’s thoroughly cooked other than the way you say?
Thank you. I enjoy keeping track of what I’m reading and listening to daily.