Entry 91: Searching for That Happy Ending

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 91: Searching for That Happy Ending.

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 91: Searching for That Happy Ending

I wrote a major twist in Amazing Buchanan and the Beast during my morning pages. It was the first step Will Chandler needed to take to free himself and put himself on the road to ending the curse. My word count is short of ninety thousand now. I figure I might add another fifteen thousand before I reach the end. I still need the story to reach its most dramatic point. Then, resolve itself slowly. The big question will center around Amazing’s choice to stay in New Orleans or go to New York City to start a new life.

Will this couple get their happy end? Of course, they will. It wouldn’t be a good romance if they didn’t. One of the reasons I’ve sworn off Nicolas Sparks’ novels is because he takes so much pleasure in killing off his characters. I guess I am a traditional romance novel reader. There has got to be a happy ending at the end of the time I’ve invested in reading the book.

The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 91: Searching for That Happy Ending

I am reading slowly through Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Holden puts on the red hunting hat, and Ackley comes into his room at Pencey to annoy him. His roommate asks Holden for a big favor. Stradlater asks for him to write a composition because he has a date and can’t finish everything he needs to do. Holden points out the irony of the situation. He’s being kicked out of the school because he’s flunking out, and the guy wants him to do his homework. I enjoy how Salinger sets up this story because I don’t think I picked up all the subtlety in the writing when I read it.

What I’m listening to right now and Entry 91: Searching for That Happy Ending

I put a Temptations CD on the stereo this morning. It is included in those greatest hits CDs we bought some time ago. These guys were a big part of what I listened to as a teenager. Their voices could be heard everywhere, up and down the radio dial. I decided to get lost in this Mo Town sound today. The tunes make me feel like I’m walking on cloud nine.

The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.

I am thankful for happy endings. Sometimes the characters in a story do live happily ever after. This happy ending can happen in real life. Rooster and I are still together against all odds. I am grateful happy happens in real life.

This old lady says

Happy endings don’t come about naturally. They often require hard work and a little compromise. The first thing about happiness is to know you can’t always have things your way. Even a cloudy day has moments of sunshine. Embrace those moments and bask in their warmth.

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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