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 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 this post Entry 114: Writing in a Different Style.
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 114: Writing in a Different Style.
I spent the morning thinking about what I needed to leave in and remove from the Prologue of Amazing Buchanan and The Beast to avoid it becoming a huge information dump. The first point of view narrative is told by the Chandler family’s housekeeper and cook. Grace Plumber has a ring-side seat to the events that led to the curse that turned Will into a Rougarou. I don’t want to give too much away.
My normal style of writing is folksy and humorous. like what I did in Saving the Henhouse. The collections of short stories I worked on tended to be told in the same voice and included many of the same characters. I ventured away from that with this series I’m working on. I worry it might turn into a colossal waste of time. This diversion makes me worry that I might lose my unique writer’s voice. I’ve heard that you had to find one. The folksy stuff is fun, but I feel like I’m growing through this latest project.
The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 114: Writing in a Different Style.
I’m one hundred pages into Kate Atkinson’s One Good Turn. The book has captured my interest. It starts with a road rage incident, and the story is told from several witnesses’ points of view. Martin is a writer who threw his bag at the perpetrator. Gloria is a wealthy housewife, and her husband is under investigation. Jackson Bodie is an ex-military, ex-police officer, and ex-private detective. Two teen boys commit theft and come across the fight while escaping from the shopkeeper. It will be an interesting adventure to see how all these people connect together.
What I’m listening to right now and Entry 114: Writing in a Different Style.
I listened to The John Mayer Trio’s ‘Try!’ today. The music on this CD made me look beyond this artist’s music as background noise. This CD was recorded live at The House of Blues in Chicago. This group version of Ray Charles’ ‘I Got a Woman’ is amazing. Steve Jordon and Pino Palladino made up the other members of the trio.
What I dreamed last night and Entry 114: Writing in a Different Style.
I don’t remember the details that made up my dream, but a fragment of riding in a fast car on a busy highway remained. Maybe this means life is getting away from me, or I am traveling too fast. It might have been just a dream.
The adventure Rooster and I took and Entry 114: Writing in a Different Style.
We traveled to the gym and stuck to our normal routine.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
I am so thankful that spring is sticking around for another week. The sky is blue, the trees are budding, and the temperatures are in the 80s. The storms that plagued us a couple of weeks ago have disappeared. I love this state of perfection.
This Henhouse Lady says
The big problem with perfection is that it doesn’t hang around long. Things always change. I am not trying to sound like a pessimist, but change is a reality of life.
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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