I’ve never been good at 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 131: Word Mining.
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 131: Word Mining
I went through a couple of chapters this morning, searching for the right words and the ones that didn’t need to be there. It can seem like a tedious process. The process is similar to going into a mine and searching with a lamp for sparkles of gold. The process can sometimes seem tedious, but I know the story is more refined from the process. This is the part of the writing journey where true artistry dwells. The writer has to be willing to chip away at the words until they strike pay dirt.
My blog is getting away from me. I need to post. I wrote three Echo Poems this morning. There are journal entries written that I haven’t gotten around to posting. Sometimes I wonder why I even started down this path. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The redundancy of recording my everyday life seems to be a waste of time. That’s the reason I lost interest in journaling in the past.
The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 131: Word Mining
I didn’t read from a book today. There were submissions for my writer’s group I needed to critique before I met with the group later today. I will start Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life next. The plot of this book centers around the life of a woman who must live over and over again until she gets what she is meant to do right.
What I’m listening to right now and
I felt adventurous this morning and put on a CD we bought while watching a group of musicians play on the corner of Canal and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We’ve seen this group of young men play there every time we visited the city. The words scrolled on the CD read “The New Orleans Brass Band 2012 Hits.”
The adventure Rooster and I took and Entry 131: Word Mining
Rooster and I made it to the gym before we went our separate ways. I headed to my writers group, and he met up with a friend he used to work with before we retired.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
I am thankful for my writer’s group. I am currently submitting chapters from Saving the Henhouse. It is important to have as many eyes as possible on your story. This group always catches flaws that I miss. I am grateful for their help.
The henhouse Lady says
Don’t be a fool when you take up the occupation of mining for words. You can’t do it all on your own. You need the help of people you trust to help you find gold. Not all criticism is bad.
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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