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 137: Still Editing.
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 137: Still Editing
These days I am stuck in an endless loop of reviewing words I’ve already written. The edit of Amazing Buchanan and the Beast feels redundant at times. I am slicing and dicing word after word. I watch them disappear into the place where all deleted words go, unsure why I wrote them in the first place. Then, I add words to give the story added punch. The endeavor becomes an exercise in transformation. The story is holding its original form on this round. At least I don’t feel the need to do another rewrite. I sometimes wish this process could come easy, but where would be the fun in that?
I’m at a loss at the moment with the Echo poems. This is where I could use Word Daddy’s help. He’s good at whispering words in my ear that get me started in the right direction. This week he’s been silent. I think I sometimes give more credit than he deserves. Maybe I should start typing nonsense and see how things develop. That seems like a better plan than depending on an unpredictable muse.
The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 137: Still Editing
I am close to the end of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life. Ursula spent one life trapped in Germany during WWII. She went there after she finished her study of modern languages to get some real-world experience before settling down. She meets a man, marries, and has a child. The girl gets sick. Ursula planned to leave before the child’s illness. She is invited to the country to stay with an acquaintance while the girl recovers. Eva happens to be Hitler’s mistress. When Ursula returns home, she discovers her husband has taken their passports. The day after war is declared, she goes to the English embassy and discovers they are gone. In this life Ursula gets close to doing what she is meant to do.
What I’m listening to right now and Entry 137: Still Editing
This morning, I retrieved John Mayer’s “Paradise Valley” from my CD collection. This arrangement of songs has a Country and Western feel. One of the reasons I find this artist’s music intriguing is how he plays with styles of music. His music caught my ear when I heard it on the radio, but I started paying closer attention when I heard him on one of the blues stations I listened to a lot.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
I am thankful to be human. This recent transition to AI creeps me out because we will all be expendable soon. Still, I am glad that I am a living, breathing human being.
The Henhouse Lady says
I can see a time in the future when robots do all the labor. The people who turn profits are always looking for a lawful form of slavery. Robots don’t need to be paid. They have no need for food or rest. I worry machines will replace the people who work in the future. Still, I am thankful to be human.
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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