Entry 147: Twists and Turns

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 147: Twists and Turns.

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 147: Twists and Turns

While editing my morning pages, I discovered the perfect spot to do a little foreshadowing that hints that an unknown person is pushing Melvin Samples. I didn’t know this twist would take place when I did my rewrite. A writer should never pass up a chance to give the reader a hint that things might not be the way they seem. I am going over and over the text, removing the stuff that isn’t important and adding what needs to be included. I am having fun playing with these chapters that I am editing now.

Echo and Epitaph poems seem to go back and forth in my mind this month. My excuse for not sitting down and writing in the afternoon is still a bad case of spring fever. I can’t blame Word Daddy for not showing up if I’m missing in action. Sitting at a desk is hard when the sun is shining, and the world screams at you to come outside and play.

The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 147: Twists and Turns

Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon is lying on my desk. This book is so helpful during the editing process. I am in the point-of-view section right now. The stories I write are done mostly in a limited─Multiple Viewpoints. I like approaching each chapter like a short story. The characters spend time in other chapters and are important parts of the book. They are the people who are focused on achieving the same goal. An example is that all of the characters in Amazing Buchanan and the Beast want to find a way to break Will’s rougarou curse, except for Amazing. She happens to be a key piece to the puzzle that ends the spell.

What I’m listening to right now and Entry 147: Twists and Turns

The same blues station Rooster listens to plays in the background. I think this station is addictive.

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.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!