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 197:Catching Mistakes.
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 197:Catching Mistakes
I moved slowly through 6 chapters of Amazing Buchanan and the Beast. Several passages needed smoother over. The story gets better every day. I plan to work on Chapter 41 tomorrow. I know I am starting to sound redundant because the work I am doing now is redundant. It’s a repetitive process of eliminating flaws and catching mistakes. I didn’t get much poetry written today. The poems by Blake I plan to do next are The Lilly and The Garden of Love. I also have one by Frost and one by Yeats that I want to play around with. There are a couple of Life Lessons spinning around in my head that I would like to write, but they haven’t settled yet. I could use at least two more hours in the day.
The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 197:Catching Mistakes
I should finish Christine Feehan’s Dark Celebration. I enjoy reading about all the cooking disasters in this book. Not that I have had a few of my own in the past. That is one reason Rooster and I decided on Christmas breakfast instead of dinner. It is so much easier. I plan to start Jane Austen’s Persuasion tomorrow. This book is the last Austen book on my list to be read this summer.
What I’m listening to right now and Entry 197:Catching Mistakes
Rooster and I are listening to silence at the moment. Sometimes that is the best music to hear.
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!
I don’t think anyone can be an expert on ‘the writing process’ – but they can be an expert on their own writing process. Sharing things that work for you is nothing to be ashamed of, and sharing things that don’t is the same.
Thank you for those encouraging words.
An enjoyable read! Love this: “Editing is where all the artistry happens.” I have kept journals for decades. My journals are now a place for me to start poetry before typing things out.
Thank you.