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 213: Making Progress.
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 213: Making Progress
I made some progress editing Amazing Buchanan and the Beast during my morning pages. The process that has me jumping backward and forward seems to work well. I like the way the story is developing. Chapters 37-40 were reviewed, and I rewrote chapter 48. I could eliminate some parts of the story that I moved forward. That reduced my word count.
I need to get busy writing my Golden Shovel Poems. Thunder is rumbling in the distance. I might have to log off in a few minutes.
The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 213: Making Progress
I am working through A Memoir of Jane Austen by J.E. Austen-Leigh. The small book is a hard read because he seems not to have known the famous author well. He seems to be more of an expert in comparing the difference between his time and the time Austen lived in than in the writer’s life. He shared one interesting custom about giving an infant to a local woman to nurse and raise until they were old enough to walk and talk. Jane may have been raised in this manner. I found it difficult to read through a long letter he included that did not seem to have much connection to Austen’s life.
What I’m listening to right now reading right now and Entry 213: Making Progress
I am listening to The Band’s The Last Waltz. The full concert is very long. A long list of artists shared the stage with them, including Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Van Morrison, and Dr. John, to name a few.
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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