Entry 259: Exploring Genres

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 259: Exploring Genres.

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 259: Exploring Genres

I did some major editing this morning. My writer’s group made some good suggestions, and I need to apply them to Saving the Henhouse. It always helps to have eyes on something I am working on. One of my big issues with that series I wrote involves genre. When I started writing the story, I didn’t know I needed to have a genre in mind. I put one word before the other until I had four books completed.

Now, genre is a problem. The story is about three lady florists taking up bounty hunting as a side job. I knew people who did this at one point in my life. They weren’t middle-aged women but burly bikers who worked in a local factory as their day job. I found their part-time job fascinating, but I thought the story would be more humorous if the bounty hunters were older women. I left the biker element in, though. It’s been suggested that I make it a cozy mystery, but the only thing cozy about my ladies is they own a flower shop called The Henhouse.

The book I am currently reading, Entry 259: Exploring Genres

I want to let Eldora Welty’s The Golden Apples settle before I start another one of her books. I plan to start Losing Battles, written by the same author, next. That’s the way I like to read. This method gives me a study into a writer’s style. I get offended by Welty’s prejudices, but there is nothing unusual about her word choices at the time she wrote. The woman did have an interesting style when it came to the rest of her writing.

What I’m listening to right now and Entry 259: Exploring Genres

I decided to listen to Miranda Stone’s 7 Deadly Sins today.

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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