Entry 263: Searching for Better Words

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 263: Searching for Better Words.

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 263: Searching for Better Words

I managed to complete most of my housekeeping tasks yesterday. Amazing Buchanan and the Beast took up most of my morning. I slowly reviewed my edits to see if I could punch things up. It’s important to examine word choices. Sometimes, you can find better words that give a sentence more impact. A single word can often clarify what you are attempting to say. I still need to search for short stories that fit into Tecumseh Street Stories. I wrote them for a NaNoWriMo project years ago. This thing morphed into two books by the time I finished. I have one in decent shape. This second one might take a little work.

The book I am currently reading right now and Entry 263: Searching for Better Words

I am reading Eldora Welty’s Losing Battles. The book will be a slow read. One of the criticisms of this work was that it had so many characters, and the entire story was written mostly in dialogue. This experimental style made it hard for the reader to keep track. I find this slightly true.

Everyone in the reunion waits for Jack to come home from the pen. He took five years off from schooling to give his younger siblings a chance at an education. He is the person doing most of the work at the farm. His father is disabled. On the first day of school, he drives the school bus loaded with kids to the building.

 Sometime during the day, his younger sister sneaks off to the store. She offers a family heirloom ring in exchange for a piece of penny candy, adding a biblical dimension to the story. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of porage. Jack gets into a fight with the store owner. He traps him in a coffin his sister had made to bury the shopkeeper in because of the Spanish Flu. Jack takes the safe and carries it home.

What I’m listening to right now and Entry 263: Searching for Better Words

I decided to write poetry to Sarah McLachlan’s Afterglow until Rooster and I have to go to the gym to walk.

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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