Entry 299: Writing Time

Keeping a journal has never been one of my strongest pursuits. I find it boring talking about myself for an extended period. This year, I wrote blog entries telling the tales about the things I’ve encountered along my writing road. On this writer’s journey, I’ve run into bumps, got stuck in ditches, and sometimes the scenery becomes tedious. The repetition of editing can become monotonous. Computer glitches can become obstacles along the path as tiresome as construction zones. It can leave a person stuck in technical traffic for hours. The best solution to such problems is sometimes to drive a different route. Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for this new stage on my writing journey. Therefore, I titled this post Entry 299: Writing Time.

Remember, editing is an important part of the writing process. Editing is where the artistry takes place. It’s where a writer thinks with their head to catch mistakes. Editing is the sweet spot where the delete button comes in handy. It’s where the creator decides which words belong to the reader and which ones remain with them.

My morning pages and Entry 299: Writing Time

I edited two of the stories I recently wrote for the Tecumseh Street Stories collection. The time I spent writing today makes me hopeful that I will met my November deadline. Better yet, I like the stories.

I’m looking forward to NaNoWriMo in 2023. I would like to have the next book in the Survivor Series finished. Editing book two is at the top of my agenda for 2024. I plan to edit at least two books next year. You know what they say about the best laid plans. I will save NaNoWriMo to write the next book in either series I am working on.

I wrote Four Golden Shovel Poems today. That will place me in a good position heading into November. I’m starting to wonder why I work on these at all. Do they distract me from the stories I need to be editing? Poetry does take up a significant portion of my writing time. Oh, well.

What I am currently reading and Entry 299: Writing Time

I am reading Leila Meacham’s Dragonfly. The five young people excel during training. By the time they leave for London, Major Alistair Renault regrets picking the five young people for the risky mission. He considers every one of them special and has developed fatherly feelings toward them. He worries they won’t survive. Bridgette is the first one sent to France. She is the head of the dragonfly, and the others are the wings.

The music I selected today and Entry 299: Writing Time

I listened to The All Time Greatest Hits of Bachman-Turner Overdrive today. This group is often referred to as BTO. This Canadian rock band has sold 40 million records worldwide. Three of the members of this band are brothers.

The stuff going on in my life at the moment and Entry 299: Writing Time

(This is the part that might get boring. You can skip it if you want.)

We did our normal routine before we went to the gym. Then, we worked on the apartment. It is almost finished. We’ve worked hard to make it a nice place where someone would like to live. I am unsure about the landlord gig, but Rooster and I need to try it. There are two things we’ve discovered you need during retirement: time and money. Your time gets taken because everyone thinks you have an abundance of it. With rising prices, money becomes important because you are on a fixed income and never seem to have enough of it.

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!