Journal Entry for February 26, 2022

 

February 26, 2022

Today is Saturday.  When I was still working full-time in the old days, that meant something.  Now it only means that all the morning television shows that I turn on during the week are missing, and I have to search to find something good on TV.  Since I tend to use the TV as background noise, this should not be important, but it is.  I am very spoiled.

I have chosen a Harry Potter marathon as my TV-in-the-background choice today.  That is always safe, except for the later Harry Potter movies, which are more complicated than the others, and I can’t just look in on them occasionally and know precisely what is going on.  Of course, I could stop whatever else I am doing (such as writing this journal entry) and concentrate on watching the movie, but that would involve actual concentration, which is work.

Somebody (Voldemort, I think) just yelled “Avada Kedavra” at someone in one of Harry’s dreams.  That was dramatic enough to get me to stop and look.

These writing exercises are working, at least to the extent that they get me to sit down and put words into the computer.  They also inspire me to try to be at least a little bit funny.  Now I just have to find a suitable subject and write a real piece of literature.  Literature is challenging, especially if you are not inclined to be a “literary” writer.  This is the kind of writer that does well in creative writing classes because the teacher thinks they are so talented and so ... well ... literary.  I can’t write that way to save all the money in the world and my life.  When I write a short story, it has to have a decent plot, strong characters, and a lot of humor.  That might get me a grudging A-minus in a creative writing class, but it won’t get me a spot in a literary magazine.

How did I go from Harry Potter movies to literary magazines?  Talk about meandering!

At any rate, here I am, sitting at the computer, actually writing something, for the third day in a row.  This has to be a record for me.  Now I just have to keep it up.