Recipe for Writers

     For a lot of meal makers, the toughest part of cooking is the start--deciding what to make. The same could be said about writing. It’s most helpful to have a literary meal in mind that realizes and satisfies a reader's hunger.

   The what-to-write decision is also determined by purpose: entertainment, information-sharing, or following a Writer’s Guidelines recipe for a specific publication. 

 

Following a Recipe

      The process of writing depends on confidence and experience levels. A beginning baker will carefully read recommended recipes, double check each ingredient and amount, and seek expert advice.  Likewise, a wannabe author will study the writing craft through classes, reading (tasting) examples of renowned nonfiction or fiction creators, and/or read how-to books and blogs. Helpful resources include:  Bird by Bird by Ann Lamont, On Writing by Stephen King and (my personal go-to) anything by Jeff Goins (goinswriter.com).  

Preheat Oven

       There has been several times when I wondered why my pizza crust was soggy, or the pumpkin cookies took so long to bake. The problem was not preheating the oven sufficiently. (It took me years to notice the little light that would go off after reaching the desired temperature!)

       Preheating in the writing world is important also. Has there ever been an author that wrote a masterpiece in a few hours, without edits?  (If you know of someone, I’d be interested to know.)  My current struggle with warming up for writing, is repetition of otherwise prudent activities I do to postpone cooking the main dish!  This procrastination practice involves extensive journal-writing, joining a writers group but not writing for it, entering contests, and continual researching without limit. It’s comparable to eating lots of appetizers and not getting around to enjoying the main course.  

Cooking for Whom?

       When I prepare food for people, I keep in mind their likes and dislikes, as well as  their nutritional needs. My young adult children enjoy trying new foods, especially if they are from different cultures.  I question why food needs to be painful, as they endure spicy hot dishes.  My 88 and 90 year old parents prefer old favorites like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, with desserts, “like my mom used to make.”

  

      Writers also need to know or find out the preferences of their potential readers.  Bestselling Christian author Lysa Terkeurst thinks about the personality, situation, age-range and spiritual maturity of her audience, even picturing them in her mind as she writes.  As an editing technique, she reads her work out loud, as if she is talking to a friend.

Stir the Pudding

       Another one of my (many) cooking and writing sins is allowing distraction to damage the final product.  I use a “multi-tasking” excuse when I’m being inattentive to both my pudding and blogging. Yes, it gets boring standing next to the stove and stirring until it reaches the proper consistency.

     Sitting at the computer, editing and re-editing, letting the words simmer for a bit and maybe asking friends to taste-test, is tedious as well.  But the goal: providing nutritious, delicious, fulfilling reading, is work-worthy. It's a vital part of the writers recipe I encourage you to try. 

And I’m betting it’s less strenuous than a baking competition!