Thursday, June 21, 2012

Cook Up A Good Book




My mother was the queen of homebaked goods.  Everything from fresh baked bread to homemade candy and doughnuts and cakes.  For myself, it took a while to get the hang of things.  I even tried to bake some cookies one summer when my mother was on a trip out of town and I almost burnt the house down.  I find that my writing is a bit like baking a cake.  My first attempts are sloppy at best.  I can't quite figure out what goes wrong, but I KNOW something is missing...some secret ingredient which helps take my stories to the next level.

 


But I keep at it.  I don't give up.  I put together another story while throwing in a pinch more of humor here and a dash of suspense there until I finally get something of which I can be proud.  Others even think THIS attempt smells good and I think maybe I have finally figured out how to cook up a good book.

 


I don't want to stop there.  I want to be a gourmet at this writing thing.  So I sample the works of other writers.  I ask other cooks for their recipes for success and spend a lot of time learning to perfect the process of creating a good book.  And I cook.  And cook some more.  And if I'm lucky enough and work really hard, one day I might cook something worth consuming.


But then again, there are some things I want to stay away from...


 





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14 comments:

  1. janetJune 21, 2012 at 10:04 AM

    You know I can't bake a cake, even with a boxed mix. But I can make a mean meatloaf!
    I can write a little, too. Cute pictures. Send the second one (the cake itself) over to my apartment, please.

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    Replies
    1. Donna L MartinJune 21, 2012 at 10:58 AM

      I'm sure Tommy, my cat, would LOVE to have the last one sent his way...he wants someone to play with...;0)

      Thanks, Janet, for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  2. patientdreamerJune 21, 2012 at 2:28 PM

    Well, I love to bake and I love the third pic. That is right up my alley being a cake decorator in my ...haha.... spare time! Great analogy though!

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 21, 2012 at 5:08 PM

      Thanks, Diane...in my younger days when I use to have some free time, I would make squash cake that would taste like pineapple cake. I would trick my son into eating extra veggies that way...;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
    2. janetJune 22, 2012 at 10:26 AM

      I did not realize that third picture was a cake.

      Delete
    3. Donna L MartinJune 22, 2012 at 2:38 PM

      Lol, Janet...and yet you thought the last one WAS? ;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  3. loverofwordsJune 21, 2012 at 4:11 PM

    Good post, anything that is creative and inspires us is good.

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 21, 2012 at 5:09 PM

      And hopefully not too fattening...;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  4. Jarm Del BoccioJune 22, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Good analogy, Donna....but WHAT is that curious creature at the bottom of the page??

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 22, 2012 at 2:36 PM

      Hi Jarm! That is someone's version of a naked mole rat...lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  5. AnonymousJune 22, 2012 at 9:57 AM

    I like how you compare cooking to writing. So unique! :)

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 22, 2012 at 2:37 PM

      Hi Erik! Haven't you noticed yet that I compare writing to EVERYTHING? ;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  6. Julie HedlundJune 22, 2012 at 2:23 PM

    Wow! That last picture made me laugh out loud (and feel kind of sick to my stomach). :-)

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    Replies
    1. Donna L MartinJune 22, 2012 at 2:39 PM

      Hi Julie! Isn't it amazing what a person can find on the internet? Lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete

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