Baking Up Words

If you follow me on Twitter, you have likely seen my bio, which reads:

"Fiction writer. East Tennesseean. Softball player. Reader. Cooking up words and biscuits. Have some, they're whole wheat."

Now, the bit about words and biscuits means no more than I am a writer who enjoys cooking. (Also, my biscuits are whole wheat and contain no Crisco. I know, I have failed as a southerner.)

However, there are certain similarities between the two. Cooking is, after all, an art form requiring creativity and patience. There is a long tradition of writers partaking in other art forms. Though the forms of expression vary, I do believe that all art comes from the same place. It is a place of freedom and a place of discontent—a desire to look on the world and see it for all it is and all it could be.

In the spirit of these two different but complementary art forms—and always trying to view writing from a different angle—here is my recipe for "Story a la Mode."

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh character
• 1 setting
• 1-5 minor characters
• 1 tbsp tension
• 1/2 tbsp voice
• 1 tsp style
• 1 cup diced conflict

Directions:

• Add 1 fresh character to large mixing bowl. *I know it's tempting to use frozen, but trust me, it just won't be the same
• Slowly pour in setting while stirring gently with wooden spoon.
• Add 1-5 minor characters, according to taste.
• Add the tension, voice, and style. *resist adding theme, it smells wonderful but will turn the final product bitter
• Add a full cup of finely diced conflict, immediately beating the mixture with a metal whisk. *remember to keep your hands away from your face and eyes after handling the conflict, wash with hot water
• Allow mixture to rise for two hours in a warm environment. It should double in size.
• Once it has risen, punch your fist directly into the bowl, deflating the story-dough.
• At this point, you may either wrap tightly in plastic-wrap and freeze or stick your head—I mean the dough—in the oven and begin editing.

Calories per serving: the same as two pints of ice cream, a Hawaiian pizza, and a bottle of whiskey. Or two.

I hope your baking turns out splendidly! Let me know in the comments if you use a different recipe.


A few other things I would like to mention:

Pitch Wars wrapped up today, and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of it. Thank you to the wonderful Brenda Drake, who put this whole circus together. Thank you to each of the mentors who are devoting their time and energy to helping new writers achieve their goals. And thank you to everyone who has been there supporting each other, from Ashley Flach for setting up #menteemates to Vanessa Barger for her wonderful CP list. This competition has been an incredible experience. It has brought together a community of writers, and we all need community. We need to support and help one another, always.

Happy writing!