Flecked pottery with a blue band, my cookie jar settles in place with a substantial clatter. When I lift the lid I catch the salty-sweet scent of peanut-butter cookies that once filled the container.
Today only crumbs remain.
Some days my writing life feels like an empty cookie jar, full of rich, calorie-laden memories but nothing I can sink my teeth into. It's time to bake a new batch of cookies. Time to fill the jar again.
Gingersnaps? Chocolate chip? Snicker-doodles? The decisions hover above the vacant page.
It would be easier to grab store-bought cookies. Safe, generic, mass-produced.
As I get out my mixing bowl I think of all the people who make better cookies than I do. Sweeter, prettier, more creative, more carefully decorated.
Should I add more sugar, or less? How much baking soda do I need for the story to lift off the page? Will anyone notice if I slip a little wheatgerm into the plot? Which spices should I add to my dialogue?
The cookie jar is waiting. Do I have another story in me? Can I fill it again?
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Are you a writer? Composer? Painter? Which cookie type would you use to typify your artistic work? Please tell us about the kind of art you do and what sort of cookie it brings to mind.
4 comments:
I'm not a good cookie baker, but one of my writer friends is. She's famous for her chocolate chip cookies. When I bite into one, I'm usually struck with a tang of salt but pleasantly mixed with the sweetness. I think my stories are that way. A little shock of something you didn't expect, but as you chew it around, you realize it's a bit like life itself. And you realize you want more.
P.S. I certainly hope you are more stories in you! The Sword of Lyric series is one of my all time favorites. Your writing style is a work of art.
Sarah - that is a BRILLIANT description of your stories. I love it. I love books that surprise me and give me something to chew on. :-)
And yes, I also hope to bake a new batch of stories. Right now I'm celebrating the fourth Sword of Lyric story releasing...but always thinking about the next novel to bake.
Thanks for commenting!!!!
Of course :-) By the way, I sent you an email yesterday, but sometimes my email address gets tossed in junk. Just wanted to give you a heads up.
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