My social media is filled with photos and videos of food: baked goods, desserts, casseroles, all manner of delicious and appealing offerings. And even though I am one of the pickiest eaters on the planet, I can’t resist clicking and looking at many of the recipes. I’ve found some great items to add to our menu this way. And a few that we tried, but decided we didn’t want to repeat.
Often the photos show results that are impressive, but when I read the recipe, I realize it just won’t work for me. In desserts, entire recipes get bypassed instantly when certain ingredients are featured prominently. Coconut and ginger are the most frequent causes for rejection.
Other times, I have to make some customizations before a recipe will work for me. For example, if a recipe calls for onions or mushrooms, those items are automatically deleted before I try it. If it calls for tomatoes, I am going to blend them to a smooth consistency before adding them. Some of my favorite dishes have come from combining pieces of one recipe with another to make something special.
Going to writing workshops, classes, and conferences, I found that many writing methods are like recipes. Some have produced impressive results for someone else, but they simply won’t work for me for whatever reason. Other techniques need to be customized in order to work for me. And some are worth a try before I decide.
So instead of taking that writing technique as the only way to succeed in your writing goals, think of it as a recipe that you might try, customize, combine with other plans, or even reject as not right for you.
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