It’s all about the cheesecake
By Therese Walsh | November 24, 2009 |
A food-inspired post in honor of the holiday…
So you work on a novel for, oh, let’s say six years, and you’re tired in a million ways. You’re wondering, Why would I ever, ever do this to myself again–besides the fact that you have to do it again, because you have a two-book contract. (You’re sure to throw in a little self-recrimination too, because you’re complaining and how many writer friends would want a two-book contract?) And then, a miracle happens.
People.
People like your book. They’re reading it–like, really reading it. And they’re enjoying it, or so they say. And it reminds you of making cheesecake–the hours you’d spend in the kitchen, bent over that cheesecake, babying that cheesecake, making the pastry crust and lining it with dark chocolate, and integrating the raspberry topping into the batter. It reminds you of the cheesecake because as you are dealing with the backache of making that cheesecake you are asking yourself, “Why, oh why, do I do this? This can’t be worth it!” But then, later, your brother-in-law, who requested the cake for his big 3-0 dinner, takes a bite and his face turns a million shades of happy; or a complete stranger approaches you at a party and says in a soft-serious mutter, “Thank you for making this. It is divine.”
I will write again, not because I have a two-book contract (oh, okay, okay, I will, but just listen a second); I will write again, because of emails like this:
I finished reading your book a few days ago and I wanted to tell you what I thought about it. I really enjoyed it and I’m so happy to have found it. It was the kind of read that kept me thinking for days- at work, at home, and in class. That is when I know a book is really good- when it keeps me thinking, when I wish I hadn’t already finished that novel.
That not only makes me happy, it provides me with fuel and makes me want to keep on keeping on. How about you? What motivates you to write?
Next week: How to build a Facebook Ad!
Photo courtesy Flickr’s adactio.
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
Whenever I get discouraged, I seem to stumble on a post from an author who has gone through what I’m going through, and get the encouragement I need to keep at it. (Writer Unboxed has done that several times for me.)
Thank you for keeping me going.
(Can’t wait to read Last Will!)
.-= Erika Robuck´s last blog ..With Hemingway: A Year in Key West & Cuba =-.
Therese,
You had me at the mere mention of cheesecake. ;)
But in all seriousness, this post in itself is a good motivator to write. When you use phrases like “a million shades of happy” and “in a soft-serious mutter” it makes me rethink my own word choices and scrutinize how I might improve every sentence.
I’m ecstatic to hear that you’re working on another book. I’m currently reading Last Will, and so far, I have to agree with all the good comments I’ve read about it.
After I finished chapter one, I reluctantly set the book down and stared at it for a moment. My husband saw me and said, “Is that one any good?” (He says “that one” because I always have a book in my hand, and he knows I have different levels of enjoyment of them. And by the way, he likes the cover as much as I do.)
I finally peeled my eyes from the book and said, “Anything that starts out with a woman contemplating just how far she’ll go to get a knife in her possession–something called a keris; it’s fascinating–you know it’s automatically bumped into my top ten of all-time, before I even finish it.”
And then he smiled at me. Because he knew it was the truth.
Can’t wait to hear more about your next project!
~Lydia
.-= Lydia Sharp´s last blog ..Antagonist Tips: Creating a Character We Love to Hate =-.
Wonderful, wonderful! Putting together a book and baking a beautiful dessert are both solitary endeavors that find their meaning in the audience. There’s joy in the process — I love to cook and to write — but something extra, something special, in seeing the end result appreciated.
Aw what a great email! Congrats!
And in a funny coincidence, the BookEnds blog used a cheesecake metaphor today too!
https://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/11/time-is-money.html
.-= Kristan´s last blog ..Rachel Is =-.
Yes! Cheesecake! My ex used to make it; she was an expert.
All the work developing and producing your writing starts being worth every minute when you get your first “I liked it; may I have some more, please?” comment. That says you’ve accomplished your goal at least once: to create a profound emotional experience. You’ve communicated.
.-= Bruce H. Johnson´s last blog ..Tech Writer to Fiction Writer 3: Ya Got a Problem, Buddy? =-.
i recently read your book and i’m still thinking about it. how we make so many choices and decisions, never realizing the long term ramifications of them. so much must be fated.
Luscious picture and super luscious talents in writing/storytelling/heartfelt sharing…you’ll do it all again to give us THE best!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
.-= larramiefg´s last blog ..What Kind of Books Are Our Authors? =-.
I have to agree with Erika…finding a blurb from an author who has faced the same challenges as I instantly gives me the hope and motivation I need!
Therese, haven’t read Last Will just yet…is there a way to get a signed copy (other than attending a signing? Afraid I live a bit too far away for that!)
Thanks for the great post!
Teri,
Oh, what a lovely image. It not only makes me hungry for cheesecake, but gets me ready to chain myself to the computer and write a bit more of my next novel.
I agree with you. The contract is the stick, waiting to strike us if we lag. The comments are the carrot…or, in this case, the cheesecake.
Best wishes.
Thanks for the great, supportive comments, everyone.
Lydia, I hope you continue enjoying Last Will!
Kristan, that is funny about the dual cheesecake posts. Must be something in the air! Maybe cheesecake fumes.
Bruce, that’s it exactly.
Jamie, there is a place you can order a signed copy of Last Will online: RiverRead Books. If you decide to order, feel free to leave a specific request for how you’d like the book signed in the comments section of the order — otherwise I’ll be creative. Thanks for your interest!
Once again, another lovely post, Therese! Definitely meeting the fans and seeing how excited they are to pick up the latest novel in my series keeps me going. I only intended to write one novel for my daughter, and because my fans keep wanting the next story, it’s now become nine!
Thanks for sharing, Therese!
Lorna’s last blog… Interview with YA novelist Bev Katz Rosenbaum
Yes! Yes! So true. So many days we find ourselves crawling torturously through the writing, wondering why we choose this struggle. Certain it would’ve been so much easier and wiser had we decided long ago to be a brain surgeon instead of hitting ourselves in the head with this ridiculous writing process day after day. BUT THEN, it happens, we make the cheesecake – all the ingredients come together and in the midst of toil is perfection! Words, scenes, and characters that at last feel alive and beautiful enough to send the pain and uncertainly scurrying away like dust and we remember exactly why we decided to tackle that complicated cheesecake recipe to begin with. Not only for ourselves, but for the wonderful, amazing readers who read and respond to our creations. Thank you Therese, you continue to amaze and inspire :-)