Remember being at Grandma’s house for a holiday? She’d be in the kitchen, cooking up one of her unforgettable specialty meals. She’d sing or hum as she stuffed the bird or stirred the pot of soup. The house filled with the aroma of mouthwatering food and … and … something else.
You couldn’t quite put your finger on what was different about Grandma’s soup, but it always hit the spot. It was the best. Nobody else can recreate that flavor. Even when she gave you her secret recipe and you followed it precisely, the finished product just wasn’t the same. Why?
The secret ingredient was Grandma.
With each swirl of the spoon as it paddled through the potatoes and carrots, the onions and the celery, she added her secret ingredient to the pot. Her love. Only Grandma could flavor the soup with her love.
With every spoonful, you tasted her unconditional love. The taste was unique, tantalizing the taste buds of your hungry, tender heart. When you left the table, not only was your belly full, your heart overflowed with love and acceptance.
Nobody could make soup like Grandma. Nobody.
Our stories are the same way. Yeah, you could tell me your plot, introduce me to your characters and divulge your black moment, epiphany and happily ever after. Even with all those ingredients, I could never write the story as well as you. Why? Because you are the secret to the success of your novel.
Who stirs the pot matters.
You are cooking up a wonderful story soup. Homemade. Fresh ingredients. A little simmering heat. And yes, don’t forget your secret ingredient: you. Do you ever think you’re not meant to write? Ask yourself: What would the soup taste like without you stirring the pot?
You are the grandma of your soup. You are the one who will make your novel soup taste right. Taste unforgettable. You are absolutely necessary. Without you, your family of readers will miss out on the most wonderful meal they ever read!
Who stirs the pot matters. You matter. You are the secret to making your story a success. So keep stirring the pot, Grandma! We, your readers, will bring our spoons to the table.
~*~
Reba J. Hoffman is a natural encourager whose works appear in publications such as Running for the Women’s Soul by Road Runner Sports. She is the Member Care Coach for My Book Therapy. She holds a doctorate in clinical counseling and uses her experience with people to write romantic suspense.
