Cooking Up a Good Story

I bet you didn't know I was a gourmet chef on the side, did you? Aaaand that's because I'm not. But that doesn't stop me from trying a new ice cream flavor or experimenting with a new recipe. I enjoy the science and art of it all. Good cooking brings double-blessings--you get to eat tasty food, and you get to watch friends and family enjoy themselves.

When I tell people I like to cook, I'm rarely asked "Are you going to be a chef someday?" Maybe I'm just not that good. Still, that's not the point. (Wait for it, the point is coming in the next paragraph.)

I bet you knew I'm a writer. I like to write YA Fantasy novels. I'm trying my hand at shorter stories, but I tend to end up writing the longer form. I enjoy creating places populated with interesting characters who get put through the ringer and topping it off with a dash of magic.

When I share this with others I'm almost always asked, "Do you want to be an author?" If the person asking isn't a writer, it's an easy answer, "I enjoy writing, and I'm working on being published." If the person is a writer, the answer is much harder.

See, I view writing much the same way I view cooking. It's my hobby. And just like cooking, one of my creations can't reach its full potential until someone else enjoys it. This means I'm working to publish my stories. Which, technically, makes me an author, but the title Author has a lot more to it. Just like the title Chef.

My goals are simple: I will write stories to the best of my ability. I will work with other professionals (writers, artists, marketers, editors, etc) to make my works high-quality. I will share my works so others can enjoy them or not. Then I will take all that I've learned and repeat. I don't dream of being a full-time author. In fact, I don't know if I would enjoy it as much if there were external deadlines and pressure.

Here's my question to you, gentle reader. If that last paragraph were about cooking I'd get all nods and smiles, but since it's about writing . . . why do I feel my writer friends look at me like I have three heads?  I know many writers dream of making it big and living off their writing. I think that's a respectable goal. I also think that in today's age of ePublishing there is room for the hobby novelist as well.

What do you think?

* BBQ Chicken "Wings" picture is was taken by me at my dinner table before they all disappeared. See? I can cook.