That’s How the Cookie Crumbles
By Carlo Dall’Olmo
Writing is no easy task. Let’s start there. It’s just not. No matter what anyone says, it takes an immense amount of dedication and a knowledge (born through many failed attempts) of structure that over time becomes a finely tuned craft. There is no magical formula to writing a good story. There are many who claim there is, and some have even written books on it. Truth be told, if there was a magical formula then everyone could do it and succeed. The sad reality though – few do. Is it lack of talent, lack of opportunity or worse yet, bad advice? It’s hard to say for sure but if I were a betting man I would place more of my chips on bad advice than opportunity or talent.
I was in one of my baking moods the other day and decided to try something “simple” and not too complex. For those who read last month’s article, you may remember my new fascination with baking as my latest hobby (as it were) and how I have taken my eye off writing and placed it in a more secure form of appreciative art. Without rehashing the article, I find baking to be more sustaining to my artistic needs while not requiring the same gut-wrenching soul searching that writing requires. Anyway, without digressing too much, I decided to bake cookies. Yes, cookies, chocolate chips for a matter of fact. They shouldn’t be too hard to make, right? I mean I’ve made biscotti cookies and cannoli for crying out loud – cookies should be easy.
So, I found a recipe online like I’ve done with all my other baked goods. Started following the instructions and before long started noticing the cookie dough wasn’t coming out as I knew it should. It was dry – not sticky. I didn’t pay much attention to it, thought well maybe it’s me, maybe things will turn out (as they always have) the way they are supposed to once it is baked. I popped the dough in the oven, gave it the time the instructions told me and when it was all done, the cookies came out in one big clump of dough…well actually 14 clumps of dough. I couldn’t believe it. It was a hot mess. Not thin and round like you see in the tv ads or on the instructions – instead like a round clump of dough. I did a double take of the instructions. Checked and re-checked to make sure I added all the right ingredients. Everything was correct from the instructions except my cookies looked like some science experiment gone terribly wrong.
I tried following the instructions again, exactly as written. I thought, maybe I missed something but again, the dough was dry and turned out clumpy just like before. I couldn’t believe it. Self-doubt started filling my head. Maybe I wasn’t as good with baking as I thought. Maybe, just maybe, like writing, I just didn’t have what it took. Could that be? I panicked. I went back to internet and found other recipes. I looked and compared ingredients. One recipe had more butter and eggs than the one I was using. Then it hit me. Eggs make dough sticky. Of course, my dough was dry because the amount of egg suggested in the first recipe wasn’t enough. I needed more egg. It wasn’t me it was a bad recipe. I went back at it, added more eggs and butter and before I knew, my dough was sticky, just like I knew it was supposed to be. Popped the cookie dough in the oven and like magic, my cookies came out looking like cookies. Cue music and angels descending from the heavens.
So what, you say. What the hell does this have to do with writing? A lot. As writers we are always doubting our abilities. It’s in our blood. Hollywood rarely mentions us. Never on the silver screen do you see multiple people mentioned for the same craft…except for the script. Last time I checked, there was only one director and while there may be many types of producers, only one or two get to go up and accept the award for the best picture. The screenwriter is truly an afterthought in the industry and as such we are an insecure bunch. We are conditioned to think that our story isn’t good unless it has this X formula that some guru tells us it needs to have in order to break in. We spend so much time worrying about the magical formula that we forget to tell our story. We forget to concentrate on what we are trying to say. Then we get it “right” according to the gurus and our script is tossed to the side because it’s boring. It’s trite and lacks a voice. Is that the fault of the writer? Is it because the writer has no talent, no opportunity to get it in front of the right people or could it be the recipe? While we all need a good recipe for out script souffle, we need to be very careful with who we trust. Just because they say they have the answer doesn’t mean they do. Anyone who tells you there is a magical formula, a “right” way (only way) to write your story is someone to keep at arm’s length. While there are certain elements that need to be in a story, no story is the same. If every story was a plug-n-play, there would be no need for writers. Use your gut instinct when writing your story. If something feels out of place or not right, go with it and explore more. Throughout the span of time, our gut instinct saved lives – there is a reason for that.
Along my journey, I have come across many gurus who wanted to talk to me because they have the answer. Some I have let speak but most I push to the side because it didn’t feel right. While we all need to learn from those who are experts in the field, knowledge is power, we also must rely on our own instincts as well. You are the creator of our work after all. No one knows what you are trying to say better than you. So, while you seek out advice, take heart in knowing you can do this. If you can’t, no one else will. Again, there is no magical formula, just hard work.
If you have a thought on this article, I would love to hear it. Please drop me a line in the comments below