Writers spend copious amounts of time working on their craft, and sometimes we need to take a break, just to let our brains rest.  I have several ways of allowing my mind to stop pushing itself into a story.  This is an obsessive tendency that can be draining and can result in feeling burned out, and that results in feeling too tired to sit down at my desk and come up with any sort of creative thought.  Matter of fact, it makes me downright cranky.

One thing I enjoy doing when I need a bit of a break is baking.  And I especially enjoy it when I come across a recipe that is a different spin on others I might have in  my stash of cookbooks.  Recently, in the local paper there was a recipe for Sky High Lemon Meringue Pie.  (because the meringue was twice as high as the actual lemon custard)  I bake a LOT of chocolate pies with meringue, but the meringue is usually only about half as high as the pie.  Not so bad, really.  But, this Lemon Pie? I had to try it because Mother’s Day was coming up, it looked impressive and what’s my mom’s fave pie?  Right.

So, here is where I come in with a few pictures.  Yes, I had this blog in mind when I took them, because to me, baking a pie can be sort of like writing if you think about it.

First, you assemble your ingredients and your baking tools (story arc, character creation):

you throw it all into a bowl/or pot, and mix it up (plot development takes off):

Assemble pie  (conflict/character mash up, tension increases, suspense rises)

Bake, cool, and enjoy!  (character/conflict resolution, THE END),

Since I discovered how comforting it was to write, bake, and then write some more, I moved on to another tasty treat, strawberry shortcake with buttermilk cake for the cake part:

This latest baking frenzy means I HAVE to get back to running…, and soon.

How do you unwind when working on your stories?