I love when people use cooking analogies to describe writing.

Some talk about how their writing is oftentimes classified as the “veggies” part of the meal: something you know is good for you but usually looks unappealing at first glance. Others talk about how their story is the “meat” to everyone else’s potatoes — unless you’re a vegan, you’re going to find it enjoyable (unless it’s overdone, but by then the analogies get strange). Or that their book is like cake: good, but in the end best in small doses.

My books? Well, I think my book is like a good chili: I throw it all together in a slow cooker and hope to God that it comes out all right.

Yes, you just chuckled. Then you stopped and realized “Crap, he’s serious.”

I don’t always know how my book is going to come out. I’d like to hope it’s good, but sometimes I just added a little too much of something and it took away from the entire experience. Or even worse, I tend to go crazy and forget something entirely.

I’m bad at metaphors. So what is your writing like? Meat and taters? Juicy hamburger? Tofu?