A Story About Pie

Let’s talk about pie.

Yes, pie.

The dessert, not the mathematical number.

I have a friend, A, who is a phenomenal pastry chef.  I have been able to sample her creations on numerous occasions, but I have never pressed my advantage. Our children were in the same class in first or second grade and that was the first time I heard about A’s cream puffs.

You see, it was A’s child’s birthday and instead of bringing in store-bought cupcakes for the class, A brought (per her child’s request), homemade cream puffs.

My child informed me that they were delicious and could she also have homemade cream puffs brought to school for her birthday?

My child asked me for cream puffs for years. The memory of those delicious cream puffs haunted my poor, underprivileged child saddled with a useless mom who was not even going to attempt homemade cream puffs.

Yet. I became friends with A anyway, even though she showed me up in the cream puff department. And the tartlette department. And the macaron department.

She is a trained and accomplished pastry chef, after all. I accept that I cannot compete in these arenas.

But like I said, I’ve never asked for special favors or samples. I would never presume. Baking is hard work and can be expensive and I respect that this is her job.

Then one day last week, A posted a photo of a new recipe she was developing.

It was a completely new type of pie.

A described it in loving, intricate detail, using elevated vocabulary that only true foodies would appreciate.  Panna cotta. Sweet milk. Chocolate ball.

Okay, even I understood that last one.

I get a text soon after from A: Do you want to try this new pie?  

Um, yes.

I dropped by A’s house and she had a miniature sized  pie waiting for me. It was perfect. Perfect shape, perfect dollop of whipped cream on the top, sprinkled with just the right amount of chocolate garnish. Not a crumb out of place. Not a scorch mark or over-brown spot to be seen.

“I’m trying it out,” A said. “I want to know what you think.”

“It looks perfect,” I said.

“Eh,” she said.

EH?

And right then, I saw it.  The tangle of emotions that a creative person gets when they’re trying something new. The excitement, the uncertainty, the passion, the perfectionism.

To me, that miniature pie was perfection. If I had made up the recipe – from scratch, mind you – then created eight sample-sized pies that all looked like they could go straight into a Parisian patisserie’s display case, you would not be hearing “eh” from me.

I would be jumping on top of couches and demanding an excessive amount of praise for creating something amazing from nothing.

For A? It was simply the first draft of a new pie.

Which is something I recognize. My first drafts… well, yes, they’re amazing. But I know they can get better.

I told her then – she was inspiring to me. (And I’m telling her now.)

The fact that she has a new idea – and then uses her skills and talents – to create something that people will gobble down (with pleasure) in five minutes?

It makes my heart ache a little. Humans want to create things. We want to bring smiles to faces. We want to impact days, if not lives.

Whether it’s pies or hand-knitted sweaters from artisanal-dyed yarn or bold paintings or fun stories about falling in love and solving mysteries, so many of us want to share little expressions of ourselves with others. We want them warm, fed, smiling, inspired.

If you’re a creative person, thank you. You make the world a better place.

You know what else makes the world a different place?

A new pie, every month.

That’s right. My friend A has a pie of the month club.   Which is where this story goes to a whole new level.

While I was appreciating A’s new, never been created before pie recipe, and seeing the connection between her culinary creativity and my literary efforts, I remembered the Pie of the Month Club.

“Why don’t I do that?” I asked myself.

I really hate when I do that.

But I have spent the last seven months having lots of deep thoughts about life, work and creating. (#pandemic) I’ve asked myself a lot of uncomfortable questions.

If A can create pastry recipes from scratch EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH…

Could I do the same?

No, not pies, obviously. We’ve established that’s not my oeuvre.

Stories.

Could I put myself out there and go a little crazy? Try new things? Update old things? Write boldly, write unapologetically, write whatever it was I wanted to read that day? Add the fiction equivalent of cardamom when people expect cinnamon?

I think I want to try.

Maybe?

When you start writing commercially, you start to let other people’s opinions get inside your head. And it’s time for me to knock some of that out.

There’s a song that I’ve been loving lately that sort of sums this all up – my words and A’s baking.

If it ain't familiar, it's 'cause you ain't had it yet
Even if you don't like it, I bet you won't forget
There's always one or two pushing on the envelope
So I'ma raise a glass to you if you're one of those

- Maren Morris

So. Who’s in for Story of the Month club?

If you’re interested in following along with this new development, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter. I haven’t thought through all the details yet but whatever they end up being, the Inner Circle will definitely be the first ones to know!

Best Books to Read Now - Creative #HBIC Edition

I've been wanting to do this edition of Best Books to Read Now for a while now. So voila! Here is my list of the nonfiction books about creativity and writing that I love and, in some cases, refer to again and again.  

****UPDATED in 2019!****

About Creativity...

The Artisan Soul - Erwin Raphael McManus  - comes at creativity from a Christian/ religious persepective

Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert  - I also highly recommend the podcast by the same name. Not a Christian perspective but definitely some #woowoo there.

About being an HBIC...

The Pro Writer Mindset - Jennifer Blanchard - practical advice on goals, writing and business. Loved this.

The Desire Map - Danielle LaPorte -  I recommend this one and/or The Pro Writer Mindset when you need some concrete advice on how to get where you want to get.  The Desire Map is a little more woowoo but there's some great stuff on affirmations and visualization in The Pro Writer Mindset too.

Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme - I highly recommend Becca’s Better Faster Academy courses to every writer I meet (she’s my writing/life coach/guru) but this book is a nice introduction to her methods and madness and empowers you to make the best choices that work for you. (Check out my Women With Books episode interviewing Becca for more information.)

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women - Valerie Young - a good and empowering read about conquering your imposter syndrome

You are a Badass at Making Money - Jen Sincero - really, any of Jen Sincero’s books help you HBIC level up, but this one’s my favorite because cha-ching.

Atomic Habits - James Clear - I’ve decided that most productivity books don’t really apply to most multi-tasking women but this one actually spoke to me and I recommend it all the time.

About Writing and Marketing...

Romancing the Beat - Gwen Hayes - a concise, easy to read guide on how to plot a romance novel

Save the Cat - Blake Snyder  - I'm a disciple of this storytelling method. It doesn't click for everyone but once you see stories through a Save the Cat lens, you'll never go back.

Writing the Cozy Mystery - Nancy J. Cohen - another great, concise and practice guide to writing a popular genre

Your A Game - Damon Suede and Heidi Cullinan - about promotion and marketing and how different personality types can approach it.

Newsletter Ninja - Tammy Labrecque - the ultimate bible on how to build and engage the most powerful marketing tool; a newsletter

And now you really want to know... what in the blazes is an HBIC?

Head

Bitch

In

Charge.

That's right. We're taking back the B-word.

It's what my friends and I started calling ourselves when we stopped and realized that (1) we really knew what we were talking about when it came to our business stuff and (2) we were stronger when we worked together and supported each other.

On a sunny Feburary afternoon, after a beautiful al fresco luncheon, we started dreaming. What if... what if more people could join our group? What if... what if we could teach and learn from each other?  What if... we took over the world?  Thus, HBIC Nation was born.

Founded by six authors (and badass business women), HBIC Nation is a place to learn, share, and grow your creative empire--plus have one heck of a good time while doing it. If you identify as an HBIC, you are welcome. 

So if you're a creative of any type, and you identify as an HBIC, you are welcomed at the party.  Come visit our Instagram, sign up for our newsletter, join our Facebook group, pour a drink and let's get to work together.

P.S. Do you love our unicorn logo?  For launch week, we're offering a discount on logo t-shirts!!!  Check it out HERE.