Variety is The Spice of Life

By Sandy Parks

How many times have you heard a new author say they were afraid to share their idea because someone might write the same story? If you’ve been a writer for long, my guess is it has been a frequent occurrence, and you may even have had those doubts yourself when you first started writing. But each person comes from a different background, with varying experiences, and cultural differences. Alas, the saying "variety is the spice of life."

Building on the word “spice,” I can’t help but relate this thought to food. I noticed on a recent trip that no matter what basic ingredients are given to cooks in various states or countries, they come up with unique dishes and methods of cooking the same food.

South African meat stews

As writers we serve up our story themes and ideas in much the same way. Some prefer to cook their meat in pots to create savory stew, throwing everything together and letting it boil until tender.

Moroccan lamb cooked on open fire

An outdoor lover might choose to barbecue their lamb on a tree limb spit over an open campfire with only rancid butter rubbed onto the meat. 

Greek kabobs

A bit more easy-going type might go the simpler route and grill it on skewers. 

Lamb in lemon sauce

Another might choose a classier method and bake their lamb in lemon until it falls apart. 

Goat in Red Sauce (island of Eos)

An adventurer might try something unique like goat with red sauce.

Pita kabobs (Greek)

An on the go type, might simply wrap their meat in a pita and paper. 

South Africa

Would your characters eat their fish whole or filleted without head and tail?

Seaside gumbo near Athens

 When serving up shrimp gumbo, will the shrimp still be whole (with exoskeleton) or already cleaned?

Yogurt Greens- Turkey

Greek Salad

Are your greens cooked in savory yogurt, sautéed in oils, or served fresh like in a Greek salad?

Can you see how the same story idea can be cooked up in many different ways? And the variations don't end there. After being cooked, spices are added depending upon regions, and that gives the story even more character. So next time you sit down to eat, think about how you spice up your characters, settings, and storyline. My characters in the Hawker Incorporated Series travel around the world so keep in touch with them and see what interesting dishes they discover.