7 Ways Pumpkin Carving Is Like Writing a Book – Every autumn, I envision the cute costumes I could whip up in a jiffy without breaking the bank. The striking family photo taken of us in our coordinating outfits in the perfect pumpkin patch. And of course, displaying two award-worthy carved pumpkins (one for each child) at the entrance to our home.

Then I awake from my daydream.

The sad fact is that I’m not creative and I‘m certainly not crafty. I can’t sew on a button, let alone create an entire outfit, so I end up spending a small fortune on overpriced store-bought costumes that won’t fit again next year.

My family, apparently, cannot color coordinate nor smile simultaneously for a group photo no matter how many times we try in the fake farm setting next to the main road in the center of town.

And when it comes to carving pumpkins, well, let’s just say that it’s an adventure in humility.

“Pick something simple,” I instructed my youngest son.

Away to the Internet he went and a few minutes later, he happily supplied me with a printed image of Nintendo’s character, Kirby.

How hard can it be? I thought. It’s just a circular blob with eyes.

“Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s do it.”

From that moment forward, the steps involved in carving that pumpkin reminded me of the steps we authors have to go through every time we write a book.Read More