Salt can be found everywhere. In the earth. Our oceans and seas. Our air. Even in our bodies. It was such a valuable commodity in our early ages that wars were waged just for the power and control salt would afford its owner.

Only the rich could afford salt. It was a sign of prestige and honor to be able to possess it in even minimum quantities. It was often traded for fine silks and jewels. It was once the spice of Kings served in golden vials and held in awe. Mighty salt is now relegated to tiny little paper sacks next to the straws and napkins at McDonalds. Now.. it’s in every pantry and on every table around the world. As common as water.

Still, after hundreds of years it holds a relevant place in our daily lives. Cooking. Preserving. Even some pharmaceuticals. Too much salt is bad for us. Too little salt is bad for us. Even stranger is that salt alone isn’t enough. We add a multitude of spices to enhance our flavors. Paprika, curry, thyme, sage, chilis, and all manner of bottled and packaged seeds and herbs.

Writing is like salt. Too much or too little and the roast is ruined. Some writers are able to sense when it is just right. They blend their spices perfectly. A dab of this.. a dib of that.. stir.. and serve to the masses.

We all know who these writers are. We all have our preferred “taste”. We all know that each time out they are able to experiment and tweak each piece of work and add just the right spice to appeal to their readers. Amazingly each of them are unique to each other and offer us a cornucopia of perfectly blended masterpieces.

These specialists sit at their magical keyboards and it’s as if the pantry doors open and each finger taps upon finely stocked shelves of crystal glass vials of spices and herbs. In the natural order of things the words appear on their monitors and effortlessly morph into a story or poem designed to arouse, entice or inspire the reader. More often than not successfully.

The world is full of people who think just because they have a keyboard they are writers. Just like there are those people with hammers in their garage who think they are carpenters. It’s not any wonder why the good writers always take a critical eye on their work. Constantly opening those pantry doors to take stock of themselves.

Struggle is a part of writing. Doubt is a part of writing. The search for just the right spice is the journey to the place you want to be. Lately, when I’ve gone to my pantry.. all I see is salt.