Artichokes?  No, I haven’t lost my mind or in desperate need of a vacation.  Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables.  More than half of the time throughout the year, I have an artichoke with my dinner or a chilled one for lunch.  You peel each tantalizing leaf for its delicate meat at the tips, dipping it into mayonnaise, seasoned olive oil, or butter, and ultimately end up with the “heart” – the ultimate delicacy. Yum!   

For those of you who may not be familiar, an artichoke is a “thistle-like” Eurasian plant cultivated for its large flower-like head containing many fleshy, scale-like leaves.  This so-called thistle can be cooked (steamed) and eaten.  I just happen to live near the “Artichoke Capital of the World”, which is located in Castroville, California.  They even have an annual artichoke festival dedicated to this remarkable veggie coming up in May.

An artichoke is a fascinating and often misunderstood vegetable.  It made me ponder on the fact that writers have some important things in common with artichokes.  There’s more than what’s meet the eye on both accounts.

There is often some mystic (as with artichokes) surrounding the writer who types away for endless hours creating a story for readers to enjoy.  Who are these lone wolves who spend more time with their written characters (it seems) than with their friends and family? 

What’s the purpose of eating an artichoke and peeling away at the numerous leaves?  It’s to get to the heart of course! 

What’s the purpose of writing a book?  Well… it’s to tell a riveting story (hopefully) with ups and downs, excitement, strugglers, and to ultimately propel the reader to the end.  You could say it’s the meat or “heart” of the story.  It leaves the reader asking many questions in the process.  Is it going to turn out all right?  Will the hero get what he/she wants?    

Artichokes and writers can be compared to some degree.  There will always be a little bit of mystery with each, but I promise some type of adventure will often ensue.  I hope that you will not look at an artichoke or a writer in the same way.