Today’s topic is another one that I think I was given as a joke or a gotcha, but as I woke up this morning, I realized I might have a little bit more to say on this subject, and how I can tie it back to writing.

Mashed potatoes. You take your peeled potatoes and then you boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew, add milk, and season them for taste. People generally go for a smooth consistency, but I personally don’t mind mashed potatoes being a little lumpy. The texture of mashed potatoes can be extremely boring.

That “season for taste” can incorporate quite a bit. It can include salt, pepper, butter, possibly sour cream and chives if you’re freaky. A lot of mashed potatoes are served with gravy. If you were asked to describe the best mashed potatoes you’ve ever had, how much of your description would include the things that were added to the potatoes? “Season for taste” really means “turn this into a palatable food.”

No one’s mouth is watering over plain, unseasoned, mashed potatoes.

The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that potatoes are primarily a conveyance food. French fries are salty, sometimes covered in ketchup. If you’re in Europe, you might be drowning them in mayonnaise, according to Vincent Vega. Jack’s Urban Eats makes an entire meal of French fries, putting all kinds of stuff on them.

Fries and chips can get away with less because of their texture. Plain fries and chips might offer a satisfying crunch; what can plain mashed potatoes offer? If your mashed potatoes are crunchy, something has gone terribly wrong.

But who cares, right?

I think this ties back to writing in that as writers, we take our words, characters, various plots, and we boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew turn them into stories and poems, and hope that what we’ve made is palatable to a reading audience. The seasoning that makes our creation distinctive is our voice. That’s what we bring to the table. It’s the special ingredient that only we can provide.

Now I’m kind of hungry.