How Writing Is Like Cooking: The Art of Patience, Simmering, and Slow Cooking

In the world of thrillers, where action erupts on the page and tension builds like a storm, there’s a surprising parallel to something far more domestic: cooking. As someone who’s spent years crafting stories in the action, espionage, and crime genres—drawing from real-world experiences in high-stakes environments—I’ve come to see writing as an awful lot like preparing a great meal.

Both demand patience. Both involve layers of ingredients that need time to meld. And both reward the slow cook over rushed efforts. Whether you’re building a complex plot or a hearty stew, the magic happens in the waiting.

The Prep Work: Gathering Your Ingredients

Every great dish starts with quality ingredients. In writing, those are your ideas, characters, research, and experiences. For my Jack Garrett series, that meant pulling from years in healthcare, global conservation work across continents, combat training, and the raw intensity of corporate leadership. Jack “Hammer” Garrett—a retired UFC champion turned rancher in the Texas Hill Country—didn’t spring from thin air. He simmered in my mind, informed by real tactics, geopolitics, and the kind of betrayal that hits hard in espionage tales.

In cooking, you wouldn’t throw random pantry scraps into a pot and expect Michelin-star results. You select fresh herbs, prime cuts of meat, spices that complement each other. Same with writing: rush the research, and your story falls flat. Take time to “chop” your concepts finely—outline scenes, develop backstories, test dialogue out loud. The foundation sets the flavor.

The Heat: Building Tension Without Burning It

Once ingredients are in, you apply heat. In writing, this is drafting—the exciting part where words flow and action sequences crackle like a hot pan. My debut novel HAMMER, releasing May 5, 2026, throws Jack into a vortex of danger and family betrayal right from the start. It’s fast-paced on the page, but getting there? Not so much.

Cooking has its high-heat moments too: searing a steak for that perfect crust or flash-frying vegetables to lock in crispness. But push it too far, and you get charred bitterness. Writers know this risk—the temptation to race through a draft without letting scenes breathe. Overwrite in the heat of inspiration, and you end up with purple prose or plot holes big enough to drive a tank through.

The key? Controlled heat. Write in bursts, then step back. Let the draft rest overnight, like cooling a sauce before tasting.

Patience: The Secret Ingredient

Here’s where most aspiring writers (and home cooks) stumble: patience.

Great cooking isn’t microwaved. A true ragù or Texas-style brisket needs hours—sometimes days—of low, steady attention. You can’t force tenderness. Writing mirrors this exactly. First drafts are rarely ready. They require revision after revision: trimming fat, reducing excess, layering in subplots like building a complex reduction.

In the Jack Garrett world, every tactical detail, every twist of espionage, had to simmer. I didn’t just invent covert ops; I drew from lived experience and let ideas percolate. Rushing would have diluted the authenticity that makes thrillers pulse with realism.

Patience means trusting the process. Some chapters need to “marinate” in feedback from beta readers. Others sit in the drawer while you work on something else, only to reveal their flaws (or strengths) later. As an author who’s also navigated publishing timelines, I’ve learned that good stories, like good food, improve with time.

Simmer: Letting Flavors Develop

Simmering is my favorite stage in both crafts. Low heat, gentle bubbles. In cooking, this is where onions sweeten, spices bloom, and proteins tenderize without toughening.

For writers, simmering is the revision phase. You go back through your manuscript, not blasting changes but allowing small adjustments to deepen character arcs or heighten suspense. A subtle line of dialogue here, a foreshadowing hint there—elements that weren’t obvious in the first draft suddenly tie everything together.

In HAMMER, the slower-building elements of Jack’s ranch life and personal loss contrast the explosive action, creating that rich depth. The story simmers with underlying tension before it boils over. Readers taste the layers because the writer let them develop.

This stage demands discipline. It’s easy to get impatient and crank up the heat, but true flavor comes from restraint.

Slow Cook: The Long Game Pays Off

Then there’s the slow cook—the crockpot approach. Set it and (mostly) forget it, checking occasionally. Some dishes, like chili or pulled pork, taste better the next day. Writing a novel, especially a series, is the ultimate slow cook.

Building the Jack Garrett series isn’t a sprint. From concept to polished pages, it spans months (or years) of incubation. My background in media, podcasting, and awards-winning publishing taught me that rushing a book leads to undercooked results. Instead, I let the world of the story evolve—adding geopolitical realism from my travels, tactical authenticity from training—until it feels lived-in and immersive.

The payoff? A meal (or manuscript) that satisfies deeply. Readers don’t just consume; they savor. They come back for seconds, eager for the next book in the series.

Why This Metaphor Matters for Writers

If you’re writing—whether thrillers, literary fiction, or your first blog post—embrace the kitchen mindset:

• Gather thoughtfully: Research deeply, know your “pantry.”

• Apply heat wisely: Draft with energy, but don’t scorch.

• Exercise patience: Good things take time.

• Simmer intentionally: Revise with care, layer flavors.

• Slow cook when needed: Trust the long process for richer results.

In my own journey, this approach turned scattered ideas into the pulse-pounding world of Jack Garrett. HAMMER drops soon, and I can’t wait for readers to dig in.

Next time you’re stuck on a scene or staring at a blank page, step away. Chop some vegetables. Stir a pot. Let your story simmer. The best writing, like the best meals, is never rushed.

What about you? Have you found parallels between creative pursuits and everyday arts like cooking? Drop a comment below, or subscribe to the HAMMER FILES newsletter on https://joebetar.com/newsletter-joebetar for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the Jack Garrett series, early previews, and more.

Until next time—keep writing, keep cooking, and enjoy the process.