A ham hock doesn’t usually come up in conversation for me, but recently I had an enjoyable exchange with creative people when we mentioned ham hock.

One person suggested a character named Ham Hock would be the county champion greased pig rider.

Another said her hero named Ham Hock would be a good ol’ boy courting a big city girl who returned to the farm.

As a lover of romance novels, I said I would write about a fabulous cook presenting the one she loves with this menu:

Snaps (green beans) cooked with a ham hock

Creamed potatoes

Deluxe roast beef

Rolls with butter

Cherry cream cheese pie for dessert

Why am I sharing this frivolity? To demonstrate that creative people are just that: creative. You can offer the same word, or even plot, to three different people and they’ll create three distinct ideas and ways of expressing themselves. Of course, we could have a book written about Ham Hock, the county greased-pig riding champion, courting the city girl who serves him dinner to honor his roots by trying to make snaps seasoned with a ham hock for the first time. Each writer will present a unique story even with all those elements provided.

Want to try? Choose one or more of the names below, and write your own character sketch(es) or plot(s):

Ham Hock

Griselda

Osvaldo

Nova

Thalia

Edita

Have fun! We’d love for you to share too. Either way, I hope you enjoy the journey.