Monday, November 3, 2014

Food for Thought - Foodie Blog Hop






I'm taking part in Holly Sinclair's Foodie Blog Hop! Holly is the author of numerous cookbooks including Afternoon Coffee and Crepes, Snack Attack, and other delicious titles.

What does food have to do with writing? 

Plenty.

For example:

1) Writers need food. From snacks to meals, food provides energy and keeps those creative juices flowing. No food = a grouchy or unproductive writer. 

2) Food offers non fiction writing ideas. Submission potential ranges from recipes to articles on regional dishes or the history of food, to essays on the connection between food and one's social life, and so on. Kids, teens, adults - food has universal reader appeal.

3) Characters eat and interact with food. Whether a brief meal on the run or as key scenes in the plot, food plays a role in fiction. A book I read recently included a character who works through her problems while kneading bread dough.

4) Food fosters fellowship and fun. What writer doesn't need an occasional break from the routine? Dining at home or out with family or friends offers refreshment, and not just the nutritional kind. Writing is a solitary business and a little interaction can help boost one's mood, worldview, and perspective.



Hop over and see Holly - she'd love to see you!

Visit the Foodie Blog Hop page

Visit Holly's blog

Holly's cookbooks

Can you think of other ways food and writing are related? Do you snack when you write? 

Happy writing, 
Karen  

30 comments :

  1. I wrote a true story for Chicken Soup Food and Love which was about discovering the "bad boy" again after twenty years. It was a piece of apple walnut cake. I start my day with a cup of tea and a bite to nibble; couldn't write without it.

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  2. So true about the connection between food and writing. Sometimes I have too many characters eating scenes though. I have to watch it.

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  3. I feel writers are foodies. We need to eat lots to write (that's what I feel). The cupcakes look yummy.

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  4. Hi Karen - I try not to have snacks when I'm working .. sticky fingers get in the wa!! .. but I do like food being incorporated into books and reading up on foodie ideas ... cheers Hilary

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  5. Linda,
    Sounds like you have some great inspiration. Not to mention great taste! :)

    Natalie,
    I guess we can't have our characters eating their way through the book! You are right, balance is key. :)

    Rachna,
    That's another good point. We function better with good nutrition. :)

    Hilary,
    Well now, this is true! Perhaps if we kept a wet towel by our side to minimize the damage? lol Maybe we should stick with pretzels or something safer. :)

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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  6. Great points! Sometimes we learn a lot about a character by what they choose to eat or not eat. Thanks for participating in the hop and thanks for the shout out!

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  7. Food is fellowship all right! Especially in the South. Nothing brings Christians together faster than a meal.

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  8. I couldn't agree more!
    In a fantasy world, food can especially become relevant. It speaks to a class system, how far along they are (just learned about smoking meat versus lamb shanks with some French sounding sauce), and how they celebrate.

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  9. We can't forget to eat while we're writing, that's for sure.

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  10. Holly,
    Thank you! We can learn much about a character through food. You are very welcome! Wishing you all the best with your books. :)

    Alex,
    LOL - well isn't that right! And not always low cal food either, from what I've seen! :)

    J. Lenni,
    Now there's a good point! It really can play into the plot more than you might think. And it's one of those details we need to keep consistent throughout. Thanks for coming over! :)

    Diane,
    Eventually we would faint - and that would not be a good thing! :)

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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  11. Hi Karen! I have tried to snack while writing, or even have a cup of coffee nearby. But inevitably it gets ignored. But snack breaks? SURE!!
    Monday blessings,
    Ceil

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  12. Karen, I enjoyed your food post. I try to keep healthy snacks near by when I'm writing.

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  13. Good point about writers needing to eat. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of writing, I totally forget!

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  14. How can someone write without snacks???? You've got me thinking now about how to incorporate food into my WIP.

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  15. Fun post. I often use food analogies at my writing blog. And who can deny the relationship between writers and chocolate?!

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  16. Ceil,
    Yes, lol, breaks are critical! I sometimes forget about eating but then snack time rolls around and I am totally in! :)

    Susanne,
    Thank you! Healthy stuff - yes, me too. More protein and good stuff like that. :)

    J E,
    I do too! Although I do eventually get back to eating, and then sometimes too much. :)

    Terri,
    I know - I always have them handy, just sometimes get involved and forget to munch. :) I usually do not have trouble remembering to eat overall, though. :)

    Jennifer,
    You do, and I love them! There's so much more to food and writing than meets the eye, isn't there? :)

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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  17. CUPCAKES. Yum! I am amazed how often food plays a role in fiction. When you think about it, though,most of our interactions happen in real life over food. So it's natural that in a middle grade/young adult book, many scenes are set in the cafeteria or at a pizzeria and in an adult book, many scenes are set in a restaurant or at home over dinner.

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  18. I like my writerly snacks and it's interesting to see what characters eat.

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  19. Stephanie,
    Yes, our lives revolve around food more than we think, don't they? So it's only natural for our stories to do so as well. I'll be paying more attention to this as I read in the future! :)

    Medeia,
    Me too! Always have something in mind to snack on. :) I like to see what characters eat too, especially in historical fiction.

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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  20. Karen: Jan Karon used a lot of food scenes in her Mitford series book. Then she put together a cook book incorporating the recipes with the scenes. For me, I can sanck anytime. Sometimes Hubby will bring me an apple sliced or wedged when I am on the computer.

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  21. Hi Karen....Food is often woven into the content of novels as well as stories, etc. It's such a huge part of our culture, and all cultures, really.

    I also love cookbooks (Susan Branch's are among my faves.) Have a huge collection of them and enjoy reading them, even if I don't cook. ha! Take care, Karen. Susan

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  22. Nice way to tie the foodie blogfest to writing. It's true, I think a lot about the foods my characters are eating. I even watched a video the other day about foraging along the Welsh coast for mussels and seaweed with the idea of putting something like that in the next story. :)

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  23. Fun! This is a bit of a different venture for you, but I like it.

    Of course, as the mother of four boys, food is HUGE at our house. I should say, the grocery bills are huge. LOL. Those aren't really boys; they're food furnaces thinly disguised as boys.

    Sighing, as another casserole bakes in the oven...

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  24. Cecelia,
    Most of my favorite authors include food and meals in their fiction too. It's a part of our lives, right? What a nice hubby you have, bringing you snacks when you write! :)

    Susan,
    It really is, and you are right, we cannot forget the cookbooks! I have so many as well. Maybe my next book should include some cookbooks too! :)

    LG,
    Thank you! I thought it might tie in, and hoped Holly would like it! :) I like your idea about the mussels. You just never know where a story might spring from.

    Rhonda,
    I'm glad you do! Food furnaces - I love that! Maybe some of those need to go in the next book too! :) Hope dinner is yummy!

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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  25. That pic of the cupcakes is making me crave cupcakes...
    I love your take on the bloghop!

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  26. This is a really great post! It sounded like a lot of fun to participate in.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  27. Lynda,
    They do look yummy, don't they? Thanks a bunch! Loved your blog hop post too! :)

    Gina,
    It was fun! And it's funny how much food and writing are related, isn't it? :)

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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  28. I don't snack while I write, but I do reward myself with food after a particularly trying session! Love the foodie blog hop. Yum!

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  29. I don't usually snack when I am writing because I am so engrossed in my typing I don't get up, unless my fiance brings me a snack. That is always a nice treat and he usually brings me something I love.

    It is always fun to read books with food in them. :)
    ~Jess

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  30. Susan,
    I should probably follow your example. I snack too much when I write! :)

    Jess,
    So you and Susan show great restraint! Here again, I need to be less engaged in food, and more so in writing! :)

    Happy writing,
    Karen

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Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Have a blessed day!