On Food and Writing

  Part of being a master procrastinator is finding other topics to think of - other than writing, that is. Today, in Procrastinating 101, I am thinking about food.

There seems to be a special relationship between writers and food that I keep trying to think about, but I keep getting hungry and forget about the thought. But, obviously there is a connection, one that Debbie from WillWriteForChocolate has so clearly exploited. But I have decided that, for the sake of my waistline, I will not try and think too much or too long on the relationship between writing and food.

Instead, I will just think about food.

As a keen baker, I could not help but fall in love with Cupcakes take the cake.  All beautifully presented and wrapped in sugary pink, the cupcakes displayed tested my early-morning will power to the max.  The vegetarian treats offered by Insomniac Chef have been book-marked, as they fit more into the 10PM food slot, according to my stomach.

 I was hoping that Have Cake Will Travel would release some gastronomical juices, but there seemed to be little inspiration at the source. But it allowed me a brief moment to think about writing and food again.

I listen to vast amounts of music, specifically when I am writing or thinking about a story. Even when I am not physically listening to music, certain songs will play in my head as the soundtrack for certain stories. Similarly, I associate certain foods with certain stories, and even more specifically, certain characters in the stories. Knowing what food a character likes is important in building the puzzle.

More than that, writing is a very solitary activity. Oh, you may interact with others in between the writing, but once you sit down in front of your laptop/notebook/loose array of napkins, it is all you and the story. I imagine that food creates a connection back to this world, preventing the story from swallowing the author whole.

Or maybe it is just another item in our toolbox, along with all the other items that allow us to have full sensory experiences.

Of course, I am not saying that only writers have a special relationship with food. Or that all writers have a special relationship with food. But, the few writers I do know all have some kind of relationship with food.