Are you eager to develop your food writing skills but lack the time and inspiration to write? Has your source of creativity run dry? Here are 5 ways to spark your creativity in writing. With a flow of ideas, you’ll gain confidence in your writing and express yourself better. You’ll develop your unique, authentic writing self. This will attract a loyal readership, eager to devour your words. Let’s dive in. Let’s push the limits with creative, big personality, and imaginative descriptions of food.
Study these winning tips to inspire you and describe food in new ways. This post gives you tips and techniques to develop your creativity. So you Get More Buzz, More Love.
5 Ways to Spark Your Creativity in Food Writing
1. Explore
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Make comparisons
Does your apricot jam remind you of sunrise? Or spicy zucchini bread of firecrackers? Use metaphors to describe the taste, texture, and appearance of your dish to add a “story.”
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Offer jokes
Throw in some jokes or humor. Don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself. Sliding a casserole loaded with enchiladas into the oven, you joke, “I should take up shuffleboard.” Your humor will entertain your readers, and you’ll have more fun too.
2. Show and Tell
Techniques for showing include sensory, specificity, and scenes.
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Opening Lines
The opening paragraph is one of the most critical parts of your writing. It’s the identifier. It says where you are. Are you preparing for Thanksgiving, your favorite meal to cook for, but your family can’t make it? Instead you host a Thanksgiving Potluck and invite friends to contribute, either with cooking, setting the decorations, or bringing the wine. The audience immediately understands the context of the story and recipes, which are more informal and less traditional than pumpkin pie and carving turkey, such as gingerbread cupcakes and turkey roulade stuffed with figs, brussels sprouts, and pine nuts.
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Give Geographic Specifics
In the first 15 seconds of the introduction of his travel show, Guy Fieri, host of Food Network’s travel cooking show, Diners, Drivers, Dives, describes the setting with geographic specifics. “We are 5 miles south of the Brooklyn Bridge.” Not just “We’re in New York or in Salt Lake City.” Where is the geographical boundary? Is it by the park? Is it by the zoo? Near the capital building? “I’m in Fortuna, about 5 miles across from Ferndale.” For the first 15 seconds or opening paragraph of your paper, give the your audience familiarity with the place. Set the tone.
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Sensory
Familiarize yourself with the restaurant, café, or market if you’re writing about a recipe inspiration you had, eating experience, or even a review of the place. You’ll have the feel, the energy. It’s like a rock concert. A restaurant has its own tempo, its own feel, its own rhythm.
3. Interact with Others. Experience the Setting
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At a Restaurant:
Talk with the chef, staff, and the customers. Scan the menu. Taste the food. Observe the décor, tableware, and signage. Even, go to the restroom. It’s usually located in the back of the restaurant, and if it’s near the kitchen, you might get a peak into the kitchen. You’ll see the live cooking and real interactions among the cooks and staff. Finally, work on your introduction. You’ll be able to convey most accurately the restaurant’s spirit.
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At a Grocery Store:
Peak into the grocery carts or baskets of fellow shoppers without being too nosy or obvious. Do you see a beautiful stalk of brussels sprouts hanging over the edge? And, what’s that?–a small jar of red chili paste? Hmmm, sounds like a new spin on roasted brussels sprouts with a spicy, Asian kick? You weave into the pasta aisle. Ask a woman, who seems friendly enough, looking at gnocchi how she plans to use it.
4. Individuality:
The power of finding your individual voice. The power of a journal. Write down your inspiration.
5. Practice!
Don’t get convoluted in your description. It’s not always perfect. Practice and work with your words to capture the true essence of each restaurant and deliver perfectly to the readers every time.
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