I talk about food A LOT in my WIP. Food is one of my favorite aspects of writing, and especially in writing fantasy, for so many reasons. Incorporating food into your writing lets you:
- Feed and energize your characters, explaining how and why they can go on so many strenuous adventures or spend so much time running for their lives
- Write succulent, drool-producing, stomach-growlingly vibrant descriptions of scrumptious feasts.
- Deepen your characters. How your characters interact with food can add so much characterization. What are their favorite eats? Are there foods they avoid for specific, painful reasons? Do they squirrel away uneaten food to save for later? Do they gorge themselves at every meal because they don’t know when the next one is coming?
- Worldbuild. You can add so much depth and life to your fantasy world, especially, through its food. How and when do people sit down for meals? Does every area or culture eat something different? Do they eat over campfires? Do they feast on dragon meat? Do they live in the trees and eat roast birds and mashed acorns?
On that last point, if you want to read a really cool examination of food and culture in Harry Potter: Butterbeer, Cauldron Cakes, and Fizzing Whizzbees: Food in J.K. Rowling ‘s Harry Potter series is a fantastic dissertation on the topic.
Anyway, let’s get down to it. This week’s WIP Wednesday is all about Food, Glorious Food, and it’s a chance to share scrumptious snippets from our works in progress. The link-up is here if anyone would like to join in!
Descriptions of Food In My WIP
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Are you hungry yet? I am! What are some of your favorite fictional foods? If you’re a writer, do you ever have your characters snack, or feast, or guzzle, or engorge themselves? Consider joining the WIP Wednesday link-up and post your favorite snippets of food in your stories!
6 Comments
Rain @ Ivyclad Ideas
Wow! I love the weird and wonderful ways to spice up coffee that you’ve come up with! XD
happywriter
Thanks!!
Judy
Yum!
Thought provoking post. Thanks.
happywriter
Thank you!!
Cait @ Paper Fury
I’M OFFICIALLY STARVING. Also this is the best This speaks to me on a spiritual level omg I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE. Food in books is so so important. It gives life. Literally, too.? And it just makes a book really come alive for me, because I end up drooling over the pages. I actually have a goodreads shelf for foodie fiction hahah. And my books ALWAYS have copious amounts of food…and my characters always have some sort of food quirk. :’) I’m drooling over that first snippet you shared. SO DELICIOUS I CAN’T EVEN.
Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
happywriter
BOOKS WITHOUT DELICIOUS FOOD DESCRIPTIONS JUST DON’T … EVEN … THEY DON’T EVEN MAKE SENSE! Characters need to eat, why not have them eat in the most vibrant, scrumptious, mouth-watering ways possible!?