Writerly Foods: What to Eat, When (With Talli Roland!)

riting from home each day, most of the excitement in my life revolves around food. Now, we all know the benefits of cupcakes and chocolate – how they can lift us from the doldrums when things may not be going so swimmingly with our writing efforts.


But what about all those other mood swings we writers experience? What should we munch on then?

I've developed a handy-dandy guide to help with just that question.

Stuck on a plot point. If your creative juices aren't flowing, why not encourage a little saliva? I'd suggest munching on something sour; perhaps some of those super-mouth-pursing penny candies from the corner shop. Or, why not try sucking a lemon?

Bored with the MS. No matter how excited we may be when we begin a new project, it's inevitable that at some stage, boredom will set in. At this point, I'd recommend a bracing bite of a durian. It tastes like feet and I can guarantee you'll feel alert after eating it!

Restless and anxious. Sometimes, reading over one's own writing and the thought of showing it to others can be vom-inducing. I'd recommend a lovely cup of chamomile tea, paired with a digestive biscuit. Ahhhh...

When that character just won't behave! Don't kill them off with abandon. Instead, I recommend cooking up a piece o' meat then stabbing it over and over to release frustration. (Note: I haven't actually done this – yet).

The elusive 'this MS rocks' moment. Grab whatever food is handy and stuff your face fast, 'coz I can guarantee that moment probably won't last!

Happy eating! Oh yes... and writing.

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Talli Roland has three loves in her life: romantic comedies, coffee and wine. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories – complete with happy endings.

The Hating Game is her first novel and her second, Watching Willow Watts, will be out soon.

Talli blogs here and can be found on Twitter here.