Food can be used to great effect in a work of fiction. Learn how to use it to advance action and build feeling and mood.
National Food Dishes
Make a list of food associated with various cultures and countries and determine if any can be used to reveal character and build background. Here are a few examples:
- Haggis – Scotland
- Curry – India
- Pasta – Italy
- Sauerkraut – Germany
Food and Character
Is the character a picky eater, a chocoholic or a compulsive dieter? Is her habit of excessive tidiness revealed through her kitchen cupboards? Is his fear of an impending war revealed through a stockpile of canned food? Food can reveal many things about a character.
Building Atmosphere With Food
Think along the lines of romantic dinners, intimate coffees, fun-filled barbecues and family reunions. These types of events can add flavor and warmth or conflict and intrigue. Use them as a platform for expanding the story.
Food and the Five Senses
Preparing and eating food stirs the senses in many ways. Here are some examples of how to draw the reader in by using taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing:
- Hollow meringues dissolved into mouthfuls of sweetness
- The soup was chunky and filling and spread warmth through icy veins
- Curry, coriander and spice drenched the air
- The salad was a color-burst of corn, carrots and finely-chopped lettuce
- The stew burped and bubbled on the hob
- She served translucent flakes of fish, doused in garlic butter and cream
Food as an Indicator of Health
Some medical conditions are characterised by food. Think of diabetics who need to avoid sugar and high-fat foods. Another obvious example is the middle-aged business man who eats rich fatty food – a sure recipe for heart trouble. Anorexics won’t eat and bulimics eat and throw up. Compulsive eaters pack on the pounds and become morbidly obese. All these factors can add depth and understanding in fiction.
Lack of Food
There are many reasons for a lack of food. Think of illnesses such as Aids or hepatitis that often destroy appetite. A survival story where the character has to search for food is another possibility as are hunger strikes and plagues, fires and malnutrition.
Examples of Food in Fiction
John Grisham uses food to great effect in Playing for Pizza The book is set in Italy and the reader is treated to vivid word pictures of sumptuous Italian cooking. Beverly Lewis introduces Amish cooking into many of her novels and Chocolat by Joanne Harris overflows with rich chocolaty descriptions.
Food is a valuable tool in fiction writing and with skilful use, can add depth and interest. It can also create atmosphere and nurture the desire to read further and even visit new countries and taste new cooking styles.
Debbie Roome - Debbie Roome is an award-winning freelance writer, journalist and novelist with over 25 years experience.
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