Five Writing Tips That Are Snacks in Disguise

Here’s five reasons to eat snacks while writing…

The Biscuit Break Brainstorm
Before you write a single word, fetch a biscuit. 

Not just any biscuit—a biscuit with a name you can shout dramatically, like “DIGESTIVE!” or “BOURBON!” Hold it aloft. Now, as you nibble, let your mind wander. Every crumb is a plot twist. Every dunk in tea is a subplot. 

If you eat the whole packet, congratulations: you’ve just written a trilogy in your head. (Disclaimer: Biscuit crumbs in your keyboard may result in unexpected poetry.)

The Cheese String of Suspense
Writing suspense is like unpeeling a cheese string. Don’t yank it all at once! 

Tease out the story, strand by delicious strand. If you get impatient and gobble the whole thing, your twist will be lost, and so will your cheese. Remember: the slower you peel, the longer your snack—and your suspense—lasts.

The Popcorn Plot Popper
Every story needs a pop. When you’re stuck, make popcorn. Listen to the kernels explode. 

Each pop is a new idea. Some will be burnt, some will be fluffy, and some will leap out of the bowl and hide under the sofa. Chase those ideas! (But beware: popcorn in your shoes is not as inspiring as you’d think.)

The Banana of Beginnings
Starting a story is like peeling a banana. If you try to open it from the wrong end, you’ll squish your plot.

Begin gently, and if the first line is mushy, that’s fine—just eat it and try again. Bananas are forgiving, and so are first drafts. If all else fails, make banana bread and call it a memoir.

The Emergency Chocolate Cliffhanger
When you reach a cliffhanger, eat chocolate. Not just any chocolate—emergency chocolate. 

The kind you hide from yourself and then forget where you put it. As you search, you’ll invent wild plot twists: “What if the villain hid the chocolate?” “What if the hero is allergic?” By the time you find it, you’ll have a dozen new endings, and possibly a melted mess in your sock drawer.

In Conclusion:
Writing is hungry work. If all else fails, eat your words (preferably with a side of chips). And remember: the best stories are the ones you can share—just like snacks.