Now, I know what you're thinking. Food? Drinks? Those won't help my writing. Teach me about world building and commas. We do and we will continue to. Today, though, I think we ought to explore how food and drink can affect your writing.
For successful writers, there are three main components you need to really write: productivity, creativity, and inspiration. Without any one of these three, you'll find writing difficult, but when they come together, you will find your writing will be better and maybe even a bit easier.
Productivity
Productivity is the thing that keeps us going. It's what helps us put our fingers to the keyboard or pen to paper and actually write. Without it, no books would be finished, and you surely would not be reading this blog post.
Here are a few proven foods and drinks that boost productivity:
1. Coffee
For my book, coffee is my favorite productivity hack. At this point, I think I've managed to classically condition my mind to believe that coffee and writing go together. But besides that, there are serious scientific facts about coffee increasing productivity.
Science lesson: what caffeine actually does is bind itself to the receptors in our brain that normally bind with adenosine, the chemical that makes us tired.
In layman's terms, coffee helps get rid of that strange daze we find ourselves lost in and allows our brain to think clearer in order to get words down on the page.
Also, there are studies that prove just the smell of coffee can wake you up.
2. Tea
For those of you who don't drink coffee, tea has similar effects. While coffee generally has a higher caffeine content, tea can be just as effective.
The benefit of tea over coffee is that tea can keep you going longer than coffee. Coffee can give you a high rush but is accompanied by a fast drop after the effects wear off.
Tea can keep you writing all day long. So tea drinkers, drink on.
3. Blueberries
Blueberries are a superfood. They increase productivity and do all sorts of other good things.
Science lesson number two: blueberries are full of antioxidants, which help keep oxygen and blood flowing to your brain, making your brain more active.
A more active brain can write better. Engage your brain; eat blueberries.
Also, blueberries are a natural mood stabilizer. Most of us writers need that occasionally. 🙂
4. Water
This seems obvious, but most of us need to be reminded of this. One of the biggest reasons we get tired in the middle of the day is from dehydration. Being productive while tired is almost impossible.
Drinking water has been linked to focus and clarity, the main components of productivity. If we want to get our books written, pick up a glass of water.
If we want to get our books written even faster, one study notes that drinking one glass of water could make your brain function 14 percent faster!
Creativity
What would our writing be without creativity? Probably awful and boring.
You know those moments when you don't know what to write next and all your ideas are kind of . . . bad? (Admit it, it happens.) Those are the moments to try one (or all) of the following:
5. Dark Chocolate
I will give you an excuse to eat dark chocolate any day, but there is evidence that links chocolate to creativity.
Chocolate is the perfect mix of caffeine and nutrients to give you a creative spark. The caffeine wakes the brain up to start thinking, while the nutrients in the chocolate actually dilate blood vessels to help you think outside of the box.
Also, dark chocolate is full of serotonin and endorphins (the chemicals that make you happy). So if you want to think creatively and maybe boost your mood, go for the chocolate.
6. Ice Cream
I'm sitting in bed eating ice cream right now. I'm going to be real with you, there is not so much scientific fact backing up ice cream and creativity. BUT ice cream has been proven to have a positive effect on your brain.
Psychology Today has this to say about ice cream: “[T]he brain's responses to sadness were significantly reduced when the fatty solution was infused into the stomach. Respondents also reported less hunger and a better mood when the fatty solution was given.”
So if you're in a creative rut and feeling discouraged, ice cream is the way to go. Science said. (You're welcome.)
7. Beer
This one is my boss's favorite creativity booster. Beer on multiple occasions and through multiple studies has been found to increase creativity by a significant amount.
When the alcohol from the beer hits your brain, it causes you to be less focused, normally a negative. But when you are looking to come up with an idea, the effects of the beer will have you less worried about the world around you and able to think deeper and come up with better ideas.
Teams have run experiments to test whether people who drink beer create better ideas, and the data show that alcohol-drinkers create more and even better ideas.
*Remember: everything in moderation. In drinking too much, you lose the benefits.*
But if you're stuck and out of ideas for your story, try cheers-ing.
Inspiration
Inspiration is vital to the success of your writing. Inspiration will keep you going when you no longer feel like writing and help you develop new ideas along the way.
8. Your Guilty Pleasure
The number one food or drink that boosts inspiration? Your guilty pleasure.
For me, this is almost always ice cream, but depending on the day, it might also be a really greasy cheeseburger from the store down the street.
Inspiration comes from something you love and believe in.
When you reward yourself every once in a while you will feel more inspired to believe in yourself to write great stories.
Writers Need Fuel
As writers and artists, we can fall victim to the Starving Artist Syndrome, sacrificing things like food and drink to focus on our art. But the truth is, writers need fuel.
Our art, stories, and writing can largely benefit from eating and drinking things that are already proven to help us work better. So why not try them?
What food or drink helps you write? Let us know in the comments below.
PRACTICE
Brainstorm where you are in your project. Do you need more productivity, creativity, or inspiration?
Once you identify which one you need, remember a time when you had one of the corresponding foods or drinks.
Write for fifteen minutes about the feeling of becoming productive, creative, or inspired. Once you're finished, post your practice in the comments. (And then go get the food or drink for real!)
Remember to leave feedback on your fellow writers' pieces!
TLDR
By the time I figure out what magic food I “need,” I could just grab a beefstick and write another 500 words.
If you don’t have the time to read a short article, maybe you’re in the wrong place, hot stuff.
Apologies, Rubis. I didn’t mean to come across as rude or unappreciative. Some TWP articles are extremely helpful for me. Some aren’t. This one wasn’t. I certainly don’t want to take anything away from those who do find it helpful.
On a positive note, I had enough time today to finish Chapter Four.
Congratulations! That’s pretty great.
I appreciate your apology. It’s none of my business after all how you manage your time, so I apologise too.
Have a good day
It’s all good, Rubis. The best to you in all your endeavors!
It hit me like a crashing wave—the feeling that every writer longs for, the feeling that there is something to accomplish, and that that accomplishment can be achieved by doing this, this, and this. Ideas bombarded me left and right, my hand barely able to keep up as it furiously scribbled away at the parchment below it. Words sprawled across the lines in a tangled mess that only my brain could decipher. That was okay with me. I was running on inspiration, a concept that had escaped me for years previously. Nights of seemingly endless dryness plagued my mind as I desperately attempted to write just anything. I would always tell myself to put the pen against the paper and let loose. Each time, it felt as though the depths of my creativity were but a dried up oil well, the rich supply of ideas long since having been evaporated into the atmosphere. Procrastination and hopelessness bore their holes into my imagination. Oh, how I longed for just one divine revelation on any of those nights. But alas, my desk lamp burned over me, illuminating my fearful failures as a an aspiring writer who had aspired nothing. Little did I know, I would strike oil soon enough. What a refreshing feeling! Where did it come from? I have no idea! It was just that morning that I had been munching away half awake at my corn flakes when the cogs in my brain fought to rotate against the dust and cobwebs I had allowed to form in the nooks and crannies. Perhaps this is an allegory to one of the many conditions of humanity. We have all of this potential but no idea how to use it, so eventually that potential gets tired of being put away that it decides to just charge in on us at random, possessing us like some sort of starving, maniacal, creating machine. Such a powerful possession it is to drive your hand to its cramping death, but such a relief it is all the same! After an unknown amount of time had passed, I had finished, the pen grasped firmly in my hand, deep indentations clear against my reddened tips. My hand trembled slightly as my eyes grazed over each word, taking in each thought, putting each idea into a broader picture—a glorious mess; my glorious mess. With a joyful smile plastered across my face, I slowly set down my pen.
Corryn, this is so fun! I love this piece. It’s really well written and your descriptions are wonderful! I love this idea of the potential getting tired of being put away and suddenly taking over. Great job!
Thank you for the feedback! I have often read these 15-minute prompts on The Write Practice and brushed them aside as they felt too daunting of a challenge (point for procrastination). But I’m glad I gave this one a shot. Thanks again!
I think I get a two-fer when I’m snacking on dark-chocolate-covered espresso beans. Glad to see my go-tos on the list, though I’m sure I could drink more water.
Kimberly, yes. That’s the perfect combo. Love it!
I would say I need Papa Johns pizza and some home made beef Jerky as a snack. Oooooo yeah!
Now There’s some food for thought. Lol
Victoria, pizza is one of those guilty pleasures for sure :). Definitely food for thought! 😉
Read this while sipping my tea-followed-by-coffee morning combo. I didn’t know tea has longer-lasting effects!, so this explains my intuitive double-dose of my caffeinated friends. I take a thermos of tea with me to my writing desk so I don’t have to get up and be potentially distracted, too 🙂
Hey Lesley, good idea using the thermos! I didn’t know until I did some research either. Pretty cool!
Diet Pepsi, no question. Fizzy and caffeinated, not too sweet …it keeps me alert and focused. Diet colas have been called the “poor man’s Ritalin” because of the effects of aspartame and carbonation on the scattered ADD brain. I can’t sit down to write without it.
CJ, sounds like a good choice!
Pepsi Max, my drug of choice. 😉 Diet Pepsi with extra caffeine.
Once I start writing, (having overcome the slump), I forget everything, even eating or drinking, until I have put in an hour’s work. I become engrossed in the characters in my story, and feel I’m participating in all they do, as an invisible onlooker.
I stop writing after an hour, to rest my eyes, stretch my legs, do some chores, or talk to the cats. If I have time, I go back to my keyboard, and take up from where I left off.
Unfortunately, this miracle doesn’t happen every day.
Lilian, sounds like you have a great system in place! Love it!
Thanks, Kelly. For the past three days I’ve been short of time. Guests and family, more family to feed, to cheer and to go shopping. Sunday should give me an hour or two, to do as i wish.
Kikku, good idea to splash water on your face! That does always wake me up. I’ll have to try it!
Really? I didn’think know chocolate could help you in this way. I have to actually be acepted in the world of literature, but it has always been my dream to become an author. Right now, i am working on my second book. I hope you finish it before 7th grade. I am not the most experienced author yet, but your tips re helping me bit by bit to accomplish my dreams. Thank you so much!
I usually forget everything while writing like Lilian but my guilty pleasure is Mountain Dew and Toffifee. I’m also not working on anything right now because I’m gearing up for NaNo. Researching the hell out of my topic so there is no room for error and I make my word count by the end of November.
I thought I was the only one to keep munchies and a 52 ounce jug of water next to my keyboard besides my writing books. I don’t do coffee, tea, or beer, so the water will have to stave off my sleepiness.
You are going to KILL people with this kind of advice!
I read The Write Practice every day, but this article is unworthy of your platform.
In addition to writing (music, songs, novels, and poetry etc.). I am a nauropath, and I’ve seldom seen such irresponsible advice. Shame on you!
I strongly suggest that all readers research this data for themselves. Water is good, certainly, but how much and WHAT KIND? Same goes for dark chocolate and blueberries, but ice cream, greasy cheeseburgers, and caffeine? Never!
There are many natural, SAFE ways to clear the cobwebs from your mind and energize your entire body. If you don’t wish to familiarize yourself with molecular biochemistry, try visiting Primal Force’s website for healthy, natural ways to ‘youthen’ your mind and body. (There are other manufacturers and sources of information – ask Google – but I use products from this line myself, and have for decades.)
I wish you all the best of health!
Happy writing.
Jesse.
http://www.jesseleighbrackstone.com
Thanks for your feedback, Jesse. However, please no shaming. This is a shame-free space. Thanks!
No shaming intended, Joe. I simply disagreed with the content of the article, scientifically, for the benefit of your readers.
I sincerely hope we can disagree amicably.
Jesse.
Tea and chocolate for me! 😉 What a great excuse to hide the goodies away from the kids and partner – mwuahaha!
What a coincidence that blueberries are mentioned; we have just started growing our own!
I always start the day with a full pot of strong, black, unsweetened coffee while I check emails. When I start writing, I grab a sports bottle of tap water from the fridge during warmer weather, but now it’s decidedly cooler I’ll fix a cup of hot fruit tea in the first instance with the water there for an extra hydration boost
whiskey and edibles for me
Nicely written. You’ve got a natural blog voice. And I like all the things you listed (in moderation, of course). I’m a big fan of smoothies. The natural sugars give a sustained energy boost, and if you have local, seasonal fruit you can get some pretty incredible flavor. I live in Colorado and we had a great year for peaches, so I’ve been making peach smoothies with coconut milk for my walk-the-dog reward.
I drink a lot of tea and eat a lot of ice cream when I write. Although Cheez-Its and popcorn are also big writing staples for me. Fun post! 🙂 I love food.
I am a die hard coffee drinker… ( I even have a nano cup – although I dont drink from it because I don’t want the logo to come off any more than it is now) it is on my desk for inspiration. My next yummy treat is ice cream… and its definitely chocolate. But when I write I usually have something besides my pen to chew on.
Love these ideas thanks again.
Guayusa infusion (I use the teabags—I use Runa, and I don’t know who else produces these baga, at times) … Too much coffee/caffeine kills the good stuff … I have other relatively “jitter-free” sources of caffeine (like the Crystal Light “energy drinks”); and because I love coffee, I use half-caff brewed coffee a lot. You know that time when you can’t fall asleep at night just before you fall asleep. I mine some of that … The drunk old lady muse in my brain doesn’t get to be “drunk” otherwise …
Regular coffee is great for volume or if you’re closely mimicking somebody else’s style (or research/editing and ancillary activities). Sorry to say, for me … anxiety and other things like that being a problem. I have to avoid sugar.
Thanks for sharing. Food is vital, drink is vital too. Personnaly, I think that water is the first element, for desydratation comes quickly and our brain need water, a lot of water. I don’t agree with coffee, eventhough a cup of coffee is good in the morning to stimulate but coffee is a toxic drink and drive addiction. It’s like coca-cola or redbull or other energetic drinks. At the end, the system is lower than at the beginning of the day. You need more and more -like sugar-. Beer ? Not so good. Alcool is not good for creativity : don’t go into this myth. Ice-cream (sometimes in summer) but It’s not a food. (Too much lactose, too much sugar).
Energetic food should be found in protein, fruits, nuts, vegetables) Some chocolate (back) may help, and vitamines and omega 3. Our brain need good nutriments but it’s not just for writers, it’s for everyone who need to perfom and maintain a high level of energy. Have fun !
I’m a teetotaler due to medical reasons. But my brain is naturally a little ‘snockered’, so that’s the effect that caffeine messes with … I did cut down caffeine a lot, but still a long way to go …
Kellie, I’m so glad I stumbled across the Write Practice as well as your blog! I love to write and often hold back for fear no one will want to ready my story. I’m excited to get some courage and inspiration from your blog!
After a cup of tea, I put on my headphones and listened to the music that had the same feeling as the scene I was writing. Once I started this, I could go on for hours, if no one disturbs me, which would often happen so I thought about putting up a do not disturb sign on my door. sometimes, though, I really don’t have the mood or the inspiration to do it, so I just take a break.
One, two and four. Maybe Wine, too.