Eat and Drink Write

By: Eeleen Lee on 2:29 pm

Workshops, websites and how-to books do not address the issue of health. To be frank: you can't write when you are ill.
This post will only address physical health, but please read on, as a sound body =  a sound mind.

1. Illegal drugs/alcohol - Anything you write will be embarrassing when the substance wears off.  Yes, some famous writers wrote their best work when under the influence but they sacrificed their life expectancy for forced prolificacy. Don't touch the stuff unless you're William Burroughs, Phillip K. Dick, Aldous Huxley or Hunter S. Thompson- where some of their best work was about being under the influence.

2. Coffee -  The cliched tipple of choice for writers. The law of diminishing-returns applies after your second or third cup. All coffee needs is a cup to contain it, therefore sugar and cream will weigh you down, and those chocolate/ vanilla sprinkles will get scatter over your notebook or get stuck in your teeth.

3. Tea- black, green, white, red etc...as above. A pox on those who add sugar and cream to their macha - it's like Jackson Pollacking a Zen painting.

4. Ice cream. You can't eat it quickly, which is always conducive to dreamstorming. But you can eat too much of it, which is conducive to nodding off in front of the computer. Go out, buy a coneful and walk around if you're stuck.

5. Tidbits. Avoid mindless munching or you will inhale that can of Pringles or crisps in the same time it takes to delete a paragraph. Prawn and fish crackers make your fingers greasy and stain your keyboard, mouse or touchscreen. ICK!!

6. Pomegranates, pistachios, artichokes etc..., any food you have to peel will make you slow down and think.

7. Water. I am not advocating x number of glasses a day, but consider that when you quaff enough at regular intervals you will have to get up from your chair/desk and go to the toilet. No harm in scheduling mini-breaks and stretching your legs. (apologies to those who have to wear adult-diapers...)