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Writing Prompt: A Recipe for Inspiration

3 Apr

cinnamon roll murder
With the extra time at home my son and I have been baking a different cookie each weekend. Baking is such a sensory process involving hearing the whir of the mixer, feeling the sticky batter as you knead it, smelling the aroma, looking for the right doneness and tasting your delicious treat. There are tons of memoirs, stories, and poems that have been about baking. Whether it’s a cozy mystery about a bakeshop owner  or a memoir filled with life lessons and recipes, the culinary arts can be a great place to get inspiration for your writing.

Track down your favorite family recipe and brainstorm around it. What memories do you have making it with your grandparent, parent, or your own children? What part of the world is the recipe from and how did it make its way to your own kitchen? What other things do you associate with it? You can use your brainstorming for a poem or it could work its way into a fictional piece about someone baking for a special occasion. Perhaps it will inspire a memoir.

If you don’t have a recipe on hand, it’s the perfect time to reach out to a family member or friend whose passed culinary prowess has impressed and get one from them.  Or borrow a cookbook and find a new recipe. Hoboken Residents can even take cooking classes from home with Universal Class such as bread baking 101.

This is the third in our new blog post series of writing prompts. We feature our favorite books and media with you earlier in the week, but every Friday we are sharing writing prompts to get you cooking up your own literary creations.

You can share what you are baking up with us in the comments!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Reference

Friday Writing Prompt: My Most Memorable Trip

20 Mar

We realize that a lot of our readers may be looking for things to fill their days right now.  We love sharing our favorite books and media with you and will continue to do so, but now we are starting a new feature on Fridays, Writing Prompts to get you creating your own great work!

March 20, 2020 Writing Prompt: Favorite or Most Memorable Trip
Right now a lot of us are working or schooling from home and some of you may be under quarantine, but lets instead focus on the best (or most memorable) trip you ever had.  It could have been a fun camping trip as a teen or it could have been your first time traveling overseas to Paris on your honeymoon.  Think about what made the trip specifically memorable.

Think what you experienced with all of your senses.  What were the unique sights and sounds?  Did you taste anything especially good, you tried for the first time, or something so awful you’d never eat it again?  What did it feel like being there; what was the weather like?  Smell is one of the most evocative senses so if you remember the scent of pine, fresh baking bread, or the ocean waves include it in the piece.

You can also talk about the people you interreacted with.  Did you meet someone new; are you still in touch with them?  If you went on the trip with a friend or family member, how did the trip change your relationship?

You might want to see if you have any pictures from your trip and reach out to talk to others who might have been on the trip with you for their impressions.

Prefer fiction, do some research on a travel destination of your dreams to use as a setting. Did you know eBCCLS has some always available travel guides; check them out now for some ideas.

For speculative fiction fans create a new world or land that exists in your imagination.

For you poets out there this topic would make a terrific poem!

You can share in the comments what destination you are planning to write about!  Also let us know if you would be interested in connecting with other writer’s in an online writing group.  You can also reach me at hplwriters@gmail.com.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Reference

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