抖阴社区 Better: Tips and tricks

Let's face it—taste often gets the cold shoulder in writing. Sight, sound, and touch, tend to be the main focus, but here's the deal: Taste is deliciously underutilized, and it has the power to take your writing from "meh" to mouth-watering. No need for extra calories, just a sprinkle of creativity. Taste in writing can evoke emotions, reveal hidden character traits, and enrich your world-building. It's not just about food—it's about making your reader feel what your characters taste, whether it's the sweetness of nostalgia or the sour bite of regret.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's stop serving up bland sentences and start seasoning our prose with a little flavor! Here are 12 tips for using taste to make your writing more savory than ever. Trust me, your readers will be hungry for more.

1. Trigger Memories and Emotion with Taste

We've all had that moment when a certain taste zaps us right back to a (not always distant) memory. Taste is heavily tied to memory and emotion, so why not use it to trigger a moment of introspection or a pivotal flashback in your story? Suddenly, that weird salad your character hates isn't just lettuce—it's a gateway to feelings.

Example: As Emily took the first bite of the lemon meringue pie, it was as if the years had melted away and she was standing on the warm, checkered tile of her mother's kitchen.

2. Your Character's Food Choices Can Reveal Their Personality

If your character insists on ordering ketchup with everything or grimaces at a kale salad, their taste buds might be telling you something important. Use food preferences to highlight their quirks, likes, or dislikes. Are they a sweet-tooth adventurer or a savory soul who can't stand the thought of dessert? Taste can speak volumes about who they are.

Example: Mike's eyes twinkled as he shoved an extra-large slice of double pepperoni pizza into his mouth. Sweet, salty, and indulgent—just like him.

3. Enrich the Mood

Taste can help set the tone and atmosphere of a scene. Whether it's the sweetness of ripe fruit in a summer garden or the metallic tang of blood after a battle, taste can intensify the mood.

Example: The air was thick with the scent of overripe peaches, their juice sticky on her fingers as she plucked one from the trees and bit into it. A sweet, cloying taste lingered on her tongue, but it was no match for the salt of her tears as she remembered Jacob and everything that could have been had he lived.

4. Spice Up Your World-Building: Establish Setting & Cultural Identity

As a universal element that offers a strong sense of place and cultural background, food can be a powerful tool for building. A character's meals can reveal details about the world they inhabit, the region they live in, or the time period they're from. Describing a unique dish or a shared meal can immerse readers in the setting, giving them more than just a visual and auditory picture of the environment.

Ask yourself: What does the food in your character's world taste like? Is it sweet, sour, or completely unidentifiable? The culinary landscape of your fictional universe can reveal so much about the culture, climate, and even the politics. Give your world a bite that your readers will never forget!

Example: In the dusty streets of the market, vendors shouted their wares, the smell of roasted goat and fresh cilantro filling the air. Mara took a bite of the spiced flatbread, the tang of yogurt mingling with the heat of chili, and felt the weight of the desert sun on her skin. It was the taste of home.