Welcome back to the Cookbook Love Podcast! Every time I teach a class, I ask my email list what’s holding them back from writing their cookbook, and this time two emails stopped me: “I’m not a natural writer” and “I’m hesitant because of the words or correct grammar.” If you’ve ever felt that way, this episode is for you. I share how I went from a D on a Scarlet Letter test to a career as a paid writer, and why the recipes and stories in your head belong on the page in your own words, not AI’s.
In this episode, I discuss:
- What “I’m not a natural writer” really means, and why grammar is a publishing worry, not a writing worry
- Four kinds of private writing that built my voice, including the diary that became the foundation of my first cookbook proposal, and what Joan Didion kept in her notebook
- Why Claude can give you a list of ingredients but can’t tell your story of making them, and why publishers and ideal readers can tell the difference
Your point of view is what makes your cookbook yours. So this week, pick up a notebook and a pen and start practicing your writing. The natural writer you want to be unfolds from there.
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante (includes Joan Didion’s “On Keeping a Notebook”)
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Write for Life by Julia Cameron
Listen to Episode 426 below:
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