Writing Doctor

Published by Jonell Galloway + Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Permalink 0

Writing Doctor: This Pen is for Hire

How’s your prose?

Let me find what ails you, and set you to “writes”. Whether through modest adjustments or major overhauls, let’s get your prose in good health!

You are a food blogger, but your dream is to become a food writer. Writing is a craft, and like all crafts, it takes time and patience to learn. Think of it as a house. You start with a solid foundation, with a frame and a floor, but you have to finish the building so you can house your family.

Working with a writing coach is like adding a roof, insulation and siding to suit the climate you live in. The climate can be compared to the market or the type of writing you aim to do. You have to hone your writing to that market and meet the expectations of publishers and of your audience. Writing free of spelling and grammatical errors is not enough.

Food Writing Competition

Published by Jonell Galloway + Tuesday, May 12, 2015 Permalink 0

Food Writing Contest

We are seeking food-related fiction and non-fiction entries for our First Annual Food Writing Competition. We want to highlight what can be vividly done in very few words. You have wanted to try your hand at the greatest possible concision, have you not? This is your chance to be rewarded for that. Winners will be published on Mastering the Art of Food Writing, and qualify to compete for inclusion in the first annual Food Writers to Keep an Eye On 2015 eBook we plan to publish in 2016.

Entries should be a maximum of 500 words, and may treat any food-related subject. This covers the full spectrum of food and travel writing: memoirs; short stories; reviews; poems; travelogues; essays; guidebooks entries; lifestyle; adventure; destination features; history; and, anthropology. Not sure that’s you? Write us to ask.

Rates

Published by Jonell Galloway + Saturday, August 23, 2014 Permalink 0

Welcome — the doctor is in! We offer a menu of services to writers at all levels. Even if your prose is in fine health, we want to help you notch it up to peak performance. You will appreciate our competitive pricing. If you select two or more classes, we are pleased to make you an introductory offer of a 10% discount.

Food Writing Classes

Our 1-hour classes for groups are offered at $30 per person, and we offer the same classes, one-on-one, with lots of custom features, at $90.

Writing Doctor Services

Our doctoring services, for individual writers only, are priced at $90 per hour. And we’re fast. If you have an especially big project that you want us to price either by the page or by the job, we will be happy to give you an estimate, and we will stick to it. We’re ambitious for you, and will put our shoulders to the wheel to make good things happen.

Food Writing Prompts: Your Own Desk is a Prompt

Published by Elatia Harris + Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Permalink 2

by Elatia Harris

So many great writers need their writing rooms to meet precise specs. E.B. White preferred a rough-hewn, minimalist space, with nothing but a typewriter. Virginia Woolf needed lots of green around her, and took some serious kidding about it from her sister. I have noticed that a writing room is almost never gender-neutral, even when the writer is going for a low-key, orderly space that gives little away. There’s something I need, that I’ll give up things I like to get: a window. Looking at photos like the National Trust photo above, of Vita Sackville-West’s writing table at Sissinghurst, I always notice — does the writing table face a window, or a wall?

Which leads me to wonder — how much of a writing prompt is your desk itself? It has four corners, like the ancient Chinese idea of the Universe. Within that space, you can put anything you have that helps. When you look up from your work, are you still seeing with the mind’s eye? What could you arrange to see, physically, that would give you the most of what you needed to keep writing?

Elatia Harris is a writer and consulting editor in Cambridge, Mass. She is most often at work on books and articles about food, wine and travel. Contact her at elatiaharrisATgmailDOTcom or via text at 617-599-7159.

Events

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, August 8, 2014 Permalink 0

Mastering the Art of Food Writing will regularly schedule food writing workshops and events in Europe and North America.

But what if we planned the wrong event for you? That’s what we want to avoid. So we are seeking feedback on the kinds of events that you would find most energizing and meaningful. If travel is not quite the thing for you, don’t worry — there will be virtual writers’ retreats. If travel is a benefit to you, we want you to be thinking Chartres or Boston. Using the form provided, tell us where an event that would entice you should happen. What form should it take? What skills do you want to build while you’re there?

We’ll update this page regularly with our findings. Thank you for your help in crafting the perfect event for you.

TRE Certificate Program

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, August 8, 2014 Permalink 0

The Rambling Epicure Certificate Program is for individual writers who desire, over six weeks, a powerful alliance with their teachers. For many, instruction + accountability = the fast route to success. You will graduate with an education you can use, insight into your best options, and a plan. We don’t do overkill around here. We go for the sweet spot. Yes, there is homework — how otherwise would we nurture your talent? Curated course materials, that you will enjoy rather than resent, are provided.

We offer the program in two modes.

Mode I is a voyage of discovery into the scope of your own gifts. You will drop some baggage, and set new goals. Have you noticed that the definition of “food writer” keeps expanding? It’s no longer about a great dinner in Paris, or a fascinating trip to a place where unfamiliar foodways rule. It’s a demanding role, requiring culinary literacy and a broadening base of knowledge. What do you need to know to develop your authority in this field? If you’ve read inert food writing by people who lack the descriptive or analytic skills they need for the job, then we’re betting you’ve sworn you’ll do better than that. Mode I is about eliminating those disadvantages from your writing life, forever, and about wisely choosing your next steps.

Duration: 6 weeks, including a 1-hour phone call each week, email as needed, reading and writing assignments. Count on a 3 to 4 hour commitment of time, each week, from both yourself and from us. If you put in more time than this, we will reward and applaud you!

Mode II is for focusing intently on creating or upgrading a body of work, and learning how to be competitive in your chosen niche. Mode II is for writers at all levels who are prepared to make a strong commitment to food writing. Perhaps you are a fluent writer in another field, and you would like to bring to your food writing the skills and background you already possess. But, it’s not easy switching gears or transitioning your brand. You may need an ally to attend swiftly and successfully to these career shift issues. If writing is a second career for you — and for many, it is — you may want to save the time it takes to make a lot of false starts. With Mode II, you will need more writing time than in Mode I, and you will leave with some great stuff to shop around.

Duration: 6 weeks, including a 1-hour phone call each week, email as needed, reading and writing assignments. Count on a 3 to 4 hour commitment of time, each week, from both yourself and from us. If you put in more time than this, we will reward and applaud you!

We recommend Mode II for any writer who has already made a good beginning, and Mode I for any writer who is set on making a good beginning. You might greatly benefit from both, and if you decide on this option, we are pleased to offer you a 10% discount.

Because our certificate program is proprietary, our process unique, and our services highly customized to the individual writers whom we serve, we do not publish full details of the program. If you have a strong interest in the TRE Certificate Program, we invite you to tell us about yourself, using the form below. Ask us what you need to know to make a decision to enroll. We’ll make our best recommendations based on your needs. We look forward to hearing from you.

To talk about how the program would work for you, contact us, and tell us a bit about yourself. We’ll schedule some complimentary phone time with you.

Food Writing Prompts: A Brighter Kitchen

Published by Elatia Harris + Saturday, August 2, 2014 Permalink 2

by Elatia Harris

We value a bright kitchen for many reasons — ventilation, ease of cleaning, the unimpeded visibility of the food we prepare, and not least, the maintenance of the mood of the cook. The cook is almost always the owner of the kitchen, now. In a centuries-old kitchen, however, like this one at Townend in the UK (National Trust Photo), that was not the case. There were paid workers who lacked for light and fresh air, in the kitchen all day and into the night. In these circumstances, even a tiny slice of light makes a big difference. One candle, reflected in a glass bowl full of water. It was called a light enhancer, and it could bring deep joy.

Elatia Harris is a writer and consulting editor in Cambridge, Mass. She is most often at work on books and articles about food, wine and travel. Contact her at elatiaharrisATgmailDOTcom or via text at 617-599-7159.

Writing Doctor Services

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, August 1, 2014 Permalink 0

Writing Doctor Services

Welcome — the doctor is in! We offer a menu of services to writers at all levels. Even if your prose is in fine health, we want to help you notch it up to peak performance. You will appreciate our competitive pricing.

Our doctoring services, for individual writers only, are priced at $90 per hour. And we’re fast. If you have an especially big project that you want us to price either by the page or by the job, we will be happy to give you an estimate, and we will stick to it. We’re ambitious for you, and will put our shoulders to the wheel to make good things happen.

Individual Doctoring

Your manuscript may only need a little discussion, a light edit, proofreading, and — whoosh! Show it to us, and we will make recommendations, gratis. If in our opinion you need substantive editing, we’ll say so.

Editing

Our copy editors check for content, overall structure, structure within paragraphs, clarity, style and accuracy of research work, and citations. They can also check that your manuscript is in line with in-house style requirements.

Developmental Editing

Writer support for ensuring a manuscript’s structure and broad direction. This may require adjustments in tone and significant adaptation. This is a baggy category — we won’t know what you need until you show us. Ask us for a quote.

Proofreading

We offer full proofreading services for manuscripts that have already been revised and edited. This covers grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other details that may have been overlooked in anticipation of sending out your final manuscript.

Writing

For all ghostwriting and co-authoring projects, please contact us directly.

Translation

We translate menus and other food-related texts from and to all romance languages and English.

Formatting

Formatting of your manuscripts in word processors or on blog platforms when technical requirements prove it to be overwhelming.

Classes

Writing Basics 101, Beginning Writing, Essentials of Food Writing, Editing and Revising Your Own Manuscript, Word Processing 101, How to Start a Food Blog, Building a Social Media Presence/Branding. For experienced writers: Crafting an Online Presence, Ebooks. 101. Click here for more detailed information, or go to the Writing Doctor section. If you have more questions, click here to write us

Writing Classes

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, August 1, 2014 Permalink 0

Food Writing Classes

Classes Offered

The 16 classes below cover a lot of territory. Taught in one-hour units, they speed your path to mastering the most important and challenging aspects of food writing today. Matters of style, content, and being current. More intro coming…

Basics 101

Even though people say you’re a great storyteller, do you feel you let them down when you write rather than talk? It’s no secret — writing confidently and often is key to writing well. Using the grammar and punctuation that editors require for their publications is a supreme confidence builder. This is a “best foot forward” class for writers-in-training who want to arrive on the scene with all the specs.

Beginning Food Writer

Already writing about food, and searching for your truest direction? The scope of food writing is far bigger than it was a decade ago, and you may find what you’re looking for by considering how that expansion applies to you. This course shows you a systematic method for transitioning from general writing to food writing, and teaches you how to find both your voice and the best form for manifesting your gifts. Take this course and follow it up with “Essentials of Food Writing.”

Essentials of Food Writing

Have you decided that food writing is definitely for you? Worthy not only of all your skills, but of your learning some new ones too? This class is for you if you are a committed writer who wants to adapt your voice and style to food writing. There is a strong emphasis her on mapping out a body of work. Not quite ready? Take “Beginning Food Writer” first.

Editing and Revising Your Own Manuscript

As writers, we are often so close to our text that we can no longer see how to perfect it. This class focuses on achieving the crucial editorial distance that allows you to create your best work. You will learn to use technical tools to help you work faster, and to ensure that you send a perfect manuscript to potential editors and publishers. Recommended for writers who also take “Beginning Food Writer” and/or “Essentials of Food Writing.”

Word Processing 101

Word processing skills are essential for almost any profession, and in particular for writers. This class teaches all the basic skills you’ll require in the food writing profession. Recommended to writers who opt for “Editing and Revising Your Own Manuscript.”

How to Start a Food Blog

For food writing students and professional food writers alike, a food blog and online presence are difficult to make headway without. Both will help you build a readership and a platform, which is something publishers and editors take very seriously. It ensures them that you already have a following. This class will guide you through the entire process, from choosing a platform, setting up your blog, maintaining it, and getting the word out to the public through social media and effective search engine optimization.

Social Media without Blogging

Some writers don’t want the mammoth technical difficulties that food blogging entails. This class teaches you how to build a social media presence and a brand, without keeping up a blog. You will be surprised to see yourself commanding an increasingly large following. If you know for a certainty that you don’t want to blog, take this course to find out how not to miss out on that account.

For Experienced Writers — Crafting an Online Presence

Research Methods for Non-academics

How to Conduct an Excellent Interview

How to Write About Food for Kids

When Food Writing Overlaps with Ag Writing

Problems in Wine Writing and How to Avoid Them

Bioscience for Food Writers

Culinary Literacy for Food Writers

Sustainability for Food Writers

Ebook Overview

Now that indie publishing is an unlimited new world, you may not be looking for an agent or a publisher. You may be looking for a profitable niche, or a route to paper publishing that involves building an online platform first. You hold more of the fate of your work in your hands than ever before, and you may want to find out whether the driver’s seat, in e-publishing, is where you want to be. Join this class for an overview of up-to-the-minute realities that will be decisive for you.

To contact us or request a subscription to our weekly newsletter, click here:

The Rambling Epicure is a food writing community full of resources. Many are free. Join us, and explore them. Through our classes, programs, and one-on-one work with clients, we are a full-service network of support for food writers. Would you like to talk with us about what we could do for you? Say hi, with a brief intro, using the form above, and email us LINK an sample of your work so that we can give you our best estimate.

And, for a good time in good company, join our food writing forum on Facebook at The Rambling Epicure, Mastering the Art of Food Writing. You will make some excellent connections there.

Writing Doctor

Published by Jonell Galloway + Tuesday, July 29, 2014 Permalink 0

Writing Doctor: This Pen is for Hire

How’s your prose?

Let me find what ails you, and set you to “writes”. Whether through modest adjustments or major overhauls, let’s get your prose in good health!

You are a food blogger, but your dream is to become a food writer. Writing is a craft, and like all crafts, it takes time and patience to learn. Think of it as a house. You start with a solid foundation, with a frame and a floor, but you have to finish the building so you can house your family.

Working with a writing coach is like adding a roof, insulation and siding to suit the climate you live in. The climate can be compared to the market or the type of writing you aim to do. You have to hone your writing to that market and meet the expectations of publishers and of your audience. Writing free of spelling and grammatical errors is not enough.

The longest part of your “house” is the finishing work: painting, trim, doors, cabinets, etc. “Finishing work” is the long series of steps you follow to produce a final draft. It includes proofreading, developmental editing and copyediting.

Making your way to the perfect final draft is not so different from getting fitted for a tailor-made dress or suit. You choose the fabric, cut, color, etc., but that is just the beginning. Each draft is like a fitting. Some of them will work; others won’t. Just as your dressmaker doesn’t hesitate to take out the basting stitches and start again, you mustn’t hesitate to rework, add, cut, or even throw a draft in the bin. It’s part of the process.

Like most people, you have the basic tools to become a writer. Take the first step and build on your writing skills. Learn how to find your inspiration, find the right time and spot to work, get organized, and set goals. Find your voice and let it speak through your writing. Learn to be kind to yourself as you perfect your craft and to tap into your creativity at any time. Add to your skill base. Become the food writer you’ve always dreamed of becoming.

If you’re a beginning writer or a food blogger, you probably need to polish your writing skills. From proofreading to mentoring, to developmental or copy editing, let me be your Writing Doctor and get you to the finish line!