I was thinking about food, recently. Not because I was hungry, but because I was thinking about how food can define a character.
When I first started writing mystery, advice was not to have conversations over the dinner table, and not to waste time describing food. It bogged down the story. These days, I see a lot of food in books; whole series are often centered around food themes.
I love to know what my own characters like to eat. When I’m reading, I like to sit in on the character’s enjoyment or lack of enjoyment of food. It tells me something about them that I wouldn’t get just reading a description, or seeing them in action. It’s more intimate in a way. I know I was surprised when Nick, the police chief in Beach Colors finally got up the nerve to ask Margaux to dinner.
Nick is a rough and tumble kind of guy, raised in a small town, did a stint in the army. They go to formal restaurant with a maitre d and linen table cloths. He was way out of his comfort level, but he came through with flying colors. I must have known he would; after all I made him up. But nonetheless I was so proud of him when he ordered a good bottle of wine.
Then there are the fun food fun things about people. In my latest mystery as Shelley Freydont, the owner of the Apple of my Eye bakery, Dolly Hunnicut, is famous for her Apple Crisp. Now I’m partial to apple crisp and I have a really great recipe which was given to me by a friend whose recipe can certainly give Dolly’s a run for her money.
Dottie is always handing out samples of her baking. I’m going to give Dolly her own page on my shelleyfreydont.com site, because she’s so much fun and her food is so yummy. (Of course I have to test out all the recipes. It’s research!)
Do you like novels that include food? Or does it distract you from the story?
