J. Scott Coatsworth's Top 5 Writer Fuels

As a professional (though still part-time) writer, I’ve learned a few things along the way. One of the most important ones is how to keep my writing mind fueled, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite writing foods.

1) Oreos. These are a must-have for their crunchy chocolate outsides and creamy insides. They inspire me when I need a little boost, and give me a quick break as I split them apart to lick out their creamy centers. Single stuff original Oreos only. Double stuff has waaay too high a stuff-to-cookie ratio. And the creamy filling should never, ever be green. Unless you're writing an alien love scene - then I am totally cool with the green.

Perfect for: sex scenes when you need a little tongue action to get your writing going.

2) Boba / Bubble Tea. I love a drink I can chew. For the unfamiliar, bubble tea is usually made with tea, milk, a sweet syrup, and round tapioca balls, and comes with an extra wide straw to let you suck up those balls right into your mouth.

Perfect for: You’d think sex scenes, right? But no, this is better for writing sci fi, a space-age drink for a space-age plot.

3) Salty Nuts. Yeah, I know - boring, right? But these are the perfect long-term energy pick me up. When I’m drooping and can’t seem to get up a good writing steam, I grab a handful of salty nuts and put them in my mouth.

Oooh, that sounded dirty.

Perfect for: Sustained late night writing binges when you can’t sleep.

4) Peeps. The perfect food. Peeps are the wonderful combination of sticky marshmallow and sparkly sugar. But there’s a trick to making sure they are the best they can be. Poke a hole in the plastic, and let them sit for a week or so, until they become the perfect amount of stale - chewy with just a little crunch.

Perfect for: High energy scenes that move along rabbit-quick.

5) Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar: The perfect writer food. These come in two bars with 16 squares each. I break off four squares and then break each of those in half, and treat myself to a piece each page or scene. Not so much a fuel as a reward.

Perfect for: When you just gotta hang in there and getter done.

These fuels aren’t for every writer. Experiment and find your own, and you too will find your groove.