Replay: Michael Ruhlman shares Five Things He's Learned about Writing, By Writing about Food
Check out the first five minutes of his recent class.
“You can’t write about becoming a cook without becoming one, because the changes are so interior. It changes who you are, how you think, how you respond to the world.”
“The need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens—second in necessity after nourishment and before love and shelter. The opposite of silence leads quickly to narrative. Story is how we live. We are the only creature that tells stories that mean something. This is how we understand the world, how we order the chaos.”
“You will not be a writer without reading. You must read widely and deeply as much as you can. There’s no better training for a writer than reading other people’s work critically, seeing what works and what doesn’t. Understanding narrative arcs, narrative styles, and all the possibilities available to writers comes only through reading.”
“When you write, you cannot express emotions directly—they’re too intense, too raw, too abstract, too vague. Instead, attach them to something physical. That’s the best way to understand emotions and convey them to a reader.”
“You can train your unconscious to offer you the goods when you need it. You do that by writing at the same time of day for the same amount of time, generating about the same amount of words. If you do that five or six days a week, you can be a writer.”
—Michael Ruhlman, Five Things I’ve Learned about Writing, By Writing about Food
On April 13th, Michael Ruhlman joined us to share Five Things He’s Learned about writing and living well – while writing about food, cooking, and life in a kitchen.
Michael is an acclaimed author of over 30 books spanning nonfiction, memoir, fiction, and cookbooks, best known for his work on food and cooking, both at home and in professional kitchens. A multiple James Beard Award winner, he has collaborated with renowned chefs like Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert, and his writing has appeared in major outlets including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
In Five Things I’ve Learned about Writing, By Writing about Food Michael guides participants through the journey of becoming a writer—emphasizing writing itself as the foundation, regardless of genre. Drawing from his own unexpected path into food writing, Michael shared how he found narrative power in the kitchen, turning culinary experiences into vivid metaphors for life. He unpacked how food writing isn't just about meals, but about capturing the emotional resonance and human truth behind them, using food as a lens to explore themes like love, loss, and personal will.
His class offers a blend of craft guidance and practical advice for aspiring writers, particularly those interested in food as a subject. He explores how to cultivate discipline, find your voice, and integrate writing into daily life. He also provides strategies for personal publishing and navigating the modern landscape of food media.
Participants walked away with not just tools for better food writing, but a deeper understanding of storytelling itself—and how to root it in the sensory, emotional, and universal power of food.
Thanks for being part of Five Things I’ve Learned on Substack.
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