Honing Your Creative Food Writing Skills
The culinary industry involves a great deal of artistry and business savvy. To be successful in the field, you have to be knowledgeable at both ends of the spectrum. It’s no different if you’re considering becoming a
food critic. The best place to take a course in food writing is at a reputable culinary school, but only after you’ve, a) taken some cooking classes and, b) built up some culinary work experience.
Let’s face it; it would be hard to be writer for National Geographic if you never left your house. The same thing holds true for food writers. Sure everybody eats, but unless you have a little insider knowledge about how restaurants work, their customer base, and hot food trends in the industry, you’ll never really understand
how to become a food critic.
So, let’s assume you’ve got a culinary program under your apron, but your passion really lies in creative writing. Do you know how to approach an editor or get an editor’s attention? Do you have any idea what type of writing job you’d like to have? Maybe you were thinking of working as a freelance
food writer, or writing food articles for newspapers and/or specialty magazines.
If you’ve recently graduated from cooking school, you probably had the opportunity to choose business electives to supplement your learning. If that’s the case, revisit the school and inquire about creative writing classes or lessons on how to become a food critic. Just one short 15 hour course could be all you need to start working as a freelance food writer.
