Do you have a writing project in your mind but don’t know how or where to start?

Are you a writer looking to tackle a new and different project?

Would you like to find someone to help you wade through the publishing process so that your book project can finally see the light of day?

Or do you simply love to learn from other authors and writers?

I love teaching and talking about the process almost as much as I love writing itself. For the past two decades, I’ve taught writing classes, courses, and organized workshops on food and culinary writing, as well as magazine feature writing. I currently teach cookbook writing and food writing through Pandemic University. (It’s real; see here.) I am also available for manuscript and book proposal consultation, as well as on-going individual and small group coaching sessions for writers of any experience level.

My consultation and teaching style is collegial and collaborative. We all have expertise and experience to share, regardless of our publishing track record. Collaborative and inclusive discussions bear the most fruit in my experience. So that is how I approach teaching. I provide the resources and launch the discussions. Having been a magazine freelancer, a magazine editor, and a published author of three books, I share my failures and successes equally, but the group dynamics and the roundtable sharing is the most productive and most value-per-hour-spent I have found.

Do you have a request for a specific request for a writing class?

Are you interested in a quote for private or small group writing coaching?

I reserve a portion of my teaching time for writers who have valuable projects in mind but who can’t afford consultation fees. (We need to address the lack of diversity of voices in the food writing and publishing world. Do not be afraid to ask.)

• • Bachelor of Arts (Hons), University of Alberta, 1993
  • Simon Fraser University Summer Publishing Program 2009
  • Founder, Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop 2009-2016 (currently on hiatus)
  • Faculty at Pandemic University*

*Not a real university, but incredibly awesome

• Dianne Jacob runs a terrific website devoted to the business of food writing. She is also the author of Will Write for Food, now in its fourth edition (2021).
• A common concern for food writers is how to copyright recipes. Here’s a recent blog post by the copyright alliance with some good overview information.
• General food trends and current culinary news in North America can be found at eater.com.
• The New Yorker is known for its good literary food writing. Here’s a link to the current food articles available.
• Gastronomica is an academic journal about food topics. It is widely available in print and online.
• The Dublin Gastronomy Symposium takes place May 30 to June 1, 2022. The topic for the 2022 event is Food and Movement.
• The European Journal of Food, Drink and Society is a new academic food journal, open to submissions.