Mood Altering and Mood Setting Drinks

Eyes open-coffee in hand. This is the way many people start their day. Some prefer tea or cola, but most crave some kind of heart pumping caffeine.

The chill of fall hits the air; hot chocolate comes to mind or perhaps hot apple cider. Christmas conjures up visions of eggnog or hot tea and Champaign rings in the New Year. Some people are teetotalers and others are milk chuggers, and some are both. People have drink preferences and so do characters. That preference may reveal much about who the character is and where she came from.

Think about the man who was dubbed “Public Enemy Number One”. This is how the New York Times described him right after he’d been found guilty of tax evasion. "Capone tried to smile again, but the smile was bitter. He licked his fat lips. He jiggled on his feet. His tongue moved in his cheeks. He was trying to be nonchalant, but he looked as if he must have felt--ready to give way to an outburst of anger. It was a smashing blow to the massive gang chief. His clumsy fingers, tightly locked behind his back, twitched and twisted."

Imagine what Al Capone drank. How would he hold his glass? Wikipedia states  wealth permitted Capone to indulge in a luxurious lifestyle of custom suits, cigars, gourmet food and drink (his preferred liquor was Templeton Rye from Iowa), jewelry, and female companionship.

Miss Marple seems to have a lot of Agatha Christie’s personality and they both loved tea. The perfect hair, impeccable dress and marvelous posture is the image I have of them as they sit on the edge of their settee and sip tea. One lump or two, cream or lemon for your tea--care for a fresh pastry?  

This Agatha Christie  game site describes her novels as being like stepping back in time to a refined and glamorous age where gentlemen in natty suits drink martinis, cigarettes are in holders, and stories are written on typewriters. Dead Man's Folly, is careful to preserve the right atmosphere in both time and place.

Carolyn, my West Virginia character loves fresh brewed “Sweet Tea” in the summer and hot “Apple Cider” in the winter. What is your character’s favorite drink? Do your antagonist and protagonist share a favorite drink? What’s your favorite drink?

Resources:

Wikipedia

Jayisgames

Photos:

Cider *creative commons, Seattle Coffee Gear/brownbean.com

Christie *wikimedia.org

Capone *slated.org

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3 comments Cherley Grogg, Christmas drinks, coffee, cold weather writing, Drinking and Writing, drinks, emotional hot buttons, mood, moods, New Year's drinks antagonists, protagonist, Tea, whiskey

Why Should I Read This Blog?

You ask yourself, "Why should I read this blog?  I think a quote from an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic and literary critic says it best. "I want stories to startle and engage me within the first few sentences, and in their middle to widen or deepen or sharpen my knowledge of human activity, and to end by giving me a sensation of completed statement." -John Updike-.

A blog should be similar to a story, it needs to inform, entertain or deepen. These simple tips should help.

·         Don’t use big words

·         Be an artist

·         Power in the written work 

1. Don't use big words and long sentences to show the readers how smart you are. They will soon tire of opening the dictionary continually. The reader (tongue in cheek) may say, "I'm reading a story (blog, novel, article, or essay) and the dictionary at the same time."
2. Writers are artists. The painter uses a brush, the photographer uses a camera, the woodcarver uses a knife, and the writer uses the keyboard to create something from nothing, to breath life into their work. 
3. Writers have a lot of power in their fingertips. The written word is very powerful it can entertain, inspire, anger and educate. The written word changes lives. 

Writers possess an acute sense of awareness and a vivid, colorful imagination. Use these qualities often and use them well. Always think of your audience when writing. Reach out to them-- touch them in some way--evoke a reaction.

Have fun and strengthen your descriptions with this writing exercise from About.com Creative Writing. Choose from one of three scenarios: Describe a landscape as seen by an old woman whose horrible old husband has just died, describe a lake as seen by a young man who has just murdered someone, or describe a landscape as seen by a bird.

Leave your scenario in the comments.

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2 comments 'Quotes on Writing', blog, Cherley Grogg, creative artists, creative writing, easy, exercise, learning from mistakes, little words