Writing Excuses · Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
20.19: Cooking as a Writing Metaphor
May 11, 2025·30 min·2 clips
Howard declares there are only two mother sauces, igniting a debate about whether writing has similar rigid formulas.
As heard by us
Cooking becomes a practical writing metaphor, from substitutions to outlining and sensory detail.
The Writing Excuses episode uses cooking as a plain, useful way to think about writing. A missing ingredient becomes a case for substitution, and that turns into a broader point about creativity under pressure.
Why you'd press play
You want a writing pep talk wrapped in a cooking conversation.
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