# Greetings!!



## Seifer (Feb 7, 2021)

Greetings,

I decided to join to try and look for some help. I'm working on writing a book. I have been a chef for 15 years due to the pandemic I lost my job. I thought would be a fun idea to write about things I have seen, experience and other fun stuff along my career of being a chef.


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## Kent_Jacobs (Feb 7, 2021)

Hello and welcome to the forums!


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## Taylor (Feb 8, 2021)

Welcome!  It would be fun to read about your experiences as a chef.  Are you going to write in fiction or nonfiction?  Either would work well....


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## Olly Buckle (Feb 8, 2021)

Actual personal experience is a good place to start, whether you fitionalise it or tell it as it is. Fun is a good attitude to take toward it as well, of course it is possible you may write a best seller, but it is a very small proportion of writers who actually make a real living from it. What sort of help are you looking for, there is a wealth of experience, and inexperience, here and you may find many of the questions you would ask already answered. A good place to start is 'Writing discussion' and its sub forum 'Hints and Tips', not only is there a fair bit which is of interest there, but also the opportunity to comment and make the ten posts necessary to see the full forum open up.

Welcome to the forum, Olly.


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## druid12000 (Feb 8, 2021)

Welcome :hi:

There is whole bunches of good info here and a heck of a lot of good folks, so dive in! (to the info, not the folks :icon_cheesygrin


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## Foxee (Feb 8, 2021)

Hey, welcome to the forum! As a casual fan of Food Network I find the culinary world interesting. Also, even if your book doesn't center around a chef or the culinary arts everybody has to eat at some point so you've got a skillset that you can draw on. Have you ever read any Dick Francis mysteries? He turned his former career as a steeplechase jockey into characters and plot points for his books. 

In any case, glad to have you here.


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## Gumby (Feb 8, 2021)

Welcome to the site! I am a complete 'wannabe' chef, always in awe of a real one.


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## River Rose (Feb 8, 2021)

Seifer said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I decided to join to try and look for some help. I'm working on writing a book. I have been a chef for 15 years due to the pandemic I lost my job. I thought would be a fun idea to write about things I have seen, experience and other fun stuff along my career of being a chef.



I have been a waitress many, many hrs and know my way around front lines of the restaurant business. What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen. Or in the cooler,,,or pantry,,,or backroom. Lol. I think writing about your experiences would be awesome. It’s a whole different life behind the kitchen doors. Welcome.


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## Seifer (Feb 8, 2021)

River Rose said:


> I have been a waitress many, many hrs and know my way around front lines of the restaurant business. What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen. Or in the cooler,,,or pantry,,,or backroom. Lol. I think writing about your experiences would be awesome. It’s a whole different life behind the kitchen doors. Welcome.





It's the best thing in the world, when you try to explain it others they just don't understand haha !


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## Seifer (Feb 8, 2021)

Foxee said:


> Hey, welcome to the forum! As a casual fan of Food Network I find the culinary world interesting. Also, even if your book doesn't center around a chef or the culinary arts everybody has to eat at some point so you've got a skillset that you can draw on. Have you ever read any Dick Francis mysteries? He turned his former career as a steeplechase jockey into characters and plot points for his books.
> 
> In any case, glad to have you here.



Interesting I will have to check that out !!


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## Seifer (Feb 8, 2021)

Olly Buckle said:


> Actual personal experience is a good place to start, whether you fitionalise it or tell it as it is. Fun is a good attitude to take toward it as well, of course it is possible you may write a best seller, but it is a very small proportion of writers who actually make a real living from it. What sort of help are you looking for, there is a wealth of experience, and inexperience, here and you may find many of the questions you would ask already answered. A good place to start is 'Writing discussion' and its sub forum 'Hints and Tips', not only is there a fair bit which is of interest there, but also the opportunity to comment and make the ten posts necessary to see the full forum open up.
> 
> Welcome to the forum, Olly.



To be honest I'm not sure where to start haha. I have the idea in my head I just want to have fun! See how far my mind can go. I have a really good memory I can replay events in my head that happened years ago.


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## Jk_Sl (Feb 8, 2021)

Hello , welcome to the forum [emoji122][emoji122]


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## Olly Buckle (Feb 9, 2021)

Seifer said:


> To be honest I'm not sure where to start haha. I have the idea in my head I just want to have fun! See how far my mind can go. I have a really good memory I can replay events in my head that happened years ago.



It doesn't really matter where you start, the thing about being the writer rather than the reader is that you can always go back and fill in the beginning later if you realise that you did not start there, and if it doesn't work out how you thought you can edit 'til the cows come home. The only important bit initially is to place your bum on the seat and start writing, something, anything. Once you have started, believe me, more will come.


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## indianroads (Feb 9, 2021)

*test*



Seifer said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I decided to join to try and look for some help. I'm working on writing a book. I have been a chef for 15 years due to the pandemic I lost my job. I thought would be a fun idea to write about things I have seen, experience and other fun stuff along my career of being a chef.



Sounds like an interesting background. Keep an eye on the 'Research, including Sensitive Research' topic under 'Writing Related'. People sometimes ask questions about various careers, and maybe you can help.

Glad to have you here - there's a ton of knowledge and experience available, so I encourage you to dive in.


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## Seifer (Feb 10, 2021)

indianroads said:


> Sounds like an interesting background. Keep an eye on the 'Research, including Sensitive Research' topic under 'Writing Related'. People sometimes ask questions about various careers, and maybe you can help.
> 
> Glad to have you here - there's a ton of knowledge and experience available, so I encourage you to dive in.




Oh that is really interesting I will have to check that section out thank you !


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## VRanger (Feb 10, 2021)

Seifer said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I decided to join to try and look for some help. I'm working on writing a book. I have been a chef for 15 years due to the pandemic I lost my job. I thought would be a fun idea to write about things I have seen, experience and other fun stuff along my career of being a chef.



My wife and I are, as I type, watching an episode of All Creatures Great and Small. If you're not familiar, an English veterinarian wrote several books comprised of individual interesting episodes about his life and career. His series of books were good sellers, and resulted in a movie and two TV series.

I don't want to suggest this is your future , but well written slice of life always plays.


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## PiP (Feb 10, 2021)

Seifer said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I decided to join to try and look for some help. I'm working on writing a book. I have been a chef for 15 years due to the pandemic I lost my job. I thought would be a fun idea to write about things I have seen, experience and other fun stuff along my career of being a chef.



Seifer, welcome to WF. Writing about your experiences is a great idea. As vranger said: A slice of life is good. Would you write a fiction book using your first hand knowledge to weave into the story, or more along the lines of a memoir? Either way we have many experienced writers here who'd be pleased to offer encouragement and technical help.


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## Seifer (Feb 10, 2021)

PiP said:


> Seifer, welcome to WF. Writing about your experiences is a great idea. As vranger said: A slice of life is good. Would you write a fiction book using your first hand knowledge to weave into the story, or more along the lines of a memoir? Either way we have many experienced writers here who'd be pleased to offer encouragement and technical help.



To be honest I'm not sure where I want to start. I would love to write about my memories and funny events. I'm almost wondering if I write about a young boy when i was younger the steps I took. I never wanted to be a big known chef on tv. I did it for the passion the andrenaline Rush. Trying to figure out which way to go about it. A book has ways been on my mind. Anthony Bourdain was on of my idols, he wrote the Kitchen confidential.


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## Seifer (Feb 10, 2021)

PiP said:


> Seifer, welcome to WF. Writing about your experiences is a great idea. As vranger said: A slice of life is good. Would you write a fiction book using your first hand knowledge to weave into the story, or more along the lines of a memoir? Either way we have many experienced writers here who'd be pleased to offer encouragement and technical help.


Thank you, I have not heard of this. Looking forward to getting all the help i can !!


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## indianroads (Feb 10, 2021)

Seifer said:


> To be honest I'm not sure where to start haha. I have the idea in my head I just want to have fun! See how far my mind can go. I have a really good memory I can replay events in my head that happened years ago.



It always starts with the story. If you were sitting around a campfire with your friends, how would you tell your tale?

"I always wanted to be a chef, but never dreamed I would need a psychology degree to get by..."


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## Seifer (Feb 11, 2021)

indianroads said:


> It always starts with the story. If you were sitting around a campfire with your friends, how would you tell your tale?
> 
> "I always wanted to be a chef, but never dreamed I would need a psychology degree to get by..."



Kind of funny, I got into cooking by mistake someone I knew offered me a job. I did the interview the person who did my interview with told me I reminded him of someone. I didn't know the guy doing my interview so I asked him what the person I reminded of him do? Told me was a waiter in old port in Montreal..we have so many restaurants so I asked which one was curious. Told me the name of the restaurant, I said does this guy like Volkswagen. The guy be was talking about was someone who I had met at a car meet haha I knew the guy he was in school with my dear brother. Crazy how that is how it started. I always loved the way food tasted and can remember how stuff tastes from way back from my childhood.


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## indianroads (Feb 11, 2021)

Seifer said:


> Kind of funny, I got into cooking by mistake someone I knew offered me a job. I did the interview the person who did my interview with told me I reminded him of someone. I didn't know the guy doing my interview so I asked him what the person I reminded of him do? Told me was a waiter in old port in Montreal..we have so many restaurants so I asked which one was curious. Told me the name of the restaurant, I said does this guy like Volkswagen. The guy be was talking about was someone who I had met at a car meet haha I knew the guy he was in school with my dear brother. Crazy how that is how it started. I always loved the way food tasted and can remember how stuff tastes from way back from my childhood.



And there it is, the start of your story.


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## Seifer (Feb 14, 2021)

indianroads said:


> And there it is, the start of your story.



Here we go!


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