My Favorite Recipes for Writing by Tiffany Rehbein

The inside cover of “Favorite Recipes” sponsored by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church showcases my mom’s familiar handwriting. To: Tiffany, Love: Mom ~ 1995. The recipe book, dedicated “to all cooks”  is organized topically.  Growing up in eastern Montana, the concept of a potluck is familiar, and all of the dishes can be prepared and served to large groups. Everyone contributes.

This post could be titled “Favorite Writing Ideas” as my goal is to share some ideas and resources for writing inspiration. Using picture prompts is one of my favorite activities. Use the image here, taken at Curt Gowdy State Park in southeastern Wyoming.  What is the story behind this image? Use your imagination. Write.

Similar to the organization of the recipe book, there is also an organization to writing. Think for a moment about your approach to writing. Do you follow the same pattern every day?

Considering this question pushed my own thinking. In my heart, I thrive doing work with WyoWrites, a group that proclaims on Twitter: Writers Teaching ~ Teachers Writing. The work feeds me. I have both the time and the space to write every day. What might this suggest about inspiration: find your writing tribe.

One of my favorite resources WyoWrites uses for professional development is Georgia Heard’s Writing Toward Home: Tales and Lessons to Find Your Way (1995). Heard offers short narratives and a writing prompt that touches on a variety of topics, including childhood, rejection, and writer’s block. What might this suggest about inspiration: find rich pieces of mentor text that jumpstart writing.

“Favorite Recipes” is not without its advice: share widely, cook every day, generously contribute. These same pieces of advice could be applied to writing. What might this suggest about inspiration: find all the ways to speak up, speak out, and make wherever you are a better place with your words.


Tiffany Rebhein is a former high school English teacher and current English Language Arts District Coordinator. She and her family live in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Follow Tiffany @Rehb31 on Twitter and her blog at tiff4tat@blogspot.com.