In his writing manual, The Secrets of Character, Matt Bird advises writers to create characters their audiences will believe in. This makes sense, doesn’t it? Why invest time and attention on a character you do not believe in? Matt (feels strange to refer to him as Bird) offers many devices and tricks to make main characters come to life, so that readers “feel like [they] know this hero” (11). One aspect of believability is characterization, and one way to show characterization is with food. “Giving them something to eat in the first scene accomplishes” putting something in their hands that they wouldn’t have if they weren’t in this specific circumstance (16). Interesting. Nothing generic here – no bland suggestions about what your character likes to eat or doesn’t like to eat. Telling writers to pick a food that is specific to that scene and put it in the hero’s hands is probably one of the most specific pieces of advice I’ve come across. So what did I do? I gave my character a glass of ginger ale because he is visiting his ailing grandfather and his grandparents only have ginger ale in the house. I hope that makes my hero believable, and even generates some empathy from kids who can relate.