I'm sure I'd get writer's block, too. But I want to be a fortune cookie copywriter now.



At first, the writing came easily. Finding inspiration in sources ranging from the I Ching to the Post, Lau cranked out three or four maxims a day, between scrutinizing spreadsheets and monitoring the company's inventory of chow mein. I'd be on the subway and look up at the signs and think, "Hey, that would make a great fortune," he said. (One such adage: "Beware of odors from unfamiliar sources.") I'd keep a small notebook and jot down whatever came to me. I don't think I ever sat in front of the computer and said, "I am going to write ten fortunes right now." It has to come naturally.



The New Yorker :: Odd Jobs Department - Cookie Master