Writer’s block causes fortune cookie to crumble for longtime fortune writer

They may be short and sweet and inside something good to eat, but writing the fortuneinside fortune cookies is no easy task.

In fact, it’s become so hard for one longtime fortune writer that he’s hanging up his punny, wisdom-giving pen and calling it a day.

“I used to write 100 a year, but I’ve only written two or three a month over the past year,” Donald Lau told Time earlier this month.

For the past three decades, Lau has been the “Chief Fortune Writer” for Brooklyn-based Wonton Foods, but he’s passed the torch, err, pen to James Wong, a nephew of the company’s founder.

“When they eat their fortune cookie, I want customers to open the fortune, read it, maybe laugh, and leave the restaurant happy so that they come back again next week,” Lau said.

Though he may not dole out his wisdom anymore via fortune cookies, Lau will keep his day job as the company’s chief financial officer.

According to its website, Wonton Foods is the largest manufacturer of fortune cookies, noodles and wrappers in the U.S.