So, the original intent of this monthly blog post was to gather writing tips from seasoned professionals, but I’ve changed my mind. There are a lot of places to get those, so I decided to find a different type of “pro” to feature.

This is what I’m offering: on the 8th of every month I’m going to give tips on how to create realistic characters by talking to people with assorted jobs/hobbies/skills and posting a Top Ten list of things to consider for these types of characters.
I’m starting today with some tips from Nancy Collard, award winning cake decorator and owner of Top Tier Cakery. Let’s face it – cake decorating is “in” right now (how many TV shows on cakes??). So if you’re thinking about adding a baker to your next book, here are some things you should know:
1. A good cake is a heavy cake (5-tiers can weigh over 100 lbs!).
2. Some of the best cake decorators come from South Africa, Australia, and South America.
3. The organization of cake decorators worldwide is ICES – International Cake Exploration Society, which was started by a woman in southern Michigan.
4. Humidity is cake napalm. Icing can flop, gumpaste wilt, poured/pulled sugar pieces can become a puddle.
5. Edible image printers (printer with food coloring in stead of ink) are extremely high maintenance and can add hours to a project. (It’s what I used for the “Owen is One” plaque).
6. Silky smooth buttercream that tastes good will pipe well.
7. When you bump the cake with your hand and damage it when just finishing (happens more often that you’d think, especially at 2:00 – 4:00 am), cover it with a flower or bonus “accessory”.
8. If you have an accident on the way to deliver a wedding cake: back-up plan – call on “cake friends” or other bakeries for blank, iced cakes; do a quick decorating job in bride’s colors so she at least has something for her pictures and to cut.
9. Client wants “something simple” (definition: cheap): just iced with little to no decor. That’s the hardest cake to do because the icing job needs to be flawless!
10. (This is something Nancy told me when I interviewed her for an article): You need to be anal – attention to details is key!

There you have it, folks! Next time you want to create a character who decorates cakes, keep this tip in mind to help make it believable!