Order Up!

"Order up!" is a phrase heard in almost every eatery worldwide - in whatever language - whether the food served is pub grub or gourmet.

Kitchen staff never knows what they'll prepare next. It's sort of the same with writers. One day we create, another we edit. Later in the week we promote. Sometimes we do them all in one day. Even many times during the day.

Like a cook or chef, we spend time preparing, deciding not only the ingredients we need but how much of each we need. Then we cook.

We chop and dice, saute and slice. This in a pot. That in a pan. Stir up trouble in a kettle. And voila!

Our concoction is ready to plate. We want it to be as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate.

For the writer, plating is the final read and polish before we send our new manuscript out the door to meet the public.

We want the agent, editor, and reader to say, "Yummy! I can't wait to dig in."

Happy cooking!