trust

The purpose of this blog is to discuss the craft of writing, but sometimes, writing is inextricable from life. Right now is one of those times.

At the moment, I have page proofs for the March book to check, revisions for the July book to complete, and the first draft of the spring 2007 book to finish. And while I’m frantically trying to pull all that together, we’ve just bought a new house and we’re preparing to move.

Moving is not a new experience for us. I know the process. But in all our efforts to improve efficiency through technology, the process has become three times more difficult than it used to be. I can no longer pick up the phone and call the phone company to tell them to turn on the phones on such and such a date. I now spend half an hour or more discussing internet capability, long distance options, three-way calling, caller ID, and what phone numbers I would like. And don’t get me into talking cable!

Along with this increased difficulty in process comes an increased distrust for the companies with whom I am working. The cable company tells me I can have free long distance if I sign up for their special discount plan. Free long distance costs $22 a month these days, did you know that? So I not only have to deal with the increasing variety of options, but I have to peg down every detail of those options or get ripped off around every corner.

Writing lesson for today: if an author doesn’t peg down details and treat a story with respect, that author risks losing the reader’s trust.

So now I’m going back to those revisions to peg those danged details so my readers know precisely when the hero figures out who he is. I hope.