promises-promises

A couple of weeks ago, our transit union went on strike. They’d been in a strike position for weeks, and the contract negotiations had been going on for weeks before that.  But one thing the union promised was 48 hours notice before a strike came into effect—giving time for peeps to make other arrangements.

 

Little bits of news would leak out about the negotiations, but nothing that was gaining the union much sympathy amongst the general public. Eventually it came time to give that notice; one local news channel had hourly updates. The deadline came and went, then an hour later we heard an agreement was struck. *phew*. Dodged that bullet, now to have the union body vote.

 

Can you guess what happened next? The majority of workers rejected the agreement and…. *without further warning they went on strike.* We’re talking 12am on a Friday night. Folks were stranded where ever they were.  Can you say bone-headed publicity move? They promised us 48 hrs notice before a strike. The deadline came and went, so another 48hrs notice was needed.

 

Yes. I am going to tie this into writing, right now. An author needs to keep whatever inherent or implied promise made to the reader. Is this a romance? Make sure the HEA or HFN is there. That’s the promise of a romance.  Do not have the hero falling off a cliff, the main characters parting after a sharing a last kiss and an ‘it’s been a slice. Seeya!’  Sorry, an HEA in book 4 with a second hero after the first hero dies at the beginning of book 1 doesn’t work either.  Show a gun in chapter one? Someone better get shot before the end of the book.  You break the promise, you piss people off. 

Now I’m gonna look at this from a different angle.  Remember I said earlier about details leaking out after the 48hrs notice was given, that weren’t bringing anyone over to the strikers cause?  During the wildcat strike, more details came out, like concerns about job security, which did elicit empathy.  If you could get past your rage. 

If you couldn’t get past your rage, all you heard was the voice of Charlie Brown’s teacher.

 

If those pertinent details had come out before hand, while folks might not have been any happier about the strike, they might have been more patient/understanding.

 

So point number two: If you’re going to have your character do something that just might tee off your reader, you need to give good and plausible reasons for the character’s actions.  Before the ‘questionable’ action takes place.  And when I say give good reason, I don’t mean some heavy handed declarative statements.  You can ‘show’ or imply the reasons. Just make sure they’re there.