Yesterday, while commuting back from work on the Blue Line, I shared a series of lengthy texts with editor - Suzzy who was complaining about her lonely life in Washington DC, - talking about older men being intimidated and younger ones trying to be users. 

As our chat proceeded I thanked her for saving me from Writers block, to which she responded in rather biblical language that we should just thank God, and that  her new year resolution will be to dump diplomacy and speak bluntly.

This phrase got me thinking, huh! Had Suzzy been overly diplomatic with me, and if so, how has that affected my end product?

Could I have sold  more or less novels if there were no diplomatic relations between us; she and I?

I then convinced myself that this was worth talking about over a lunch or dinner date with Sue, to go over four of my novels that she had edited: Me, Myself and I, Survival Instincts, Speaking Etiquette, and Animal Secrets.

 She instantly accepted. I could feel the difference in her reaction, because there was no beating about the bush or lousy reflection, neither was there a need expressed to check on her calendar.

Needless to say that the meeting was great as I learnt that many readers 

Read between the lines; meaning once a thought is initiated, the reader looks for the details, and often will come back to buy more of my novels based on their expectations being met.

She bluntly told me that it is better for the sleazy details to be in there, and let the reader choose not to read them, than for the reader to  expect but not find the details on a subject matter that the author started.

That’s the lesson for that day and I am using it!