More Fiction Advice

As a fiction writer, never underestimate the value of a little research. It can really add to the authenticity of a story. In one of my stories from Emergency Stopping, I had a character who abandoned his life to live in a cabin alone in the woods of northern Michigan. Eventually, the mortgage company sent someone out to assess the property, on which he still owed money. What I needed to know was how many missed payments would pass before the mortgage company actually sent someone to the property. I wanted to get the details right. So, I called a mortgage company. I explained that I was writing a story, and I explained what the story was about. The man on the other end of the line was more than happy to tell me how long it would take before the company would send someone. Okay, it doesn't make or break the story, but it was important to me to know that I had it right. I think every short story writer, though working in fiction, should still have a deep love of fact.