Close Enough

My husband is among the over 4.7 million US workers who work remotely at least half of the time. (https://www.b2breviews.com/remote-work-statistics/) There are benefits to this lifestyle. It’s a short commute, for one. But a person like my husband needs a reliable Internet connection in order to do his job.

That eliminates many areas of Alaska, where we vacationed several years ago. Over 80 percent of communities in the state are not connected by roads or highways. (https://www.wbur.org/npr/686963414/why-the-u-s-census-starts-in-alaskas-most-remote-rural-villages) Even McCarthy, Alaska, which sits at the end of a 60-mile gravel road, is considered remote. It’s recommended you allow two hours each way to get there. It's also strongly advised you have a four-wheel drive vehicle. There’s no cell service, so you’re on your own if you find yourself in trouble.

Take your time if you brave it. You’re traveling into America’s largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias. The scenery is spectacular. Wildlife is abundant. So are potholes and washboards. Look out for planes, too. The road doubles as an aircraft taxiway for the mail plane–or anyone else who needs fast transport to or from town.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast, tucked away in the woods just outside town. Each unit is a fully furnished log cabin, with electricity and running water. The water is even hot. Internet connections were a challenge, though. The owner’s home housed the router, so the signal was weak in the cabin.

The bed and breakfast

Trekking into downtown McCarthy, we had lunch in a saloon that boasted free Wi-Fi. I recommend them for a meal, but it’s likely their Wi-Fi is down if you go, as it was during our visit.

Half of downtown McCarthy

Returning to our cabin, we retrieved our laptops, climbed into the car, and crept toward the main house. We wanted to be close enough to get a signal, but not look like stalkers.

“Close enough” worked for us that day. We once again felt connected to the outside world.

But does it work in everyday life?

If you drive close enough to the speed limit, the police officer might disagree with your decision to go sixty in a forty-five zone.

If the pilot of the propeller plane shown above decides he’s close enough to the taxiway, the plane might end up in the trees or in one of the many ponds along McCarthy Road.

If a student writes a ten-page term paper, but the professor asked for twenty, is that close enough? Well, enough to get a less-than-stellar grade, perhaps.

Writers experience close-enough syndrome. We so desperately want the project to be finished and in the hands of readers. The number of times a manuscript has been read before you got hold of it would startle you.

The author read it dozens of times.

Beta readers and/or an editor read it and gave feedback to the author.

“This section doesn’t move the story forward.”

“This is out of character for your protagonist.”

“Clunky.” (huh?)

“Show, don’t tell.”

It’s a long process, but I don’t want my writing to be close enough. I want it to be as good as it can be so you, the reader, glean as much as possible from it.

So be patient when an author says their latest project is coming soon. They're polishing it for you.