[AnimalMuppet]

The trip has to be worth the gas.

In a novel, the point of suspense is to make you read the next page. It's an almost trivial step to get to, almost automatic, but I still have to want to keep reading. I do (for most competently-written novels), because the payoff appears worth the effort.

"I'll tell you tomorrow"? That only works if you're promising me something worth the wait, and if I believe that you will deliver. Almost everyone who uses this technique fails the second point. And the more you use this technique, the less I believe you. You're willing to waste my time today; you'll probably be willing to waste it tomorrow, too. So I won't be back.

[ClapperHeid]

  >You're willing to waste my time today; you'll probably be willing to waste it tomorrow, too. So I won't be back.

Cut to the next day. Everyone at HN having a massive party with loads of free food, booze and drugs. Someone turns to their neighbour and says "You'd have thought AnimalMuppet would have turned up for this!"

[AnimalMuppet]

That could happen. And free food is nice, though I'm not really into booze and drugs.

But 9999 times out of 10000, that doesn't happen. Instead, what happens is some promotion for something that I don't care about. And the opportunity cost of paying attention those 9999 times outweighs the free food I get the one time there's actually something there.

[ClapperHeid]

I feel your pain. I've been to the same kind of corporate drudge-fests. But sometimes the free food includes chessecake.... which almost makes up for the ennui.