From: mbottorff@lshelby.com   
      
   Brian M. Scott  wrote:   
      
   > >> I actually do understand that one: if one writes to find   
   > >> out what happens, then once you find out, the story has   
   > >> already been 'written', and finishing the actual writing   
   > >> could be pretty boring.  It's a bit like suddenly realizing   
   > >> how to solve a programming problem cleverly but finding the   
   > >> details of coding a bore.   
   >   
   > > Actually I've always found coding kinda Zen, and after I   
   > > have worked out the desired algorythm, I can't wait to   
   > > test it out (and besides, if I don't have to why should   
   > > I want to risk someone else doing it Wrong?)   
   >   
   > But for me the interesting part was usually working out the   
   > method; at that point I knew that it would work if properly   
   > coded.  Unless I was personally interested in the output,   
   > I'd already obtained my reward.   
      
   I usually code because I'm personally interested in having a program   
   that does whatever the program does.  So I don't get what I want until   
   it's written and the bugs are squashed.   
      
   But I don't really consider the two very equivalent anyway.  Coding is   
   much easier.  Possibly because once you know how you are going to do   
   something, then the rest is just typing.   
      
   When writing, that just isn't true.   
      
   As an example...   
      
   I recently started a short story as something to write when I don't feel   
   intelligent enough to edit.   I picked a story that had been in my head   
   for a while, was short and "easy" and I pretty much already knew the   
   plot.   
      
   So far, my favorite part of the story is one of the minor characters --   
   a divorced construction foreman named Eddie.   
      
   I knew of Eddie's existance before I started, because I knew that he   
   would play a joke on my hero.  But I didn't know I would like him.   
      
   But, when I actually write his dialog, suddenly here he is claiming that   
   he's going to write a self-help book about reading character from a   
   person's shoes, and threatening to elope with my hero's widowed mother   
   on his 'hog', and I'm delighted.   
      
   And thus my problem with "everything is decided".   
      
   How can anyone possibly know every line of dialog in advance?   
      
      
      
      
   --   
   Michelle Bottorff -> Chelle B. -> Shelby   
   L. Shelby, Writer  http://www.lshelby.com/   
   Livejournal http://lavenderbard.livejournal.com/   
   rec.arts.sf.composition FAQ http://www.lshelby.com/rasfcFAQ.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)