I'm at the end of section 2, where Jake realizes his uncle has been murdered and he's deciding to find out by whom. A lot's been set up, and I can see it beginning to expand into a vague sort of chaos, so I'll be focused on focusing the story on Jake and his own turmoil. Sometimes I use lots and lots of action to hide the fact that I don't know what the hell is going on...and just hope it turns out for the best.
Having a printout of the story is helping. I can jump back and forth to make notes, which is pretty damned hard to do in Word. And there's something about actually seeing it on a page that makes me read with more care. Of course, it's also intimidating. The damn thing's over 500 typed pages and fills a 6" ring binder to the max. If I dropped it on my foot, I'd be crippled for life.
At the same time, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. It becomes more real. On a computer, you're dealing with different shades of light that can vanish if the power is cut off. And you're limited to the screen you're looking at. Other pages deep in the memory of your computer are available, sure, but as I said...they're not as easy to access.
I think that's why books will always be with us, no matter what some people say. Electronics only work so long as there's a steady source of power, and if that's disrupted, how can you do anything in the way of reading or watching films or writing? You can read a book by candlelight; you can't read a tablet whose battery's run down. You can write with a pen or pencil and a piece of paper; you can't if your computer's not getting electricity.
A book is as perfectly developed as is a wheel, and is just as essential to life, really.
Having a printout of the story is helping. I can jump back and forth to make notes, which is pretty damned hard to do in Word. And there's something about actually seeing it on a page that makes me read with more care. Of course, it's also intimidating. The damn thing's over 500 typed pages and fills a 6" ring binder to the max. If I dropped it on my foot, I'd be crippled for life.
At the same time, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. It becomes more real. On a computer, you're dealing with different shades of light that can vanish if the power is cut off. And you're limited to the screen you're looking at. Other pages deep in the memory of your computer are available, sure, but as I said...they're not as easy to access.
A book is as perfectly developed as is a wheel, and is just as essential to life, really.
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