9/29/04: Hacking away, again

[davidlevine]

Word count: 99822 | Since last entry: 974 | This month: 8772

Wrote another full scene, in which Jason continues hacking on the FFL's mail server to try to find out who it was who set him up by providing the biocomputer documentation. A couple of big revelations coming soon. (They'd better be soon, I have to finish this chapter by Saturday!)

I sometimes wonder if these hacking scenes are interesting. Some readers really like them, and I know that this is an area that I can write as few other writers can (well, except for those who have been technical writers, and there are quite a few of those). I'll leave them in for now, and if feedback indicates they are boring I can trim them back.

I see that I will probably pass 100,000 words tomorrow. That's quite a milestone. There's probably 500-1500 words left in the current chapter, with 3 chapters and an epilogue after that, so we're still looking at about 115k-125k words for the completed first draft. That's within reason, though I'll have to focus on trimming down rather than adding as I revise.

Onward!

Comments

[deedop.livejournal.com]

Yay 100K!

I'm setting aside a chunk of tomorrow to try and catch up with the last few chapters. Finding reading time (not to mention critting time) has been hard, but I am determined to make it happen somehow.

(Because if I don't, I'm going to have to insist you start adding spoiler space to your posts!)

[brother-che.livejournal.com]

That's great! I'm at a little over 47k for my current wip and about now, boy am I looking forward to the 100k line.

As for my 2 cents -- I agree, leave the hacking scenes in. Frankly, it'd be nice to see a realistic hacking scene. As you said, you can always take it out if you decide it doesn't contribute enough.

[davidlevine]

I think the reason one rarely sees a realistic hacking scene is that hacking is much akin to debugging, and debugging is boring. Unless you're right in the middle of it. So that's what I've been trying to do: put the reader in the brain of someone who really knows what he's doing so they can feel the flow and the give and take with the code.

Feedback from first readers indicates it's working.