Why would I link to this book: No More Masterpieces: Short Prose by New Writers
Getting the Lead Out
It seems I have been stumbling through another writer’s block, again … and I love to write.
I’ve often thought about, and even talked with others about, writing a book. Well, as fate would have it, I am in the initial stages of doing exactly that. Although the book in question is being described as a “micro-book” by the publishing house that approached me, I am very much interested in going forward with this idea (the details of which will be made known at a later date).
I’m looking forward to this project; and, even more so, I’m looking forward to pushing my digital pencil right through my electronic paper and busting up this writer’s block.
Code Documentation
Some may say the code is the documentation … and others may reply with the documentation is the code. I believe both are true; and, more importantly, they are not mutually exclusive.
First off, the code quality should be (if possible) in a format that is easily (human) readable. The idea is to provide the person looking at the source code an easy-to-follow layout as well as providing sensible separations between the various code structures.
The code should also be semantically written using naming conventions that help explain why each code construct exists, as well as providing an appropriate indication of what the code will do.
The above two ideas do not preclude the requirement for document blocks to be also included as appropriate in the code, as well as additional code comments explaining specific details that may not be readily apparent from reading the code.
Essentially, the point of view I recommend with documentation is quite simple:
Imagine it is six months later and you did not write the code yourself. Does the documentation you provided properly explain the who, what, where, when , and why of the code? … because in six months time, if you have not been working with the code all along, it will likely be just like you never wrote the code in the first place. Now, imagine what another developer would be going through.
Good UX is not solely in the realm of the end-user.
Most importantly, write the inline documentation when developing the code. You will find it much easier to write the documentation while you develop the code versus going back after the fact and writing it then.
Also, I find it much easier to focus on the task at hand if I do the document framing (read: basic outline) prior to writing the first code structure. Ideally this will also provide the scope of the code as well.
WordPress 3.2-beta1
I saw the wpdevel announcement in my email this morning and also in the news block in the Administration Panels of the sites I check every morning.; and, as per my usual routine, I jumped right into upgrading to this latest nightly version.
Here is an excerpt from the official post on dot-org announcing this release:
It seems like just yesterday that we released WordPress 3.1, but it’s actually been almost three months. We’ve spent that time putting together a new release focused on performance improvements, and are ready for our first beta testers!
As always, this is software still in development and we don’t recommend that you run it on a production site — set up a test site just to play with the new version. If you break it (find a bug), please report it, and if you’re a developer, try to help us fix it.
One of the big items in WordPress 3.2 is the “fullscreen” editor for writing posts and pages … and I have to admit that I was not really expecting to make use of it, but as I write this post as a trial-run I am quite impressed! Kudos to the developers on this new feature. It may take some getting used to but I think it has a great deal of potential.
If you would like to update your WordPress self-hosted web site to the latest nightly build and help out with the testing, or simply just have some fun with the new features, please take a moment to read the article I wrote here for reference.
To make this specific to this latest version you will have to make a small modification to the the process, it’s very simple:
- Open the /wp-includes/version.php file in core to edit.*
- Change (~ line 25)
$wp_version = '3.2-alpha';
- Go to your Administration Panel of your WordPress installation.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “stay updated” link in the bottom-right corner. (Refresh the page if the link is not there.)
Enjoy!
To see the Nota Bene click here.Nota Bene
* This is one of the very few and extremely rare instances where I would ever suggest editing a core WordPress file. I do not recommend this for anyone that is not familiar with how to make a correct back-up of their installation; and, how to re-install WordPress if the world falls in on their heads.
Where Do You Write?
Maybe the question should be: where do you write?
I’m writing about two different ideas of “where”. The place where you publish your writings; and, the place where the creative juices flow and you actually put digital pen to electronic paper.
Personally I find that sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to have multiple sites to write for. I have three major domains of my own that I write content for; and, I have often and still do consider writing guest posts for a few other sites. This is content writing I am referring to, not some quick blurb of an aside or status update. Those types of posts would add another two or three sites I write for if taken into consideration. This creates a bit of a push-me-pull-you effect when the post idea has a cross-over potential between sites. I believe one should not just simply copy and paste the same content from one site to another creating the dilemma of: where do I write?!
One of the great beauties of writing here is my thoughts can meander around and really just accomplish more or less not too much at all; but, how often can you realistically reference a Pushmi-Pullyu and have it be relevant?! Give it a try sometime, it really can be quite liberating. (This paragraph is also one of the primary reasons I have been developing a new and interesting plugin … more to follow elsewhere.)
The other where of this topic is perhaps what sparked my writing today. Where do I write? I write wherever I can find a space to write my thoughts down. My home office, my work place, the subway, a laundromat, a coffee shop, a park … just about anywhere is the answer; but, I also find the physical where has a dramatic affect on the digital where.
… and as for the question of when do you write; that will be a topic for another time. Enjoy!
Where To Begin …
… that always seems to be the hardest point when I start writing. Especially when I have no real idea where I want to go to. Perhaps the question that should be asked when I am staring at a blank screen is where to end?
An alpha-omega moment when both the beginning and the end are equally and clearly in sight is a writer’s dream as I see it. If I know precisely the opening I want to have and know the exact ending I want to reach then all the rest in the middle should simply fall into place. It’s simply connecting the dots.
Today I knew I wanted to write a post, almost a need to write if you will … it something that just had to be done. Did I know this would be the topic, getting from the beginning of a post to the end of the post and filling in the middle with something other than mindless drivel? Not really, and hopefully it serves more than just filling this digital space with pixels in the shapes of letters and spaces strung together to form words.
This sort of writing, free streaming conscious thoughts, is always interesting in that it can go just about anywhere the fingers want to take it as the thought behind it is minimal for the most part. I simply just type as fast as I can think clearly, as I pointedly say the words clearly in my mind.
Which brings to mind it is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Give it a try, you’ll never know if you don’t.