CompuServe Thread

#Sherlock: Give us a clue

5 messages in this thread
#47705From: Lynne EllinwoodMay 5, 1993 2:03 AM
Jack, Again, thanks. Looks like I'd better check in at the Wolfram Forum, concerning Mathematica, fairly soon. MathCAD? Aren't you an historian, primarily? — Lynne
#47714From: Jack L. ChalkerMay 5, 1993 4:33 AM
No, I'm a science fiction writer, mostly, and that means that if I make a mistake I hear about it for years. Besides, MathCAD was cheap (AAAS member special) and is fun to play with.
#47900From: Lynne EllinwoodMay 7, 1993 12:06 PM
Jack, About mistakes: gotta admit, I've been reading RIVER OF THE DANCING GODS a teensy bit critically, to see if I can find any plot items that aren't properly prepared for. (It's a habit picked up from reading a million mysteries.) So far, no luck. (Though there's a reference to someone's being almost skewered by his own sword, when I don't remember the character's having been in an earlier battle or fight. Probably I didn't notice when he showed up.) Do you rewrite much? I haven't said so before, but I'm incredibly impressed by _both_ your output and your consistency. With many writers, every book after the first is a little bit lazier than the last. Critical or not, I'm still loving DANCING GODS. What a book! Lynne
#48070From: Jack L. ChalkerMay 10, 1993 4:53 AM
I've done more rewrite since going to computers than before (the first DANCING GODS book was not done on computer). I don't do version rewrites–what you see is essentially first draft. However, I DO revise individual sections, passages, etc. Often the more complex books are actually written out of order, much like a film is done, then digitally assembled at the end. The important thing to consistency is to know where you are going before you start out.
#47901From: Lynne EllinwoodMay 7, 1993 12:06 PM
Jack, If you didn't try all the new software, I'd never have heard about Microhelp's Uninstaller for Windows, which I can't imagine being without. And if you say that MathCAD is fun, I'll check it out as a possible Xmas gift for my husband. Lynne