Three ways writing is like programming
If you haven't heard, I've been building a web app for writers called BetaBooks.
The idea is pretty simple: upload your manuscript, send it to your readers just by entering their email address, and receive all their feedback in one super-organized and searchable place.
In my parallel lives as a programmer and a writer I'm often amazed by how much the two are alike. Just like a novel, writing software is a lot more complicated than it looks from the outside. Here are three uncanny similarities I've noticed between the two worlds:
1. You sweat little details that nobody else even notices.
Sometimes I find myself wondering what color my character's shoes would be. Would she go for simple black or white, maybe some casual flats? Or what about something a little louder, like some bold red sneakers? Is there a natural place to blend that into the book?
In programming I catch myself worrying about the best way to indent certain functions, or whether or not something should be named Feedback or ChapterFeedback (seriously that one took hours).
2. You can't keep it all in your head.
It's amazing to me how, writing a novel, I sometimes (always?) forget what's happened in other parts of the book. One of the most useful things that Beta Readers have done for me is pointed out things like: "Dude, Owin already said that back in chapter six!"
A software program is also basically just a huge pile of text. Sometimes I'll go back to a file I wrote a few months ago and I can barely recognize it, let alone remember what it all does. It looks like this just enters a sequence of numbers every 108 minutes... what does that even do?1
3. You have to chip away at it a little every day.
For me at least, the key to writing is getting in a flow. If I'm working on a novel a little each day, even half an hour, then I find it easier to get in the flow and keep writing. It often feels like the book will never be done, and like my daily progress isn't significant. But then one day I've finished a draft!
Software is just like that. It seems easy when you first get started, then you inevitably get bogged down in the middle and it feels like the end is just getting further and further away, and then one day you look back on it and you've got a pretty useful app. Where'd that come from?
Of course, everyone who's using BetaBooks right now is living through that gradual, daily "chipping away" with me. I'm so grateful for all your patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm as I fix all sorts of things you'd think I would have already gotten around to. Most of all I hope BetaBooks is helping you get some great feedback and keep it organized.
Let us know how it's going, Paul and I are always happy to hear from you!
Questions, comments feedback? Email andrew(at)betabooks(dot)co :)
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