Invisible wrote:
> Trouble is, I write the outline, start writing the body text, and then 
> discover that this is actually a bad order, due to some dependency I 
> hadn't thought of.

Then you stop writing and you go back and fix the outline. It means your 
outline wasn't detailed enough to start with.

>>> Writing a page or two isn't too hard. (Parsec, anyone?) Writing
>>> something that's 30 pages long is another matter.
>>
>> It's the same process.
> 
> Not really. I mean, if you write something that doesn't completely make 
> sense until two paragraphs later, most people will accept that. If you 
> write something in chapter 2 that doesn't really make sense until 
> chapter 17... not good.

Memento. Inception. Any suspense movie you care to name. ;-)

I know what you mean, tho. I'm just teasing.

What you need to learn is what's called "lies to children." You give just 
enough information to make chapter 2 make sense, even if that's wrong 
information. Then in chapter 17, you say "remember what I told you back in 
chapter 2? Well, you have to adjust it to account for this."

>>> I don't know anybody who is this patient.
>>
>> I'm happy to do it for a while, *if* you are actually interested in
>> learning and will try it the way I ask you to.
> 
> OK, well we'll see...

I look forward to it. Heck, I can give you assignments, too. ;-0

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
  "How did he die?"   "He got shot in the hand."
     "That was fatal?"
          "He was holding a live grenade at the time."

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