As a simple improvement, I worked out where 2018’s novel for NaNoWriMo can finish. I decided I would split the novel story into two separate books. This is since the first book is already difficult to work out the conclusion of. Neverminding the fact that the second half will be where my imagination can go wild.
Visual Studio 2019 is here!
The first amazing part is I am moving into using Visual Studio 2019 for my projects. The easiest reason is the fact my PC had constant “lag spikes” and freezes in 2017. After installing it, with more added in to be adventurous, I am seeing a faster more responsive Visual Studio. I am hooked.
Firstly, NaNoE needed slight adjustments as the Windows SDKs I chose were newer options.
Secondly, I immediately found the first potential bug. This wasn’t from VS2019 mind you. I still have the bug that the first 5 chapters written don’t show.
The first fix is in FormMain.cs, we adjust the if to have an else:
if (_novel.Count > 5)
{
for (int i = -5; i < 0; i++)
{
lines.Add(_novel[i + _novel.Count]);
}
}
else
{
for (int i = 0; i < _novel.Count; i++)
{
lines.Add(_novel[i]);
}
}As you may see, it is a tiny piece of code to add there. The other thing to fix here is easy to understand for yourself, hopefully:
default: midPoint += " <i>" + ((_novel.Count < 5) ? i + 1 : _novel.Count - 4 + i).ToString() + "</i> <div>" + lines[i] + "  [ <i><a href=\"[" + (_novel.Count - 5 + i).ToString() + "\">Edit</a>, <a href=\"]" + (_novel.Count - 5 + i).ToString() + "\">Del</a></i> ]</div><br />"; break;As you may note we only added a slight adjustment here, ((_novel.Count < 5) ? i + 1 : _novel.Count – 4 + i).ToString(). It should be easy to understand, we made the paragraph numbers pay attention to where we are looking at them
As you can see, with no problems, I had a tiny bug I saw immediately when running it with VS2019. Nothing to do with VS2019, literally what I left behind with quick changes during NaNoWriMo last year! This is amazing!
Grammar Help
One of the things I need to step into is my grammar. I’ve done a bit for spelling already, however, grammar isn’t my strong suit.
I must share that finding a way to fix it through programming isn’t as easy as I thought it might be. Hence, If anyone has ideas for how I can build that into NaNoE I would welcome the suggestions. The strategy turns out it would be simple.
- Write it in NaNoE
- Edit it through NaNoE‘s helper
- Export a Word document
- Edit it through Word
I’m trying to find a way we can do this directly in NaNoE for ourselves.
Abstract Distances: Volume 1
To ensure things are simpler, I figured I should finalize the story of Abstract Distances. Technically, this is halfway through the book I planned for last year’s NaNoWriMo. I figure for the plot it would be easier and better to put the second half into a second book. That way the first novel in the series can die on the cliff hanger.
I have been going through a lot of Word Nerds videos and got tons of ideas and plans. For the editing suggestions they have for better quality I worked out I need to just complete the first book. That is why my novel now starts as Abstract Distances. The second one would, potentially, be Abstract Distances: Bringing Difficulty. That could be a hint of what the story has planned, it will just need a lot more work for the plot.
What I have noted is that for the chapter I chose to use as the cliff hanger in the plot I should have not left it so late. If it was closer to last year November I could have remembered what I wrote already. Think of going through what you have already written back and forth constantly?
NaNoE‘s point was to keep the plot and helpers close enough to swap through constantly. Unfortunately, I diverged from the plot plan over and over. When you need to adjust the planned plot to fit better, it is definitely what you must do. From that being the idea, I have seen I need to adjust my helpers for the plot and characters.
After this step today we are at 51,055 words. I know through editing and the likes it will change. Hence, it is best to share where this step got me. I am now excited for NaNoWriMo 2019.
Second Editing Step
I can not here that I don’t know if this would increase the word count, or decrease it. All I know is there is a little bit within NaNoE to help with sharing the story in a better manner.
As I shared before, we at least have the number to look at. Take a note at the warning I put into NaNoE:
Warning: This could take long if you leave this process till too late…
NaNoE Warning I made
Yes, I am months behind when I wanted to be doing things. Yes, there are tons of features and adjustments I want for this years NaNoWriMo for NaNoE. That is okay, especially since I made sure I would set a deadline. I wanted the first book to be finished before the end of April 2019.
As you can see in the image above I adjusted NaNoE a little for the editing. The size of the editing form for paragraphs, and the positions it suggests for us to edit. I also added the count for which paragraph we are editing on so we can come back to that paragraph for editing instead of coming from the start.
Just note that the editing is mostly suggestions, that is why some will come back over and over. The first 36 paragraphs had several adjustments needed on day one, that lead to 51,162 words in an hour. I will have to spend time tomorrow (the day of this post) to see where the first editing actually takes me.
I must say I left it too late, I have gotten up past 151 paragraphs. It’s just going slowly as I am paying careful attention to what I have written. Only roughly 1300 paragraphs to go, it just won’t be completed for this Monday as I had planned before.
Word Editing Time: Soon
After the complete NaNoE adjustment cycle, it would be time to do the final edit for the first draft. Moving to Word I can go through some spelling and grammar problems I know I likely have.
So to wrap today up, have a bit of the start of my novel:
I must share I felt like not working on this book as fast as I could. We got back to Earth and the new managing team pointed out I should make sure the people still here could understand what happened. I suppose I am getting to the age where I could be seen as one of the old folk. I was told I needed to write everything so we can share what we went through, and basically I lost my mind. Perhaps there is too much in my story?
Start of Chapter 1
Under normal circumstances, every day I wake up this early I will usually stay in bed next to Kathy, possibly cuddle up with her some more. Well, not today it seems. I open my eyes for the first time today, I suppose I should point it out, my room is still quite drab. Not too much decoration, even our bookcase is empty but we bought a house right as we got back on Earth even though we don’t like the bookcase in the main bedroom fixed on the wall.
I glanced at the wedding photos next to me on the bed side table, I’m sure where I proposed to her would make anyone jealous, but this is something you will end up being able to understand. At first I was going to propose to her on Mars, you can imagine how amazing it would be for us, it would make us into the first proposal for marriage there. The important part is this is after the mission, we have been married since the week we got back.
Hopping out the bed, I figure I should wash my face. Kathy wraps her head under the blanket sometimes, today happens is one of those days. I stretch and yawn, waddle my way to the bathroom. The mirror is too big, I instantly see how I’ve recently began balding. I don’t want a reminder so I go as close as I can to inspect it.
I will have a small patch of hair in the front of my head, followed by a bald line from ear to ear, and followed by hair. For some reason I glance at myself in the eyes, yes, they are still dark grey. Usually this would be intimidating, but today the only intimidating thing is I need to write this book.
I asked around to find out if I had permission to write an introduction to the book. The answer I kept getting was close to “sure, it is a documentary for what went on within my and Kathy’s adventure to another dimension in reality”. I thought about it for ages and figured we could start from the time we weren’t on Earth anymore, but you need to understand a few things about how this started out for us. I literally flew to Washington in the United States of America from South Africa to hand in my application since NASA called for applicants. It happened that Kathy came with, though she didn’t share why she took 3 weeks off work to stay with me.
Let us head back a little on our timeline as humans on Earth, in the end of 2020 the journey moved in a brand new direction. I didn’t understand much, you probably understand if you are bewildered you don’t read contracts carefully. The plus side, this is the reason I had to write this book.
In the year 2020, the year NASA began with sending their mission to Mars. We needed to build a base where we could colonise Mars for ourselves. There were unfortunately 10 billion humans on Earth, we needed way more space to live, and hence, the moon mission was a godsend. Sure we managed to take roughly 100 thousand people to the moon. It was mostly excitement, much like it was for Neil Armstrong.
Unfortunately, we were at the limit for the people we could supply oxygen for, we tried a lot but it made us look further away than the moon. It just so happened in 2018 NASA began with the tests for their new satellite launch systems. Sure, quite a few people argued with it, but since we need more space as humans they thankfully learned to keep their mouths shut.
It is roughly unfortunate we had to rush to colonise Mars, but it isn’t something within my role. I glance at my wrist as if I’m wearing my watch, I forgot I haven’t even gotten out bed at all today.
I will soon be getting certain people reading through it for me, I will also be reading it through a few times, and then the second edit will begin.
