Word Count, Vol. 2:  32886

News:  Nobody bought Echo this week, but as I understand it, that’s par for the course.  Aside from August, December, and January, the other months mostly belong to top 50k ranked books.  But as always, BIG thanks to my awesome reviewers!  Melissa, Barbara, Ian, and [anonymous]…THANK YOU!  🙂 🙂 :).  Coding is….Well, it’s going.  Learning to think like a machine is tough, but it’s the gateway to expressing imagination thru apps and other programs, so I think it’s worth it.  Much like learning grammar and the nature of prose is worth it so you can let the imagination come to life on paper.  Learn the rules in order to break them and all that.  Thing is, in the beginning stages, my belief is that when learning a new set of skills, it’s best to not let it take over core patterns of thought.  An easy way to put it is that when I used to do martial arts, I would see people who were starting learn basic stuff, but if they were to try and use it, then they would become WORSE fighters, if that makes any sense.  They would have been better off following their body’s instincts and unleashing their aggression the best way they knew how.  Once they grasped some of the core principles, though, and were able to bring the knowledge to life, then it would become less of an abstraction and more of a tool.  Same with writing.  Reading a technically proper piece of writing by a beginner is really, really boring.  Once they grasp how the rules can be used to make their writing clearer and spot the places where they can break the rules…that’s when it comes to life.  And I believe the same with computers.  If you’ve ever talked to coders that are wedded to the rules and believe the rules are the end all be all, I find that they actually come across with stunted intelligence and clarity.  The advanced ones though, that know that the rules are a necessary stepping stone to unleashing their imaginative potentials, they have some truly interesting insights.  And that’s what I strive for when I learn something:  To get to that level.  I’ll get back to you though, because I’m nowhere close just yet, haha!  Anyways, back to work!  If you are a writer, I wish you inspired drafting and insightful editing!