Hi there. My name is Scott Duffy, and welcome to my book writing log. I have documented the process of writing my last two books on this site, and have started my third. This book will be called Visual Studio Team System In Action, and should be available in 2005.

The Mozilla project has a somewhat-secret project under way to develop a "JavaScript 2.0" component. It's not aimed specifically at the Mozilla Web browser just yet :: currently, it is only a JavaScript 2.0 shell. You can create classes and other neat JS2 tricks, and the shell will execute your code. Of course, it's not tied into any DOM (client or server), so there's not much you can do besides "print()".

The project used to be called DikDik, but it has been restructured under the name Epimetheus. It is worth a download and compile if you have CVS.

Scott

When Chapter 5 was submitted to the publisher, it had 4,282 words. Once again, the turn-around time from the technical reviewer was quick. The only comment the tech reviewer made was, "...this chapter turned up no technical faults." I don't know whether that's a good sign or not. But, heck, "don't look a gift horse in the mouth", as they say.

(I didn't know the meaning of that phrase until I looked it up just now.)

Chapter 6 -- well, it's nowhere right now. I have a lot of writing ahead of me. Luckily, the chapter is on HTML, which I know quite a bit about...

Scott

Once again, I have written an entire chapter in one day, and not even a long day at that. I've been at this for about 5 solid hours, and am two-thirds through Chapter 5 on user-defined classes. Give me a couple of more hours - I feel like I am really on a roll.

On the surface, my progress sucks. Chapter 5 is a stunning 2,431 words to this point, which works out to a measly 6 words a minute. But those 2400 words encompass 13 pages of MS Word text, or 15 book pages. I am aiming for 22 MS Word or 28 book pages, so I am on track. I have been able to fill it a lot more with code and pictures, and that is always a good thing for a introduction-level programming book.

On another topic, I also surprised how quickly the chapters come back to me after the technical review. I submitted Chapter 4 on Monday of last week (October 14). By Tuesday, I received the technical review back from the reviewer. Being the smart cookie that I am, I sent the "incorporated" version of the chapter back to the publisher later that same night. Thankfully, the review only contained a couple of minor points.

Scott

Chapter 4 is winding down at 3,838 words (17 pages). I have one section to go, and that should take less than three pages. Thank God for short chapters. I should remember this for next time. Every long chapter should be followed by an extremely short one, to make my life easier.

This also marks the first time I completed an entire chapter start to finish in one sitting. I mean, I have pulled "all nighters" in the past, working from noon one day until 10am the next morning. But that doesn't count. That's insanity. Here it is, barely midnight, and I am almost done. Oh, I still have to capture the figures, but that will wait until tomorrow. Figures don't count! (I have a couple of hand-drawn figures in this chapter - that should be fun.)

Tomorrow's a holiday up here in Canada - Thanksgiving. I might even be able to get a few words written for Chapter 5 (User Defined Classes). We'll see.

Scott

Chapter 3 made it into the publisher on Wednesday. 8500 words in total. Can you believe the technical reviewer had it back to me by Friday? And I have already done my edits and sent it back in to my editor. Well, the reviewer only made about 5 minor comments, none of them resulting in much more than a single word change here or there. So integrating the TR comments did not take long.

So I sat down today and started Chapter 4. Luckily for me, Chapter 4 is on JavaScript Arrays. It will be short and hopfully easy to write. In the space of three hours, I was able to write 1900 words (9 pages). I figure the entire chapter won't exceed 20 or 25 pages, so I am almost half done. By the time I go to bed tonight, I hope to be done. Of all the books I've ever written (OK, OK, this is only my third), this has been the easiest chapter to write. I shouldn't say that, since I'm not done. Oh well, I've already jinxed myself by thinking it, so might as well say it.

And I missed a whole day of football. Man oh man, what is this world coming to.

Scott

Chapter 3 has been coming along much slower than I planned. In fact, I originally planned to submit it to the publisher on Monday (yesterday). I doubt I will be able to submit it until tomorrow night. This might throw the whole book off schedule for a few days. I'm up to 5700 words on the chapter so far, and I am only half done.

I had originally thought most of my writing was going to occur on the weekend, but that hasn't been the case so far. In the last couple of weeks, I have been writing mostly on weekdays. Usually one day of the weekend is taken up with my personal life (golf, family, friends, parties, etc.) - that's ok, I planned on that. But the remaining weekend day is not being used very effectively just yet. It's very easy to sleep til 11am, go out to lunch and some quick shopping with my wife, come home at 2:30pm, watch football... etc. etc. until 8pm when I begin writing in earnest. Not a very effective use of a Sunday writing-wise.

I find that there just isn't as many distractions during the week. I can begin writing at 7pm and continue through until midnight uninterrupted. I hope my weekends will begin to settle down as the weather gets colder. I need those extra few hours every week!

Scott

Chapter 2 was submitted to the publisher on Monday at 8,600 words. I am fairly happy with it. It's the technical foundation for the rest of the book. How solid a foundation it may be is a different question - there may be a couple of cracks. Hopefully the reviewer will come back with some good feedback.

I am still editing Chapter 1 - basically, deleting half of it, and adding a few pages of new content. Much happier with the new Chapter 1 than the one I originally submitted. Rock solid.

Writing is not going well on Chapter 3 -- well, not yet. I am kind of distracted by a few things (some stuff is happening at work, editing of Chapter 1, etc.) But I already have 5 pages done (1200 words), and should be able to pump out 10-15 pages today and tonight if I get into a groove. Finishing it up on the weekend, and submitting the third installment on Monday.

I had a dream last night, that I wrote a killer screenplay and was trying to sell it to all of the major Hollywood producers. Essentially, I was able to walk up to them when they're having lunch, and get them to agree to read my screenplay. I wonder if it is that easy in real life.

;)
Scott