How programming made me a better writer

          I'm learning Python. Most people are. 'Learn to code', they said. So here we are. What I didn't expect is how learning a digital language would help me wield the analog ones.
          As Stephen King explained in his 2000 partial autobiography 'On Writing', putting words on the page amounts to "telepathy, of course." You take an abstract thought or emotion in your head, you express it using words and syntax. You then offer these words to others for them to use to reconstruct that thought or emotion in their own heads. Do it right, and telepathy it is. More importantly, it is also coding.
          When you code, you learn to define things in the right order so that the computer will not be confused. You learn to build your code in modules that connect together, to link sections of your code to others so that they may effect recall, influence each other and work together to deliver the experience that you are aiming for. Much of this is also true in fiction.
          What coding really helps you do as a writer is structure your story, down to the sentences. When you write with coding in mind, you keep things clear for your audience. This makes sure to avoid what Alfred Hitchcock defined as "one of the fatal things (...) to have a mind that is confused. Otherwise the audience won’t emote." Coding connects you to emotions. How about that?
          Another thing that coding forces you to do is to take the big picture into account. You can't just start writing code and discover your program as you go, which is how a lot of fiction is written. I believe this takes tremendous time and effort, which could be spent more productively on planning and structure. Coding must be planned from beginning to end in order to function properly. If you plan your story in the same way, taking into account how each portion of it, or scene, connects to the others, in the right order, in the right way, then I believe your story will improve drastically. Big picture before details, and pennies will take care of themselves.
          Now, everyone has their own technique that works for them. This must be respected. However, one can also consider alternatives along the way. By being open to new solutions, you might just find an aspect of the craft that eluded you thus far. And when you do, it will make you a better writer.
          Coding is a language. Learning to code is learning to speak to a computer. Since computers are starting to become intelligent, shouldn't we all consider how coding can help us communicate better with each other?
          Feel free to comment on this at your leisure. I look forward to your thoughts.