A good place to start?

[LightningNC]

I started out as a graphic designer for print in 1993 when color was expensive and the Internet was not a household word. In the last fifteen years, I've continued to update my knowledge and skills, trying to keep up as the design world changes.

But I never wanted to become a programmer. I was so happy when GUI interfaces and WYSIWYG came along -- I could see what I was doing instead of writing code and running it to see if it worked. So I've dug in my heels more than a little at the idea of having to learn things like CSS, ActionScript, and JavaScript.

But I finally tackled CSS this year. It took me a few months, but I'm finally comfortable with it. So I've decided to try ActionScript or JavaScript next. (I eventually need to learn both, as I'm seeing a lot of job ads requiring one or both.)

Here's my learning process. I like to start with a book that has step-by-step examples that allow me to get my feet wet and learn the basics. Then I like to move on to experimenting on my own, with a second kind of book on hand: something along the lines of a "Missing Manual" or "Visual QuickStart" or "Visual QuickPro" book that I can use as a reference to look up "how do I do this specific task" or "how does this specific tool work" or "why isn't this working?" Eventually I get to the point where I can use online sources to look up answers and solutions (especially with the "why isn't this working" questions).

I don't like video tutorials; I don't learn well by just watching and not doing, and I usually find that the pace of video tutorials is way too slow for me.

So, with all that said, any suggestions on where I can start to dip my toes in the water with ActionScript?

[tweekskratch]

There are tons of tutorials out there on the internet. I say this first and foremost because it's FREE! another way to learn this is to take a cash course in Actionscript through adobe or another Adobe certified school. These usually last from 2-3 days, and can be a great way to get started. I also recommend lynda.com because you can skip around anywhere you want, or even fast forward. I have learned the hard way that it's better to sit for an extra hour while you are watching a movie, than to spend hours looking for solutions later on down the road. Some of it may come down to just sitting down and spending time reading a good book on actionscript, or even watching tutorials.
The time you invest in learning, will help you better understand things later on. Like I said, it might just come down to you sitting down and reading.
One other helpful way to learn like I said was to watch tutorials. I know you said that you don't really like them, and I agree the majority of them are too slow, but try to find a certain flash instructor that is at your own pace. There are tons of them out there, and that should help you in your search.