Writing with Word

[fredo]

This is a question for all you writers out there. Those of you that use Word, be it on a PC or an Apple, do you break the story into chapters, opening a new window each time, or do you let it run in the same window. I'm not a writer but I am interested in the style that writers use.
Thanks.

[Moderator]

Steve starts a new document about every 40 pages or so. It's more a safety measure in case the document gets corrupted so that the entire manuscript wouldn't be affected. He also prints off a hard copy at the end of each day so we have that as well. But no matter how you do it, back up, back up, back up!!

[aptpupil]

I have to admit that I use Word and just continue with a single document chapter after chapter. I do back up, but not as often as I should, so if I were to lose my Word document today, I'd probably wave goodbye to a big chunk of what I've written so far of my current novel.

Maybe I'll back up tonight, after reading Ms Mod's wise words. I find that if you heed her advice, it serves you well in life!

No thanks necessary, Marsha. :cool2:

[Todash]

From experience writing large-ish technical docs, I would say if I were writing a book, I would definitely break it up, and 40 pages sounds about right. Once a document becomes very large, the memory it takes to open and work with it causes performance to be painfully slow. Also, the larger the document, the more chance (in my experience) for it to become corrupt and not open at all. Which, if it's hours and hours of your work, stinks.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

AWAS (What Aptpupil Said).

What I'm writing just now has eleven sections (or 'sexions!'), each one with about six chapters of approx twenty pages each, and I keep each sexion in a seperate file, although it could be as many as 140 or so pages.

One thing that I do is to send each individual chapter to friends for safekeeping on completion, and keep the master document backed up on a friend's system, so that backups are stored in several different physical places (and continents come to that!).

Long days and pleasant nights

[Bev Vincent]

I've never broken a book up into separate files. I keep the entire manuscript in one document and do frequent backups in numerous places. I've never had a file corrupt on me. I also print out regularly so there will at least be a hardcopy.

When I was working on my first book, I started out using a Master document with each chapter in its own file, but I found it very difficult to search for details through the entire manuscript so I ultimately converted it over to a single file.

[NathanStrickland]

One awfully annoying trend I've seen in large Word documents is for the spelling and grammar check to take a dump on you. You would think "Oh surely my knowledge of the English language is such that I won't have that many errors in my document", but when you take into account the little touches of flair that happen in fiction (such as proper names and grammatically incorrect colloquialisms), it adds up rather quickly, and it is annoying as all get-out to add every character's name to the program's spell-check library, especially if your character's names fluctuate in the first draft as much as mine do.

[Bryan James]

I have horrible writing habits. For shorts, I'll write the whole thing and tweak it later. If I like it a little, I'll email it to myself so I have an offsite copy. If I like it a lot, I'll burn it to a CD or DVD...which I always fail to label.

On the longer works, I jump around. I start with 1.0 at first. My next chapter might be 7.0, and then I go back and tie in 1.5, 1.8, and 3.0. I just connect the dots as best I can. I usually save each section under its own number in a master file and email myself (or burn) the master file every week.

I usually print a hard copy every 10 pages. Not for safety, but for tactile reading with a pen in hand. I criticize my writing into used toilet paper shreds!

It's only fair...I do the same thing with library books. The only difference is that I use a pencil on borrowed stuff.

~BJS

[Sms231]

I saw the topic and it got me thinking. After Mr. King finished the manuscript for a book, how well does the completed word document translate over to the layout package that the publisher uses to begin the creation of the finished product? I assume it's a lot of copying and pasting into the layout package (which I assume is either QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign). At least I hope it's that simple. I surely don't think the entire book is re-typed into the software - that's just madness LOL.

[JohnDalglish]

I saw the topic and it got me thinking. After Mr. King finished the manuscript for a book, how well does the completed word document translate over to the layout package that the publisher uses to begin the creation of the finished product? I assume it's a lot of copying and pasting into the layout package (which I assume is either QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign). At least I hope it's that simple. I surely don't think the entire book is re-typed into the software - that's just madness LOL.

Hi,

Both QuarkXPress and Pagemaker (don't know InDesign) can import WP files in full in various formats.

Long days and pleasant nights

[JimmySOZO]

Steve starts a new document about every 40 pages or so. It's more a safety measure in case the document gets corrupted so that the entire manuscript wouldn't be affected. He also prints off a hard copy at the end of each day so we have that as well. But no matter how you do it, back up, back up, back up!!



Right on about backing up. I usually have various copies of a document: in My Documents section, the recycle bin, and an external memory drive. And if your writing, try and save every 5-10 minutes (if you remember to do it that is while being inspired in the art of creating). :smile2:

[Bluey Lunger]

one big whopping file. if i need to find a place, one word search does it. the backup idea sounds cool, but i still don't do that, even after losing everything to some email that i opened. still have that old hard drive, there's a ton of stuff on it, takes up less space than boxes full of paper. 20 # bond. have that, too. i figure to go out like emily and let someone else find something of worth in it.

[malarabid]

I have only written short stories, so I have not run into this problem. Maybe I've only been writing short stories because I haven't decided how to deal with this problem.

The only suggestion I can offer about writing on a computer is (have you ever had this problem?) after looking at Times New Roman or Ariel or whatever font and my own words for so long, they stop looking "right" to me. When it gets to that point, it's either time to set it down for awhile, or if I can't bring myself to do that, I'll read what I've written out loud to myself. Makes it real again.

These are a lot of great ideas!

[PatInTheHat]

Steve starts a new document about every 40 pages or so. It's more a safety measure in case the document gets corrupted so that the entire manuscript wouldn't be affected. He also prints off a hard copy at the end of each day so we have that as well. But no matter how you do it, back up, back up, back up!!



Ahhhh "back up":oh:!


Never have more beautiful and sage words ever been spoken...uh, written.
(yeah *heavy sigh* oh to have backed up:oo::down:)

[fredo]

Thanks to all who shared a little "inside information" about your individual writing styles. It is interesting to see the different ways writers handle their words. As I said, I am not a writer. Unless ranting and raving counts. HA. I am a photographer who has not embraced the digital world of photography (having cut my teeth in bathroom darkrooms mixing chemicals and watching the images emerge like magic under the enlarger), but have come to accept it as inevitable. I do enjoy scanning and saving old photos, sharing with family and friends via e-mail. And the advice to BACK UP applies with this medium also.
Just one more question if I may. For those of you who submit your work, is it in the transitional way with a written manuscript, or is it electronic, e-mail, etc?
Again, thanks to all. The information is greatly appreciated.

[NathanStrickland]

Written submission is a must. First, it's a more professional presentation. Any schlub can hit the send button on an email, but it takes someone who gives a horse's patoot to actually put everything in the format, write a cover letter, and pack it with a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope).

Plus on the practical side, few sane people will open an unsolicited email with an attached file.

[JohnDalglish]

The only suggestion I can offer about writing on a computer is (have you ever had this problem?) after looking at Times New Roman or Ariel or whatever font and my own words for so long, they stop looking "right" to me. When it gets to that point, it's either time to set it down for awhile, or if I can't bring myself to do that, I'll read what I've written out loud to myself. Makes it real again.


Hi,

Another couple of suggestions -

When that happens to you try changing the font completely - fonts are the clothes that words wear, and sometimes changing the clothes of a Ms enables you to look at it with more objectivity IMO.

Secondly, always do the first draft with the spell and grammar checkers turned OFF - they just get in the way of creativity IMO, but they're a must to switch on for the first re-write.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Natjen24]

I use plain old pen and paper :) and copy it to a Worddocument when I've got a little time and no inspiration, although when I start typing in the words, I see something that can get me in that zone again.
So I've got a Worddocument, I print that out and I've got the handwritten copy. I don't back up the word file anywhere, but might begin to do that. Probably on a USBstick that I'll misplace. :D

And I've never submitted anything, but every I read is great advice for the day I might do that.

[StoryTellerRose]

I pretty much make a new file with a new chapter. I'll label the file with the character's name, and the chapter number, so it all is pretty easy for me to figure out later. Also, my husband got me a flashdrive, so everything is on that, not on my computer. =)

[JohnDalglish]

I pretty much make a new file with a new chapter. I'll label the file with the character's name, and the chapter number, so it all is pretty easy for me to figure out later. Also, my husband got me a flashdrive, so everything is on that, not on my computer. =)

Hi,

May I suggest that you also back it up on your computer and also regularly to a CD or other medium stored at another location!

Long days and pleasant nights

[Mr Nobody]

I write to a single doc, but have three back-ups (laptop or main PC, depending on which I've been using; portable HDD, AND a copy on a flash-drive), which I make daily. Once every five chapters, I'll make a hard copy. I also tend to save whenever I pause for thought (sometimes I click save three or four times just to be sure). The reason for that is, one time, I had written about 25 pages on this day (long old day, that one). I hadn't saved. I thought it had autosaved, but apparently not. So, somehow, I hit keys to type and the whole load of text disappears. Totally empty, white screen. The slider shows no other pages above or below. I've deleted the lot by accident.
Refusing to panic, I go back and reopen the file...and then find that I have basically just wasted a whole day. And of course, that story didn't work out the same way again. Man, I could have cried.

On subbing: it all depends what they ask for, but if it doesn't explicitly say 'E-subs preferred' or something similar, it's hard copy in the mail. The real key is to give them what they want, how they want it. Don't make it easy for them to say 'No'.

[Albie]

This is a question for all you writers out there. Those of you that use Word, be it on a PC or an Apple, do you break the story into chapters, opening a new window each time, or do you let it run in the same window. I'm not a writer but I am interested in the style that writers use.
Thanks.

For myself, I do it by Chapter. It makes it easier to edit. I can find things quicker. When I have gone beyond the second or third draft of all the chapters, I begin to consider the arrangement. I put it all into one continuous document when I feel 80% ok with what I've written.

Note: I tell myself I am 95% ok with it but after it's together I find I make as much as 20% changes as I proof it.

It is never perfect. At some point, I have to let it go. Once I have let it go, I still have the urge to go back edit some more. I am not sure that urge will ever leave.

I see that same urge in SK's Different Seasons especially in The Body. Even King has that urge to perfect older writing. He mentions it after the story about Chico. It makes me feel like I am in good company.

[Albie]

I submit as a Word Attachment via email.

[Balrog21]

I use both ways...i find now that i am working hard on my novel it's easier to break it up in chapters. with short stories i dont need to break it up.

Yep, i email myself a copy of the day's work, save it, and print it out.

I have found here recently there are SEVERAL different formats that potential publishers want for a submission. Frankly, I see this a bit much. Why they can't just use one plain methos is beyond me....i.e. double spaced, must be single spaces no hard returns, must have one space after periods, etc etc etc..i can get quite confusing to say the least...but anyway...submitting..submitting..submitting...the job never stops.
hope this helps a little in what you were asking?
best,
Bal