Need help with the mechanics of writing a book on a computer (not grammar/spelling)
04-07-08, 09:26 AM
#1
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Need help with the mechanics of writing a book on a computer (not grammar/spelling)
So I'm writing a book and I've stopped because I'm overwhelmed with keeping the storyline together (about 15k words so far). It is just arc within arc within arc. This is what I want to do.
A: Timmy goes to the bank.
B. Timmy meets Sally.
C. Timmy shows up at the post office.
D. Sally has a child out of wedlock (not with Timmy).
E. Timmy dies.
On my computer I then have 5 files in the book folder: A, B, C, D, and E. I want to be able to open a word document and type [A][C][E][B][D] or [E][A][C][D][B] or something to that effect and have it take the contents from the different files and build the whole book. I understand that after I finish all the writing I will have to do transitions between all the parts. I'll deal with that once I get there. This way I don't have to worry about storylines once I have my outline done, I just have to worry that I need a file E and that it has to deal with Timmy dying. This would allow me to keep going with writing the book.
Can this be done with Word? How? Any good book writing organizational software out there?
Thanks!
A: Timmy goes to the bank.
B. Timmy meets Sally.
C. Timmy shows up at the post office.
D. Sally has a child out of wedlock (not with Timmy).
E. Timmy dies.
On my computer I then have 5 files in the book folder: A, B, C, D, and E. I want to be able to open a word document and type [A][C][E][B][D] or [E][A][C][D][B] or something to that effect and have it take the contents from the different files and build the whole book. I understand that after I finish all the writing I will have to do transitions between all the parts. I'll deal with that once I get there. This way I don't have to worry about storylines once I have my outline done, I just have to worry that I need a file E and that it has to deal with Timmy dying. This would allow me to keep going with writing the book.
Can this be done with Word? How? Any good book writing organizational software out there?
Thanks!
04-07-08, 10:13 AM
#2
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[If this becomes too technical it may eventually find a home in Tech Talk]
Originally Posted by GatorDeb
Any good book writing organizational software out there?
Thanks!
Thanks!
or 
Instead, I'll point the OP in the direction of Brainstorm and trust that subsequent responders will simply consider what was asked and not give in to any misplaced temptation to "read between the lines" and take the thread in a less pleasant direction.
04-07-08, 10:47 AM
#4
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That is what to do, outline it and then take it by chunks and writing it. If it's this confusing to keep track at 15k words, I don't even want to think about it at 80k.
However once I have the outline, I want to be able to jump around and write out of order, and I want an easy method to keep the underlying stories straight. I actually like my method and if there was a way to merge entire documents into a Word document, that would work great. I know you can merge contacts and such, but is there a program out there to merge multiple files into it by using markers?
However once I have the outline, I want to be able to jump around and write out of order, and I want an easy method to keep the underlying stories straight. I actually like my method and if there was a way to merge entire documents into a Word document, that would work great. I know you can merge contacts and such, but is there a program out there to merge multiple files into it by using markers?
04-07-08, 10:52 AM
#5
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Here's a thread in another forum discussing what you want to do:
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-13548.html
The official Microsoft page about "Master Documents":
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...870021033.aspx
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-13548.html
The official Microsoft page about "Master Documents":
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...870021033.aspx
04-07-08, 11:03 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Groucho
Here's a thread in another forum discussing what you want to do:
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-13548.html
The official Microsoft page about "Master Documents":
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...870021033.aspx
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-13548.html
The official Microsoft page about "Master Documents":
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...870021033.aspx
I tried a couple of writing software and I didn't like it (including Brainstorm). They are too convoluted for me. With a good outline, a folder with document files, and the Master Document feature, I'm set!
Thanks again!
04-09-08, 07:09 PM
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What you want is Ywriter. The guy who made it is a professional author and a programmer.
I really struggled over my first novel because I wrote whole slabs of text into a great big word processor file and tried to make sense of the whole thing at once. I then tried saving each chapter to individual files with great long descriptive filenames, but moving scenes around was a nuisance and I couldn't get an overview of the whole thing (or easily search for one word amongst 32 files)
However, as a programmer I'm used to dealing with projects broken into source files and modules, and I never lose track of my code. I decided to apply the same working method to my novels ... and it was just what I needed.
A scene is a pleasant chunk to work on - small and well-defined, you can slot them into your novel, dragging and dropping them from one chapter to another as you interleave strands from different viewpoint characters and work out the overall flow of your book. You can also drop a scene completely if you've written yourself into a dead end, without feeling you've ground to a complete halt.
Of course, you can't just write a bunch of unrelated scenes. You need an overall design goal ... your plot. yWriter will generate a number of different reports from your scene and chapter summaries, from a brief scene list to a comprehensive synopsis. If you update the 'readiness' setting for each scene it will even generate a work schedule showing what you have to do to meet your deadline for the outline, first draft, first edit and second edit.
However, as a programmer I'm used to dealing with projects broken into source files and modules, and I never lose track of my code. I decided to apply the same working method to my novels ... and it was just what I needed.
A scene is a pleasant chunk to work on - small and well-defined, you can slot them into your novel, dragging and dropping them from one chapter to another as you interleave strands from different viewpoint characters and work out the overall flow of your book. You can also drop a scene completely if you've written yourself into a dead end, without feeling you've ground to a complete halt.
Of course, you can't just write a bunch of unrelated scenes. You need an overall design goal ... your plot. yWriter will generate a number of different reports from your scene and chapter summaries, from a brief scene list to a comprehensive synopsis. If you update the 'readiness' setting for each scene it will even generate a work schedule showing what you have to do to meet your deadline for the outline, first draft, first edit and second edit.
04-10-08, 10:53 AM
#9
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Thread Starter
I like! And it's FREE! Downloading it now and will try it out this weekend. Master Documents are a pain to work with, it seems. Thanks!
04-10-08, 10:46 PM
#11
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Ywriter is SO AWESOME. I've already started using it and I've organized the 14,469 words I have written so far. What's great it that it storyboards your story. So now in lieu of doing an outline, I just have to create chapters and scenes, and then I just have to fill them in. This is exactly what I was waiting for. It's been two months since I've written anything. I'm going to give myself a month to outline the whole thing and then start writing again. I get bogged down if things are not organized and it's hard to keep a handle on everything that's going on if it's not outlined.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
Last edited by GatorDeb; 04-10-08 at 11:03 PM.
04-12-08, 02:16 AM
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deadlax, you seem to be brand new to Book Talk and, although I welcome new visitors and contributors, I have to say that your first post is hardly inspiring.
Maybe you missed my request higher up the thread for folk to stay within the spirit of the thread and to post constructively. Or maybe you simply arrived in hot pursuit of a certain member and were blinded by your ardour.
Needless to say, I've made all the mods/admins aware of what you've done here (and elsewhere) and you would be advised to give up on this silly game before it earns you a long posting holiday. Assuming you even read this, you should note that no correspondence will be entered into.
Thanks to everyone else for their understanding and cooperation.
Maybe you missed my request higher up the thread for folk to stay within the spirit of the thread and to post constructively. Or maybe you simply arrived in hot pursuit of a certain member and were blinded by your ardour.
Needless to say, I've made all the mods/admins aware of what you've done here (and elsewhere) and you would be advised to give up on this silly game before it earns you a long posting holiday. Assuming you even read this, you should note that no correspondence will be entered into.
Thanks to everyone else for their understanding and cooperation.
