Chapters...

stumpfoot · Sep 7, 2009

When writing do you keep your chapters in seperate folders on your hard drive or do you keep everything in the same folder? Just wondering.

soapdish · Sep 7, 2009

Ooh Ooh, I have a good method

I don't use typical documents and folders for long works like novels.

I like to use MS OneNote. You can create scenes, chapters, etc. in different tabs and drop and drag things around as necessary. I even keep tabs down at the bottom for cuts that I make and I am not ready to delete just yet. And tabs for research info I snip from the internet while researching. It is all technically the same document I guess. And you never have to hit "save" --it is constantly saving. I think it probably takes up less space on your hard drive too.

I blogged about it here.

Izz · Sep 7, 2009

I usually keep chapters/scenes in separate documents, but all in the same folder. Exception being if the novel has different parts. Then all the chapters/scenes for one part go in one folder and chapters/scenes for the next part in another folder, etc. I use the same method whether i'm writing in order or out of order.

Renee Collins · Sep 7, 2009

Nothing fancy or organized for me, I'm afraid. My whole novel is one document. I do keep individual novels in separate folders though.

Jess Haines · Sep 8, 2009

I use one document for the whole shebang. Easier for me to hop around and fix things that way.

Mumut · Sep 8, 2009

Renee Collins said:
Nothing fancy or organized for me, I'm afraid. My whole novel is one document. I do keep individual novels in separate folders though.

Me too. I like to be able to read through unhindered if I want to review the story.

Bufty · Sep 8, 2009

Another one for a single document, although each revision has its own new file.

kct webber · Sep 8, 2009

My Documents>Novel 1>Chapter 1.doc

All of "Novel 1's" chapters go in the "Novel 1" folder, and each chapter has it's own word document.

I can't stand the idea of having a whole novel in a single document. All in the same folder, though, yes.

megan_d · Sep 8, 2009

Yep, same document. I get a little thrill out of scrolling through all the pages I've done so far when I'm about to start writing for the day.

Samantha's_Song · Sep 8, 2009

Ditto.

kct webber said:
My Documents>Novel 1>Chapter 1.doc

All of "Novel 1's" chapters go in the "Novel 1" folder, and each chapter has it's own word document.

I can't stand the idea of having a whole novel in a single document. All in the same folder, though, yes.

Willowmound · Sep 8, 2009

How can anyone edit with the ms spread all over?

Wonderlander · Sep 8, 2009

I work on the chapters individually, and then for the edit I collate the chapters into an MS.

kct webber · Sep 8, 2009

Willowmound said:
How can anyone edit with the ms spread all over?

Because I edit on paper, I guess. *shrugs*

Linda Adams · Sep 8, 2009

Separate folders, no. That would be very cumbersome to work with and create way too many folders. I'm over 40 chapters and may have 60 when I'm done. That's a lot of folders.

For files, I keep them in either sectioned files or one big file. The sections are usually days to help keep control of the timeline.

Priene · Sep 8, 2009

Willowmound said:
How can anyone edit with the ms spread all over?

YWriter

Deep Woods Writer · Sep 8, 2009

Floders and Chapter's

I have 1 big folder for the whole book. But inside I have sub's for Outline, Character Bio's, and the like. To keep it straight while I am writing, I use the mult-tasking window's so I can keep my outline available and can refer to it as I write. And I'm using Works, not even Word. Hey, if I can figure this out, anyone should. 12 chapters in, projected for 20 to 25.

xonze · Sep 8, 2009

I use Scrivener[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica], and each chapter is put into its own folder which shows on the sidebar, so its easy to hop about from chapter to chapter. I love the setup for it and its all contained in one file so I don't have a ton of docs showing outside of the program.
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CaroGirl · Sep 8, 2009

I keep each novel in one MS Word file and I keep that file in a separate folder for each novel. In that folder goes all the accompanying documentation, like query letters, title ideas and synopses (one-page and five-page).

With the novel all in one file, I can better keep track of my word count. When I work, I use the Document Map view so I can more easily move between chapters for editing.

Caramia · Sep 8, 2009

Guess mine is kinda complicated but it's simplistic to me. I have the main folder. Inside are various files, *looks*, "edit notes", "cutting floor shelf", "character cast", "agent agenda", "pantheon profiles", "race overview", "story ideas" and so on. Mainly shelves for the specific stuff I may need to quickly reference.

I also have the folder within the folder, "Chapter Shelf" which has all the originally written chapters loosely strewn in there. Also have the 'Compiled chapters", which is where I tack on each chapter when I close it, to keep track of total size. Then I have the folder for 'Reshaped chapters" where I went from 20+ chapters to 12 and am in process of editing before writing the ending. It started out a lil chaotic but has turned out quite neat.

Cella · Sep 8, 2009

Right now I have it all in one document but find it annoying. I'd like to divide it up but don't want folders all over the place.

scarletpeaches · Sep 8, 2009

Normally I keep my novels in one word document, but not for this project.

It goes like this:

My Documents >>> Novels >>> Each novel with its own folder containing first and second drafts, query letters, synopses, etc, each in its own word.doc.

But my latest project goes:

My Documents >>> Novels >>> Plus One...each chapter in its own word.doc, with a MASTER into which I paste each chapter as I finish it. And the Excel.doc outline. Lori challenged me to outline a book and I figure, if it's outlined I can write out of sequence. Doing so means it's simpler to keep each chapter separate. To save me spending ages pasting them into a word.doc once I'm finished the first draft, I paste each chapter as it's complete.

I may carry on using this method, I may not. It depends on how I feel when I get to my next project, although writing out of sequence is cool. I've never done that before and it's good to see I can do it without any difficulty.

Samantha's_Song · Sep 8, 2009

You don't need different folders. Each chapter on a separate Word doc. chapter numbered and all kept in the same folder. Voila! It makes everything much easier to edit this way, so I find. Once the whole novel is totally finished, you copy and paste all chapters into one doc.

Cella said:
Right now I have it all in one document but find it annoying. I'd like to divide it up but don't want folders all over the place.

SarahMacManus · Sep 8, 2009

All on one document, I'm afraid and everything in the same folder labeled "fiction" and even that's also full of stuff I'm beta-ing and not even my own. I find that I often have to jump back to earlier scenes to make sure that the foreshadowing is right for something I'm working on, or make sure that something I needed to omit until a later scene has been.

I also sometimes need to jump back and read a bit to get in the right headspace. I don't have much trouble navigating it all, really.

I do keep notes, reminders, ideas and outlines in separate documents, for the most part.

I er, use free website space to save things and work on them in remote locations and as a last ditch back up.

ishtar'sgate · Sep 8, 2009

stumpfoot said:
When writing do you keep your chapters in seperate folders on your hard drive or do you keep everything in the same folder? Just wondering.

I keep each chapter seperate. It's an enormous help to me when it comes to revisions. I print out a hard copy and go through a chapter at a time, making changes in ink then printing out a final copy for each chapter.
I think you have to do what works for you. Everyone organizes their work in a different way and what makes sense to me may not make sense to somebody else.

Jennasis · Sep 8, 2009

I've got one big doc for my WiP. Sometimes when I've taken a break or whatever, i'll go back and read the chapter preceeding what I'm wokring on to make sure the flow is there.

Chapters...

writing

Doing the Space Operatic

Plotting . . .

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

Well begun is half done...

Where have the last ten years gone?

Squirrel, Sekrit type, 1 ea.

Falling in the milk

At least I don't need backing-up

Lightly salted

Bird In Flight

Squirrel, Sekrit type, 1 ea.

Soldier, Storyteller

Out to lunch

Living the dream

Alliteration Afflicted

Cella

At least I don't need backing-up

living in the past