Word 2007: I have an idea but...

randywrite · Apr 18, 2011

Hi everyone, hope all is well.

OK, so I have this idea that I believe will help me to write my novel more efficiently. I use Word 2007 to do all my writing in and I had the idea of laying out a timeline and a corresponding chapter list so that I could sort of see the big picture as I write.

The best I can do is try and sketch out my idea crudely and see if you guys can help me do it, or do it better.

1. I draw a text box for the title
2. I draw a very long rectangular text box to put various times
3. I draw a text box for a chapter outline (about 5 bullets per chapter)

Ok so it looks a bit like this:

====================================Book Title

===Timeline: ==========1999===============2003==============2010

===============Chapter 1=====Chapter 2=====Chapter 3=====Chapter 4=====Chapter 5

Hopefully you get the gist. Problem is, Word will only let me make a landscape page 22 inches wide: that's their limit. I need to make it 100 inches wide...lol. So I'm stumped. Does anyone know a way around this or if it would even be possible in Publisher to make a document that wide?

My mock up looks nice, I just can't make it wide enough. 22 inches - that's all.

Thanks for any help, RandyWrite

alleycat · Apr 18, 2011

I think the limit has to do with what printers you have attached. At the office I have engineering plotters attached and I can print something 36" wide by the length of the roll of the paper (300 yards or something like that).

I wonder if you could trick it into thinking you have a printer that could print 100 inches wide.

randywrite · Apr 18, 2011

That's a very interesting idea alleycat. I'll check my printer settings and see if I can trick it!

Thanks

alleycat · Apr 18, 2011

I'm no expert (since I don't use this option). I'm not at the office at the moment so I can't check it. I can tomorrow.

Is this going to be a "one-time" deal, or are you going to want to change it from time-to-time?

You could also probably use a graphic program to create the chart.

randywrite · Apr 18, 2011

I guess it's going to be a one time deal, because I could just use the template of it over and over again. Thx for your help.

Xelebes · Apr 18, 2011

This is something you might try in Excel or maybe Visio.

alleycat · Apr 18, 2011

Excel would be an option.

And you could do some "fancy" things with it in Excel.

defyalllogic · Apr 18, 2011

I would also suggest excel.

Also, are you printing it? if not, them you can just use the document as is and zoom in and out right?

alleycat · Apr 18, 2011

defyalllogic said:
Also, are you printing it? if not, them you can just use the document as is and zoom in and out right?

I'm guessing that even if he uses a small font, it doesn't give randywrite enough space for his bullet lists.

randywrite · Apr 18, 2011

No I'm not printing it. It's just a visual to keep in front of me while I write my story. I never thought about Excel. Good idea. I'll have to figure out how to make a cell that big and that long. And if they have text boxes also, then it might work.

Thanks for the ideas.

alleycat · Apr 18, 2011

Cells are easy to make whatever size you want. You can format them, or just "drag" the width over, or make one and copy it over and over.

I would use a cell for each of your chapters. Then you could put your bullet lists under each chapter.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 19, 2011

Why not make it 100 inches long, rather than 100 inches wide? That's easy. Just because a book reads left to right doesn't mean such a file must.

randywrite · Apr 19, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
Why not make it 100 inches long, rather than 100 inches wide? That's easy. Just because a book reads left to right doesn't mean such a file must.

Well I guess that's another way to do it. I am wondering though, if it could then be turned 90 degrees which would make it read like a book. If I can't look at it horizontally, that defeats the purpose.

I want it to be horizontal because I believe that will represent the flow of the book: beginning, middle, and end so to speak.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 19, 2011

randywrite said:
Well I guess that's another way to do it. I am wondering though, if it could then be turned 90 degrees which would make it read like a book. If I can't look at it horizontally, that defeats the purpose.

I want it to be horizontal because I believe that will represent the flow of the book: beginning, middle, and end so to speak.

Well, when writing the book, your manuscript is going to be up and down, not left to right, so so I'd think you would want this to flow in the same direction. The big plus of this is that when you look at the two side by side, the timeline and flow of one will match the other.

Beginning, middle, and end flow just as well, and exactly the same, up and down as left and right, or we couldn't write books using a word processor where the flow is always up and down.

randywrite · Apr 19, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
Well, when writing the book, your manuscript is going to be up and down, not left to right, so so I'd think you would want this to flow in the same direction. The big plus of this is that when you look at the two side by side, the timeline and flow of one will match the other.

Beginning, middle, and end flow just as well, and exactly the same, up and down as left and right, or we couldn't write books using a word processor where the flow is always up and down.

James I can almost picture what you are describing...and you may have a good point as far as looking at this from the point of view of "the way we read a book/the way we write".

I wonder if it would be possible for you to sketch out a template or illustration of sorts so I could get the full picture of what you are recommending. I mean just something crude so I could better visualize it.

alleycat · Apr 19, 2011

I'm not sure, but I think he's suggesting you do it similar to how a typical outline is done.

Something like:

MY BOOK

1999
Chapter One
-Item 1
-Item 2
-Item 3
-Item 4

Chapter Two
-Item 1
-Item 2
-Item 3
-Item 4
-Item 5

2000
Chapter Three
-Item 1
-Item 2
-Item 3
-Item 4
.
.
.

defyalllogic · Apr 19, 2011

there are a lot of free writing organizing softwares out there that are pretty good. you can find good info about them and what people think on the nanowirmo boards. I've tried a few and then choose one I thought worked well for me...

skylark · Apr 20, 2011

One easy way to trick your computer into thinking you have huge printers is to get a pdf printer driver which has enormous paper sizes. I use Win2PDF to develop programs I work on in our office for a customer who has enormous pen plotters at his site. I think there's a free version, if you're not using it commercially.

Word 2007: I have an idea but...

randywrite

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