Formatting

DeniseK · Oct 29, 2006

This was a nightmare for me when I wrote my first novel. I just started writing and waited until I was done to figure out how to format it, and had to end up cutting pasting it into a new document to get it right. So this time, I want to do the formatting before I start. I know how to use the header/footer function in Word, but I can't remember how do make the page numbers start with the second page. I have the title and my contact info on the cover page and I don't want it to have a number. Can someone remind me how to do this. I seem to remember that you use Insert/Page Break, but I have tried for half an hour and can't get it to work. Do I do it first, before the header/footer part?

Also, my first novel was a middle reader at only 35, 000 words and even then, when I started getting close to the end, my computer ran so slow because the file was so big. This one is probably going to be 60-75,000 words. How can I have the novel all in one file and not have the slowness problem?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Carrie in PA · Oct 29, 2006

View --> Header/ Footer --> click the little icon for Page Setup --> check the box for "Different First Page" Then whatever you type on the first page will be just on page 1 - then whatever you type on page 2 will show up on every page.

Hope that helps!

TrainofThought · Oct 29, 2006

DeniseK said:
Can someone remind me how to do this. I seem to remember that you use Insert/Page Break, but I have tried for half an hour and can't get it to work. Do I do it first, before the header/footer part?

Also, my first novel was a middle reader at only 35, 000 words and even then, when I started getting close to the end, my computer ran so slow because the file was so big. This one is probably going to be 60-75,000 words. How can I have the novel all in one file and not have the slowness problem?

What Carrie said. As for the slowness, you may want to split your word documents into chapters. Just make sure you have everything formatted the same in all the documents and that the compatibility under Options is correct Word version. If it defaults to Custom or a lower version of Word that can slow things down. Hope it helps.

icerose · Oct 29, 2006

For the slowness, sounds like it's past time for an upgrade if it can't even handle a word processor. You can get a decent computer from Dell, brand new for under 350 bucks.

For the formatting, what Carrie said.

DeniseK · Oct 29, 2006

I'm still lost. I tried what Carrie said, and I got it to work, but all I came up with was page one on every page after the first one, which was blank like I wanted it to be. How do I automatically get the pages to number? I am Word challenged, though I did it before, I can't remember the steps.

And what you said about making each document seperate chapters? How would I keep the pages running consecutively? I didn't understand what you said and I don't have a clue how to do that.

Aargh. This will take me as long as it would to write the first chapter. :rant:

DeniseK · Oct 29, 2006

icerose said:
For the slowness, sounds like it's past time for an upgrade if it can't even handle a word processor. You can get a decent computer from Dell, brand new for under 350 bucks.

For the formatting, what Carrie said.

I just asked my husband about this. I have an almost new computer, but he said that I needed more memory, which is about $50. So that question is answered, thanks.

icerose · Oct 29, 2006

DeniseK said:
I just asked my husband about this. I have an almost new computer, but he said that I needed more memory, which is about $50. So that question is answered, thanks.

Ah, okay, so is it ram or a larger harddrive that you need? Both are pretty cheap these days which makes it nice. Glad you have your question answered, because that would have to be a pain.

It reminds me when I worked on a computer that could barely handle windows 3.1 and that was really advanced. You would be typing along and the words would appear like a minute after you had put them in. Then you had to trust your hard work to those aweful floppies, both the large ones and the smaller ones. The larger ones seemed more stable than the smaller ones. Then wow, CD roms. Ooo. Man I feel old and I'm only 24.

DeniseK · Oct 29, 2006

Thanks for the help, everyone, but...

"I'm still lost. I tried what Carrie said, and I got it to work, but when I tried to number the pages all I came up with was page one on every page after the first one, which was blank like I wanted it to be. How do I automatically get the pages to number? I am Word challenged, though I did it before, I can't remember the steps."

Marlys · Oct 29, 2006

DeniseK said:
Thanks for the help, everyone, but...

"I'm still lost. I tried what Carrie said, and I got it to work, but when I tried to number the pages all I came up with was page one on every page after the first one, which was blank like I wanted it to be. How do I automatically get the pages to number? I am Word challenged, though I did it before, I can't remember the steps."

I can't for the life of me figure out how you got that. But here's something to check:

Go to Insert, Page Numbers, Format and make sure it's set to 1,2,3. Also look to see which you have checked under Page Numbering ("Start at" or "Continue from previous section"). Play with those, and see if it makes a difference.

I'm also wondering if you could have picked up a virus somewhere--Word files are tiny, and no almost new computer should have trouble with one. I checked a 75K manuscript, and it's less than a single megabyte and loads in seconds.

Good luck with it!

DeniseK · Oct 29, 2006

My husband said when i wrote my first novel, I had another computer.

Ok, I am still trying to do this two hours later. When I go to View, Header/Footer, and I check different first page, it's all good, but how do I make the pages number? When I leave it blank and go to page numbers like you said, I checked start with page one, but then it starts the first chapter with page 2. If I type manually page one in when i am in the header and footer option, it numbers the pages all the same.

Damn, I feel stupid, and frustrated. This is exactly what happened two years ago, but somebody finally told me what I was doing wrong.

HELP!

icerose · Oct 29, 2006

Insert - page - numbering. If you manually type in the number that is the number that will appear in every other header as they duplicate. You have to use the programmed page numbering.

Amiton · Oct 30, 2006

DeniseK said:
My husband said when i wrote my first novel, I had another computer.

Ok, I am still trying to do this two hours later. When I go to View, Header/Footer, and I check different first page, it's all good, but how do I make the pages number? When I leave it blank and go to page numbers like you said, I checked start with page one, but then it starts the first chapter with page 2. If I type manually page one in when i am in the header and footer option, it numbers the pages all the same.

Damn, I feel stupid, and frustrated. This is exactly what happened two years ago, but somebody finally told me what I was doing wrong.

HELP!

You should be able to get the automatic page numbering by using the hash where the page number would be in the header. For example, you could write "DeniseK/My Awesome Book/#" and the page number should be automated as the last field.

Amiton.

ChaosTitan · Oct 30, 2006

Denise, you might also want to post this question down in the Tech Help forum.

Prawn · Oct 30, 2006

What word processing program are you using? If you are using word, you could use Wordpad instead, it is less memory-hungry. If you are already using Wordpad, you could try notepad, but I would only use this as a last resort.
P

PeeDee · Oct 30, 2006

Prawn said:
What word processing program are you using? If you are using word, you could use Wordpad instead, it is less memory-hungry. If you are already using Wordpad, you could try notepad, but I would only use this as a last resort.
P

When I first started writing on the computer, I used Notepad. It was close enough to a typewriter for me.

TrainofThought · Oct 30, 2006

DeniseK said:
When I go to View, Header/Footer, and I check different first page, it's all good, but how do I make the pages number? When I leave it blank and go to page numbers like you said, I checked start with page one, but then it starts the first chapter with page 2. If I type manually page one in when i am in the header and footer option, it numbers the pages all the same.

This happen to me Denise. I had to play around with it, but try choosing "This Point Forward" under Page Setup > Apply To. For some reason, it wasn't working for me either so I tried different setups. Good Luck!

icerose · Oct 30, 2006

TrainofThought said:
This happen to me Denise. I had to play around with it, but try choosing "This Point Forward" under Page Setup > Apply To. For some reason, it wasn't working for me either so I tried different setups. Good Luck!

Yet another reason why I love Word Perfect, simple and it does what it's supposed to do.

DeniseK · Oct 30, 2006

I finally figured it out last night by doing what Train of Thought suggested. After all of that :flag:

I was so tired and frustrated, I drank a glass of wine and went to bed.

Formatting

DeniseK

Carrie in PA

Write All The Words!

TrainofThought

A flowering bud of bitchiness

icerose

Lost in School Work

DeniseK

DeniseK

icerose

Lost in School Work

DeniseK

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

DeniseK

icerose

Lost in School Work

Amiton

ChaosTitan

Around

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

TrainofThought

A flowering bud of bitchiness

icerose

Lost in School Work

DeniseK