Name Typing Problem

So that's why I chose short snappy names for mine!

If you're using MS Word, AutoCorrect can be your friend. What I do is add an abbreviation (say ME) and match it with the correctly spelled name (Mount Everest), then save it. From then on, if I type ME, MS Word automatically substitutes the correct name.

Glad to help. I've got lots of complicated names in my fantasy world, too, and I hate having to type the same thing over and over again. Just be sure to pick an abbreviation which doesn't match a real word. Also, the AutoCorrect abbreviations are case-sensitive.

In my NaNO book I've started out with four characters, with short names, forgot their names and changed them to something else. It seems that as I get a better picture of their personalities I change the names to match what I think this type of person should be named. But it's so confusing when I look back to see who did what, where and how.

I'm so confused.

Deccydiva said:

So that's why I chose short snappy names for mine!

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I have Drais, Raq and Gahr--and I still spell them wrong as often as not.

*sigh*

Yeah, I'd say call him Biff for now, do a global search and replace at the very last.

Yep! My main character is currently traveling with a dog named "Rufus." And I cannot seem to type "Rufus" correctly to save my life. It nearly always comes out on the first try as "Rfus" or "Rufsu." Argh!

Should have called the dog Ted. Would have saved a lot of time.

Word also lets you define your own shortcut keystrokes -- or you can do them yourself.

For instance, whenever you have your character's name, just type Ros:

At the end of the day, do a global search-and-replace Ros: to Rosenthal

dclary said:

Word also lets you define your own shortcut keystrokes -- or you can do them yourself.

For instance, whenever you have your character's name, just type Ros:

At the end of the day, do a global search-and-replace Ros: to Rosenthal

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Just don't do a blind search-and-replace, otherwise you might end up with things like a "Rosenthale garden".

TheIT said:

Just don't do a blind search-and-replace, otherwise you might end up with things like a "Rosenthale garden".

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That's why I include a : with my abbreviated words.

I do the search and replace (using punctuation mark) as well.

I'm gaga for names with dramatic flair, and yes they are hard to type, some of the most theatrical this time around are:

Garfield Hyde-Park
Christoph de la Croix
Lady Luna Summerhill
Miranda Livingtson
Fiona Ashby
Bruggenhoff
and
Lily-Alice

Fresie said:

What if you make a list of all their respective names on a sheet of paper and keep it in front of you as you write for a quick reference? Also, you might add a few notes next to their names as their characters become clearer.

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It would be nice if WORD, or a better product, had an index card(s) feature that stayed resident in a column beside your text. I've been looking for a wordprocessor that allows a person to outline on virtual index cards, rearange the cards at anytime in anyway, and then breing them into a standard manuscript format.

Fresie said:

What if you make a list of all their respective names on a sheet of paper and keep it in front of you as you write for a quick reference? Also, you might add a few notes next to their names as their characters become clearer.

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I do this and it seems to work well for me. As I learn more about a character I add to the description for that character.

riteideas said:

It would be nice if WORD, or a better product, had an index card(s) feature that stayed resident in a column beside your text. I've been looking for a wordprocessor that allows a person to outline on virtual index cards, rearange the cards at anytime in anyway, and then breing them into a standard manuscript format.

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My laptop has a wide screen, and I have Open Office up, and the Google Desktop app to the right of it. One of the widgets on Google Desktop is a notepad, and I have all my characters listed right there for me to see. I'll also keep notes there of what I want to have happen in the next few scenes, so I can reference it.

I've also found that Open Office has an autocomplete tool for longer words. This works GREAT for long names. You try typing in "Filangieri" a bunch of times -- you'll misspell it quite often! The autocomplete helps me spell it right each time.

riteideas said:

It would be nice if WORD, or a better product, had an index card(s) feature that stayed resident in a column beside your text. I've been looking for a wordprocessor that allows a person to outline on virtual index cards, rearange the cards at anytime in anyway, and then breing them into a standard manuscript format.

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Final draft used to have a function like that, albeit for screenwriting purposes. A graphical way of arranging your scenes by index-card-styled blocks.

My problem isn't typos per se but rather nicknames. My two main characters have nicknames depending on who they're speaking with.

Miriam aka Mimi
Charlotte aka Charlie

To further complicate matters, Charlotte comes to realize she's not Charlie/Charlotte at all but rather a fugitive "astral" named Maryn who displaced Charlotte's soul when she was just a baby.

riteideas said:

It would be nice if WORD, or a better product, had an index card(s) feature that stayed resident in a column beside your text. I've been looking for a wordprocessor that allows a person to outline on virtual index cards, rearange the cards at anytime in anyway, and then breing them into a standard manuscript format.

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Power Structure/Power Writer allows that.

Fresie said:

I personally find Open Office much user-friendlier than Word. Its menus are better arranged, and it has some nice little features that Word doesn't. I actually prefer it to Word.

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I'm a 30-year Microsoft fan, and I detest the newest version of Office. When the day comes that I can't use any of their older versions, I'll likely go to open office too. It's everything Office used to be: functional, intuitive, efficient.

For 2006, my MC's name was Saratoga. For some reason, I got sick and <garbled in transmission>ing tired of typing his name over and over and over; all I can think of is the way a keyboard is laid out and his name is a secret code that induces insanity. Never occurred to me to use some sort of search and replace feature.

And with my current NaNo novel, which is a sequel to 2004 and 2005, I can't begin to tell you how many times I've mistyped Brian's name. Go ahead. Guess what I'm always typing instead of his name. It's easy.

We just got Office 2007 installed on our PCs at work. I really hate, hate, HATE Microsquash's pompous nature calling the toolbar "The Ribbon". It. Is. A. TOOLBAR. And a pretty useless one, at that.