Separating each chapter into a different file?

I typed my first draft into one big file because at that stage I still didn't know where my chapters were even going to be, and I didn't want to set boundaries on my writing at that stage. Now that I'm editing the second draft, I am trying to put in chapters, but it's still all in one big file, that way I don't have to keep switching around between files to find everything.

A good reason to keep your chapters in separate files though is in case you delete one, you still have the rest of the manuscript.

Do whatever you find suits your purposes. Everybody does whatever they find most convenient.

Personally, I keep the whole manuscript in one file all the time, only putting everything into another single file if I wish to go for an editing run through it all while keeping the original intact.

I've done it--but it will get cumbersome after a while. I have over 50 chapters, so that would be fifty different files. Even a 20 chapter book will still be 20 files.

Do give the files a name that includes a short summary of what's in the chapter.

By the way, don't use Word's master document feature. It looks like a great thing, but it's pretty buggy--and it greatly increases the likelihood of the document corrupting.

The only time I've been separating it out is when I send to betas (I don't usually send the whole thing at once), or when I'm working on a specific section. If I'm changing a lot, for some reason it helps me mentally to pull it out and look at it on it's own. Otherwise I type everything into the same file.

It's so much easier to work with one file. What if you want to change the name of a character? All you need is one find and replace, and you're done.

Of course you'll want to use a different style for your chapter headings (the heading 1 style, for example). That way you can have every chapter automatically start on a new page in the right position; you can also have the heading 1 style automatically followed by the normal style, saving you clicks. And the automatic numbering feature is an even bigger time saver. To do this, modify the heading 1 style by clicking MODIFY STYLE/FORMAT/NUMBERING, and then click the box with Chapter 1 in it. You can customize that if you don't want the word chapter, or if you want something else. After that, when you put your chapter headings in this style, they are numbered automatically and are updated automatically. If you decide to delete chapter 1, you don't have to renumber your next sixty chapters, as that will be done for you.

I agree, use whatever works for you. Me, I do the seperate files until the final edit and then past them all into 1 large file.

When editing this allows me to see progress as each edited file is then renamed with a new version. If I delete a chapter, all I have to do is renumber the following chapters and pages as I edit. Also, if I move a chapter, this makes it very easy just to renumber a chapters affected and not the whole manuscript.

With a longer file, I never felt like I was getting anywhere because I could not see the progression. Also, if I deleted a chapter but wanted to save it, or part of it, I had to create a new file any way for unused stuff. For me, having everything in seperate files works best. Now, at the finish, I do have to create a new file and put it all in one file and make sure its formatted right, and it can be a little time consuming, depending on the length of the work.

Another advantage of using seperate files is because I have multiple books from this fantasy series, when working on another book and I need to look something up, I have a glossary I use that list each chapter and a brief on what it is about, and character in the chapter. This way I go to the glossary, find the right chapter and pull it up instead of searching the who main file for what I need.

Use whatever works best but back all your work up constantly. Can't tell you how many words I have lost to corrupted file, not saving in a timely fashion or computer crashes. Its got to be in the millions by now...

Please if you use MicrosoftWord go to your Preferences (or Options, depending on the version you are using) and under the Saving section, turn off Fast Save.

It saves fractions of a second, but it saves in a way that is far more likely to cause file corruption.

Medievalist said:

Please if you use MicrosoftWord go to your Preferences (or Options, depending on the version you are using) and under the Saving section, turn off Fast Save.

It saves fractions of a second, but it saves in a way that is far more likely to cause file corruption.

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Also adds a lot of junk to the file over time, especially if anyone tends to take an existing file, resave it as a new one and then start a new story. Makes the file a lot bigger. Though in Office 2007, fast save is gone.

I do separate files, and keep one large file. Several editors I've had either liked to pass chapters to other readers, or liked to work on one chapter at a time, so separate files were necessary.

And I don't know about all word processors, but Word will search thorugh any number of files just as if they were all one large file.

But I do keep the one large file because it's a convenient way to send the whole thing at once when called for.

If you do separate files, there's a short cut for combining the files into one. Using the Insert--> Object command, you can insert the contents of another file (same as you would a picture or clip art.) Then you don't have to open, copy, paste, etc. Just insert--> object, select file(s).

Use whatever works for you.

I'm a single file person. Esp. since I work on several computers and my chapter breaks tend to be semi-fluid while I'm working. Like dpatesro, I use the Document Map with Heading styles applied to note Chapter breaks and even dates/days because it's so easy to see and navigate.

Yep, I always do that (although unlike many folks who do this, I don't write out of sequence.) During the early stages of drafts, I find that having each chapter separate makes it much easier to find stuff I want to change.

Like Derek, I use one document and use the Document Map feature. I take it one step further by giving each scene a descriptive title. I use Header 3 for the scene title and Header 1 for the chapter title. This allow me to jump to anywhere in the document I want. The descriptive title helps me keep track of What, Where and When the scene covers. When I'm ready for the finished doc, I use white font for these descriptions. They don't display on the screen or the printed page, but they're still visible in the Document Map.

James Ritchie - I'm curious, How do you get word to search (Find/replace) multiple documents?

For those of you who use multiple files, don't you find it difficult and confusing when you need to change something that spans many chapters? I'd guess you'd have to do a find and replace on every file to insure you don't miss something. I'm sure I'd screw that up before long.

RJK said:

For those of you who use multiple files, don't you find it difficult and confusing when you need to change something that spans many chapters? I'd guess you'd have to do a find and replace on every file to insure you don't miss something. I'm sure I'd screw that up before long.

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My biggest headache was shuffling chapters. During revision, they can move around a lot--I even had one that was like Chapter 28 move up to Chapter 15. So, not all do all the file names need to be renamed, but the numbers inside each file need to be renamed--and the page numbers need to be changed.

Much easier in a longer document. I just use Styles so it autonumbers the chapters, then go to outline view. Change the setting to the first level, and I can drag Chapter 28 to the Chapter 15 slot. It automatically renumbers the pages and the chapter numbers.

I do seperate them, just in case the files get corrupted... I have one file that has the entire story all in one, but generally keep it seperate

I've done both. EQUINE LIABILITY has never been joined into one file, and works well that way. Each chapter is a stand alone on separate topics and changes to one chapter didn't tend to affect anything else. My novels I tend to do as one file. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

It's a lot easier to work with smaller files. Time savings can be significant, but you've got to know which file has what. I will admit, however, that Macs have a good global search feature now in Spotlight, and you can find individual words or phrases in files.

Problems like corruption are easier to deal with in smaller files. With large files, I usually have at least one day where I spend trying to straighten out some disaster that has occurred. Individual files can be corrected a lot quicker. And I second shutting off Fast Save. It's a pain in the butt and doesn't gain you much.

Long files can be a lot more organic in they always exist in a manner that resembles a book. You have more of a feel of the totality of the project. Word count is always available for the total project (subject to a couple of caveats) and the flow between paragraphs and chapters is easier to see.

I always use Track Changes when I write. But with a large file, you're not deleting the material from the file, and it can make a large file even larger as it becomes cluttered with all this stuff you cut. With large files, I'll go through and accept the cut material so I can get it completely out of the document. Smaller files it doesn't tend to be an issue.

Save off your computer every couple of days. Use an email program like Yahoo or Google and email yourself a copy of the manuscript. That way when crap happens, you don't have to go very far to find a clean copy. And if your whole computer goes belly up, you can work on another computer immediately.

Change file names when you make significant editing changes. For example, THE PICTURE is going through a sex change operation. The file I'm now working on is THE PICTURE (grandfather). Clear and distinct and the previous version is untouched.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

this sounds complicated... i am currently writing in jarte but at the end of each chapter i copy and save the chapter to its own file in yeahwrite (i have multiple drawers of tabs and files within those tabs - one drawer per project). then i post that chapter onto my forum. i very very rarely lose work. if my pc blows up tomorrow, i'll lose almost nothing. so, a mixture of both.

bah, i feel like paul sheldon on this keyboard...dodgy shift key and an unreliable bottom row of keys. sigh

Fiender said:

I don't know how common this is, but does anyone else separate their entire manuscript by chapters into separate chapters? And then only put them together only when I need it for beta-reading or whatever.

EDIT: also i'm not sure if this is the right forum

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With modern computers, do it in one big file. Much easier to make global changes, get total word counts, refer back to this or that, etc., etc.

As someone said above, much less cumbersome to do one file. ... but back that file UP! Often.

--Ralph

Also, I might add from the viewpoint of a publisher:

If we buy your book we'll insist you give it to us as one file (Word preferred). Much easier to drop it right into In Design and start typesetting.

--Ralph

i would't send it out in multiple chapters, but for storage/back-up, it works for me.