Create New Character Sheet from Selected

[orrenm]

Very often, I don't sit down and create character sheets for my "supporting" characters in advance. However, once I add them to the manuscript, I want a character sheet for them.

 

What I'd love to be able to do is to select the name of a character in my manuscript, and then a menu option such as "Create New Character Sheet from Selected." At that point, a new character sheet would be created and the name of the character sheet would automatically be populated with the selected text.

 

And extra-special bonus points for this functionality: if I have a split pane workspace with my manuscript up on the first pane, and character sheets up on the second pane, Storyist would be able to detect that, and the new character sheet would automatically open in the second pane with the text populating the character name field.

 

Thanks!

Orren

[Steve E]

Very often, I don't sit down and create character sheets for my "supporting" characters in advance. However, once I add them to the manuscript, I want a character sheet for them.

 

What I'd love to be able to do is to select the name of a character in my manuscript, and then a menu option such as "Create New Character Sheet from Selected." At that point, a new character sheet would be created and the name of the character sheet would automatically be populated with the selected text.

 

And extra-special bonus points for this functionality: if I have a split pane workspace with my manuscript up on the first pane, and character sheets up on the second pane, Storyist would be able to detect that, and the new character sheet would automatically open in the second pane with the text populating the character name field.

 

Thanks!

Orren

I have to wonder just how many characters you have in your story for this feature to be a significant time-saver for you. I'm not criticizing. Some of those old Russian novelists had scores of characters in their stories. And like you I often introduce a character and then flesh him/her/it out on a Character sheet later. But creating a sheet and doing a Cut & Paste of the name is pretty trivial. Having it open automatically in the second view has promise. Of course I'd want the option to turn it off; things happening automatically isn't always a blessing.

 

If Steve is going to do this one I'd like the function extended to all collections (e.g., beyond Characters to Settings, and in my case Props, as well). Is that all right with you Orren?

-Thoth

[orrenm]

I have to wonder just how many characters you have in your story for this feature to be a significant time-saver for you.

 

It's like this: my novel has basically five main characters. I created character sheets for them before I started. But then, for example, a character mentioned in numerous chapters is the President of the USA. So I decided after a bunch of mentions over numerous chapters that she deserved a character sheet, if for no other reason than to make sure I don't mix up her name! And honestly, I probably will end up with maybe ten or more of these secondary/tertiary characters, who aren't necessarily actors in the story but are still names and personalities that I need to keep straight.

 

BTW, in my first novel, the mother of one of the two main characters changed names halfway through the novel. This is what I'm trying to avoid this time!

 

 

But creating a sheet and doing a Cut & Paste of the name is pretty trivial.

 

Sure. It's all about flow. If it saves time, it allows you to remain "in the moment" of actually writing the words, and you don't have to pause for some software manipulation steps.

 

Having it open automatically in the second view has promise. Of course I'd want the option to turn it off; things happening automatically isn't always a blessing.

 

Very true. Preferences to the rescue! A preference to turn it on and off would be great.

 

If Steve is going to do this one I'd like the function extended to all collections (e.g., beyond Characters to Settings, and in my case Props, as well). Is that all right with you Orren?

 

Oh sure! My feature request is for the "New Character Sheet from Selected" but there's no reason at all there couldn't be a bunch of commands for New Setting Sheet, Prop Sheet, etc. I am also guessing that if Steve implemented this for one type of collection, the code would be in place to implement it for all others.

 

Orren

[Steve E]

Seconded.

- Thoth

 

BTW, in my first novel, the mother of one of the two main characters changed names halfway through the novel. This is what I'm trying to avoid this time!

Something like this happened to me just a few days ago!

[marguerite]

I did that, too, in my very first novel. I switched the vowels in one character's name halfway through and didn't notice it for ages, because the slip-up occurred at exactly the point I could reach from the beginning in a single evening. So I kept breaking off right there. Only when I finally read across the divide did I realize what I'd done.

 

That's why the character sheets were the first thing I glommed onto in Storyist and are still the type of sheet I use most.

Best,

M

[Steve E]

That's why the character sheets were the first thing I glommed onto in Storyist and are still the type of sheet I use most.

Same here.

My error was a change in ethnicity: Japanese to Korean, the family name simply had to change.

-Thoth

[KrisM]

Jer's Novel Writer allows something like this and I loved it. You just type their name right in your section text, and then high light and right click, make as character, and now in your notes slide out drawer you have them added to character. Then type in stuff about them, highlight it and right click to add that text to the character (and you can do this for anything).

 

It was pretty nice.

[Steve E]

Jer's Novel Writer allows something like this and I loved it. You just type their name right in your section text, and then high light and right click, make as character, and now in your notes slide out drawer you have them added to character. Then type in stuff about them, highlight it and right click to add that text to the character (and you can do this for anything).

Sounds sweet, Kris.

Probably just what Orren is looking for.

It might take two levels in Storyist, though. "CTRL-click: Make This A...", and then a second menu pops up with the name of each of your Collections.

- Thoth

[orrenm]

It might take two levels in Storyist, though. "CTRL-click: Make This A...", and then a second menu pops up with the name of each of your Collections.

 

I think it would be better to just have different key commands. Select your text, then control C for character, control S for setting, control P for plot, etc. It should just be select your text + key command for all. Once you start having to do more complicated stuff such as select + click + menu, it's really not much a savings over just going to the main menu option with cut and paste.

 

Orren

[Steve E]

I think it would be better to just have different key commands. Select your text, then control C for character, control S for setting, control P for plot, etc. It should just be select your text + key command for all. Once you start having to do more complicated stuff such as select + click + menu, it's really not much a savings over just going to the main menu option with cut and paste.

Except Storyist allows you to create your own Collections (beyond Character, Setting and Plot). I, for example, make extensive use of Props. How do you suppose I handle that? Perhaps a dynamic key command that might utilize Collection position: text + key command + position number. OR, maybe CTRL-click which produces a more dynamic initial menu (e.g., Make This A Prop Sheet).

 

Thoughts?

-Thoth

[orrenm]

Except Storyist allows you to create your own Collections (beyond Character, Setting and Plot). I, for example, make extensive use of Props. How do you suppose I handle that? Perhaps a dynamic key command that might utilize Collection position: text + key command + position number.

 

Huh. I'd never tried that.

 

And I think your dynamic method would work wonders here. In fact, most audio programs use that dynamic method. A good example is automatically jumping to a "locator marker" at a predefined point in your song. In their case, the actual key commands are "Goto Marker A," "Goto Marker B," "Goto Marker C" and so on. You create and name the markers anything you want, and the key commands then take you to that section of your song. So if your first Marker is called "Legato Drums" then "Goto Marker A" takes you there. Something like that would work very well for Collections. So to extend that to Storyist, all you need to remember is that the Add To Collection... series of key commands begin with "Shift+Control+[insert increasing value]" and then whatever custom collection you want to add to, you can easily insert the appropriate increasing value (so the third collection down would be "C" or "3" depending how Steve wanted to implement it, etc.

 

Orren

[orrenm]

Except Storyist allows you to create your own Collections (beyond Character, Setting and Plot). I, for example, make extensive use of Props. How do you suppose I handle that? Perhaps a dynamic key command that might utilize Collection position: text + key command + position number.

 

Huh. I'd never tried that.

 

And I think your dynamic method would work wonders here. In fact, most audio programs use that dynamic method. A good example is automatically jumping to a "locator marker" at a predefined point in your song. In their case, the actual key commands are "Goto Marker A," "Goto Marker B," "Goto Marker C" and so on. You create and name the markers anything you want, and the key commands then take you to that section of your song. So if your first Marker is called "Legato Drums" then "Goto Marker A" takes you there. Something like that would work very well for Collections. So to extend that to Storyist, all you need to remember is that the Add To Collection... series of key commands begin with "Shift+Control+[insert increasing value]" and then whatever custom collection you want to add to, you can easily insert the appropriate increasing value (so the third collection down would be "C" or "3" depending how Steve wanted to implement it, etc.

 

Orren

[Steve E]

Grr. Those darn duplicate posts again!

Huh. I'd never tried [creating your own Collection].

Project>Add To Project>Collection.

Or, you can click on the Project icon (looks like a brown attaché case) on the upper left, and select "Collection" at the bottom of the menu.

I've found my Prop Collection (whether collecting high-tech weapons or magic artifacts) particularly useful.

 

And I think your dynamic method would work wonders here. In fact, most audio programs use that dynamic method. A good example is automatically jumping to a "locator marker" at a predefined point in your song. In their case, the actual key commands are "Goto Marker A," "Goto Marker B," "Goto Marker C" and so on. You create and name the markers anything you want, and the key commands then take you to that section of your song. So if your first Marker is called "Legato Drums" then "Goto Marker A" takes you there. Something like that would work very well for Collections. So to extend that to Storyist, all you need to remember is that the Add To Collection... series of key commands begin with "Shift+Control+[insert increasing value]" and then whatever custom collection you want to add to, you can easily insert the appropriate increasing value (so the third collection down would be "C" or "3" depending how Steve wanted to implement it, etc.

Thanks for the example! But I wonder whether the "text + CTRL-click" pop-up could say Add To Character Collection, Add To Setting Collection, etcetera — changing as Collections are added or deleted from the Project View? Seems possible, but what do I know?

 

-Thoth

[Joolissa]

Digging this up too. I would love to use this feature assuming that you could create different things from the highlighted text.

 

One problem I see with your increasing value/potion short-cut is.... collections are rearrangeable! And what happens if you add another collection in the middle of two? I don't want to have to stop and count down the list of collections to see which number a specific collection is and if one was moved and I forgot, well then I might end up with things in the wrong place quite frequently.. My only suggestion would be to have the user assign specific shortcuts to collections. I would still want a right click menu, because while I'm not anti-shortcut, I don't tend to use them very frequently.

 

I much prefer Thoth's idea of having the right click menu giving you the option of adding to "props" "characters" "notes" etc. etc.

- Jools