Linking Manuscript Chapters and Section Sheets

[gaderianne]

Hi all,

I've spend the entire day playing around with multiple writing software and have been most impressed with Storyist. After reading through all the help files and the forum postings I am pulling out my hair with figuring a few things out. (I'm sure it is something simple that I either did not understand in the help files or just don't know how to do.) I thank you in advance for your help.

 

Okay here is my question - when I create a new file using the novel template, I see that the chapters and the sub chapters are some how linked to coincide with the section sheets and sub section sheets. For example, in the sections set up in both the manuscript and the section sheets (chapter ones are start writing, formatting your manuscript, handling sections and headers) if you change the names, it is changed in both places. However, when I add new chapters and sub chapters it does not automatically add the section sheets. If I manually add section sheets to coincide, I can not figure out how to link them together. Does this make sense what I am trying to do? I would like to prevent having to do more work than I have to by continually inputting ths same information twice.

 

Likewise, is there a way to link the chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, etc. in the manuscript to change automatically in the section sheets too.

 

Thanks for your help!!!

-gaderianne

[Steve]

Hi all,

I've spend the entire day playing around with multiple writing software and have been most impressed with Storyist. After reading through all the help files and the forum postings I am pulling out my hair with figuring a few things out. (I'm sure it is something simple that I either did not understand in the help files or just don't know how to do.) I thank you in advance for your help.

 

Okay here is my question - when I create a new file using the novel template, I see that the chapters and the sub chapters are some how linked to coincide with the section sheets and sub section sheets. For example, in the sections set up in both the manuscript and the section sheets (chapter ones are start writing, formatting your manuscript, handling sections and headers) if you change the names, it is changed in both places. However, when I add new chapters and sub chapters it does not automatically add the section sheets. If I manually add section sheets to coincide, I can not figure out how to link them together. Does this make sense what I am trying to do? I would like to prevent having to do more work than I have to by continually inputting ths same information twice.

 

Likewise, is there a way to link the chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, etc. in the manuscript to change automatically in the section sheets too.

 

Thanks for your help!!!

-gaderianne

 

Hi Gaderianne,

 

To have Storyist automatically create section sheets for you when you create sections in the manuscript,

 

1) Select "My Manuscript" in the Project view.

 

2) Choose Project > Edit "My Manuscript" Preferences from the main menu.

 

3) Check the "Create Sheets Automatically" checkbox.

 

To have Storyist link existing section sheets to sections so that the titles are synced,

 

1) Open the collage view for a section. You can do this by using View > as Storyboard selecting the appropriate manuscript section in the project view.

 

2) Drag the desired section sheet to the collage view.

 

3) Storyist will ask you if you want to attach the section sheet to the section. Click attach.

 

Note that if you have Storyist automatically create section sheets for you, it will attach them too.

 

-Steve

 

3)

[gaderianne]

Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I am stuck on the first part. When I click the manuscript, edit, preferences the option doesn't come up to "create sheets automatically." Instead a small box appears that has a folder that says manuscripts, kind: collection, and a drop down box that says contents and it set to text files. When I hit the purple question mark it brings me to the Storyist help files.

 

For the second part of my question, I am not having any luck being able to drag new sheets to the storyboard. When I create a new sheet, they already appear on the storyboard (but not up in the manuscript...b/c I haven't yet been able to check that box I know) and it doesn't give me the option to attach the sheets or not.

 

Thanks (again) for your help! I don't want to be a storyist failure!!!

 

 

 

Hi Gaderianne,

 

To have Storyist automatically create section sheets for you when you create sections in the manuscript,

 

1) Select "My Manuscript" in the Project view.

 

2) Choose Project > Edit "My Manuscript" Preferences from the main menu.

 

3) Check the "Create Sheets Automatically" checkbox.

 

To have Storyist link existing section sheets to sections so that the titles are synced,

 

1) Open the collage view for a section. You can do this by using View > as Storyboard selecting the appropriate manuscript section in the project view.

 

2) Drag the desired section sheet to the collage view.

 

3) Storyist will ask you if you want to attach the section sheet to the section. Click attach.

 

Note that if you have Storyist automatically create section sheets for you, it will attach them too.

 

-Steve

 

3)

[Steve E]

Hi Gaderianne.

 

I think you may have selected the line at the top of the hierarchy. The line you have to select is the one just under that. Not "MANUSCRIPTS" but the one under that has the name of your manuscript.

 

Happy Presidents Day.

- Thoth.

[Steve]

Hi Gaderianne,

 

Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I am stuck on the first part. When I click the manuscript, edit, preferences the option doesn't come up to "create sheets automatically." Instead a small box appears that has a folder that says manuscripts, kind: collection, and a drop down box that says contents and it set to text files. When I hit the purple question mark it brings me to the Storyist help files.

 

As Thoth mentioned, you were probably looking at the preferences for the MANUSCRIPTS collection rather than your manuscript. Just select the your manuscript instead.

 

For the second part of my question, I am not having any luck being able to drag new sheets to the storyboard. When I create a new sheet, they already appear on the storyboard (but not up in the manuscript...b/c I haven't yet been able to check that box I know) and it doesn't give me the option to attach the sheets or not.

 

Thanks (again) for your help! I don't want to be a storyist failure!!!

 

If you saw the sheet, I'm guessing you were looking at the storyboard for the sheets, not for the manuscript. This is easy to do if you click on the sheet before dragging. The fact that the name of the section sheet is the same as the name of the section can fool you. One quick way to tell is to look at the the badge on the index card. Sections are badged with the section icon and section sheets are badged with the section sheet icon. See the attached image.

 

-Steve

[gaderianne]

Dear Steve and Thoth,

Thank you so much! All I can say is "duh" about the "my manuscripts" thing. I'll say it again - "duh."

 

Thanks also for the screen shot that helped me tremendously as I was trying to figure things out.

 

I suppose my next question is about the creation of new chapters. Thanks to the two of you, when I create new sections under "my manuscript" is automatically creates a section sheet. Is there a way to do the same kind of thing with chapters? Mean, when I create a new Chapter, that will show up under my section sheets as well? Just curious. Thanks!!!

 

Gaderianne

 

Hi Gaderianne,

 

 

 

As Thoth mentioned, you were probably looking at the preferences for the MANUSCRIPTS collection rather than your manuscript. Just select the your manuscript instead.

 

 

 

If you saw the sheet, I'm guessing you were looking at the storyboard for the sheets, not for the manuscript. This is easy to do if you click on the sheet before dragging. The fact that the name of the section sheet is the same as the name of the section can fool you. One quick way to tell is to look at the the badge on the index card. Sections are badged with the section icon and section sheets are badged with the section sheet icon. See the attached image.

 

-Steve

[Steve]

when I create new sections under "my manuscript" is automatically creates a section sheet. Is there a way to do the same kind of thing with chapters? Mean, when I create a new Chapter, that will show up under my section sheets as well?

 

Not currently.

 

-Steve

[gaderianne]

Okay! Thank you so much for all of your help.

Not currently.

 

-Steve

[marguerite]

But you can set up chapter sheets; you just can't have Storyist create them automatically. See the attached screenshot (which also shows a rudimentary timeline set up in a similar way).

 

To do this yourself:

1. Click Project > Add to Project > Collection (or choose Collection from Add to Project in the gear menu). Name your new collection "Chapter Sheets."

2. Click on CHAPTER SHEETS to select it.

3. Click Project > Add to " CHAPTER SHEETS" > Sheet (also available through the gear menu). A new section sheet appears. Name it Chapter 1 (or whatever). Repeat as needed until you have as many chapter sheets as you need. HINT: If you click on the first chapter sheet after naming it, you can add new sheets just by clicking on the plus sign at the bottom left of the window.

 

You can't attach the sheets to chapters, only to sections. That's why in the screenshot you see that the card says "Ambush" (the name of the first section of Chapter 1). You attach the chapter sheet to the section by clicking on your target section and choosing View > As Storyboard, then dragging the chapter sheet to the gray space. But when Storyist asks you whether you want to attach the sheet to the section, this time say "No." Otherwise, the chapter sheet will not remain separate but will take on the same name as the section.

 

To create the timeline, repeat steps 1-3 but call the collection TIMELINE and add Plot Points instead of Section Sheets.

Hope this is clear.

Best,

Marguerite