fixing project area

[dennis7490]

Well, it was going good for a while.

 

Anyway.

 

What i have is:

 

PLOT

Synopsis

 

In front of synopsis it is not a "plot point" symbol of the light bulb, but a # sign.

 

Also, the text area of of PLOT and Synopsis are identical. It is a 3 page synopsis. When i click on Plot I see the 3 page synopsis. when i click on synopsis i se the identical thing.

 

When I go to add a Plot Point I am put at the end of the 3 page synopsis, and not given a blank test area.

 

My guess is i did this wrong to begin with. How can I clear it out, and begin with a fresh, empty Plot area. How do i delete Plot, then bring it back in the original form so i can import the synopsis as a plot point?

 

thanks,

 

Dennis

[Steve E]

Hi Dennis.

 

I'm a bit unclear about what happened. Are you saying that you wrote a 3-page synopsis on a single Plot sheet rather than breaking it up into several Plot sheets, each representing a single plot point? You can certainly do that but it defeats the purpose of having multiple Plot sheets available. In any case, I can only assume that you wrote your three pages in the Summary portion of the Plot sheet and not the Notes portion of the Plot sheet (where it can wait to be broken down).

 

On the other hand, this might be a bug (what with a # showing up in the name).

Wiser heads than mine will have to determine that.

 

-Thoth

[dennis7490]

Thoth,

 

thanks. I'll try to be clearer.

 

PLOT (If I highlight PLOT a 3 page synopsis shows up, which I imported from Word.)

# Synopsis (it is the identical 3 page synopsis that is in PLOT)

 

Hope that's clearer. I might imported it incorrectly.

 

thanks,

 

Dennis

[marguerite]

I don't think you can import the synopsis as a plot point. The synopsis is a text file from Word, right? Did you drag it onto the Project View and say you wanted it to be a plot point, or did you use Import from the file menu? Either way, Storyist has probably become confused about what to do with text in a type of sheet that is designed to handle fields.

 

I would do the following:

1. Go to the synopsis and click in the text. Choose Edit > Select All, then Edit > Copy (Command-A, then Command-C if you like key combinations).

2. Go to the notebook. Add a note and paste your synopsis text (Edit > Paste or Command-V). Save the Storyist file so you don't lose your text, no matter what.

3. Delete the sheet marked # Synopsis (the # suggests that Storyist created a Section sheet, not a plot point). Click on the entry in the Project View to highlight it and press the delete key.

4. Add a plot point under Plot.

5. If you really must have your 3-page synopsis as a plot point, paste the text again in the Notes area of the plot point (as Thoth suggests). Personally, I think you're better off keeping the synopsis in the notebook and constructing a series of plot points, each of which tells part of the story in the summary area, but that's me. Save the file again.

 

If that doesn't work, then you can delete the collection marked PLOT (I think) and add a new collection, also titled PLOT. But then you have to fiddle with preference settings to make sure it holds plot points by default and not some other type of sheet. If you have to do that, write again and we'll tell you how to fix the settings.

 

The only question is why when you click on PLOT, you see the synopsis. That's not normal behavior, but it may have something to do with the synopsis being a text file masquerading as a section sheet rather than a proper plot point.

Hope that helps,

Marguerite

[dennis7490]

WORKED!!!

 

you guys are the best.

 

Thank you.

 

People who create writing software should really use me a guinea pig, because if there's a way to confuse the issue, i can do it!

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

[Steve E]

WORKED!!!

See. A wiser head. M's.

 

you guys are the best.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

 

People who create writing software should really use me a guinea pig, because if there's a way to confuse the issue, i can do it!

That's actually a valuable talent, Dennis.

Are you listening, Steve?

 

Happy writing.

-Thoth

[dennis7490]

Just to let you guys know where I'm coming from. I'm a middle aged man who wrote for THE EQUALIZER & THE STREET in the 80s; had two ind. movies done in the 90s, and just posted two novels on Kindle, with two more coming online in the next year.

 

I have used most writing formatting software (including Final Draft). I detected the flaw in the novel writing program of Movie Magic 6. They were very gracious, but realized it simply was not up to par in the novel writing arena.

 

I moved to Final Draft. FD suggested that for novels I find something else. i researched and came up with STORYIST, since I like to keep things in one program, i.e. screenplays and novels.

 

So far, with your generous help, I have found this program to be exceptional. Clearly i am not good with software, but once I get it, I get it, and i stay with it.

 

I thank you all for your past (and continuing) patience. This program has for me all the elements of keeping everything I need to write a script or novel under one roof. I used to have my script or novel in WORD or Final Draft (or whatever) my notes in a separate file in Word...or in a real notebook...and the list goes on.

 

Now when I have an idea I enter it (I hope) where it belongs. It's all there. I can back it up all together, research it, etc.

 

Good job.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dennis