Automatic Chapter Numbering/Renumbering

[orrenm]

Okay, here's another big time saver for me. I'd love for Storyist to automatically number and renumber my chapter titles. Specifically, I tend to write both in non-linear order, and really large chapters that I then cut down. So for example, when I first start writing, I may have 20 chapters in my book, but each chapter being huge. Then I go back and divide some of them into 3-4 chapters. I'd love if when I add a new chapter number, Storyist could automatically renumber all the subsequent chapters.

 

Thanks,

Orren

[marguerite]

Okay, here's another big time saver for me. I'd love for Storyist to automatically number and renumber my chapter titles. Specifically, I tend to write both in non-linear order, and really large chapters that I then cut down. So for example, when I first start writing, I may have 20 chapters in my book, but each chapter being huge. Then I go back and divide some of them into 3-4 chapters. I'd love if when I add a new chapter number, Storyist could automatically renumber all the subsequent chapters.

 

Thanks,

Orren

Yes! Seconded, and for the same reason.

Marguerite

[astillac]

I don't tend to call my chapters just CHAPTER ONE or whatever. I would third this, because intelligent renumbering is awesome, but I don't know how it would be feasible to do with things like "Chapter Two - The Blah of Blahity."

 

- Calli

[orrenm]

I don't tend to call my chapters just CHAPTER ONE or whatever. I would third this, because intelligent renumbering is awesome, but I don't know how it would be feasible to do with things like "Chapter Two - The Blah of Blahity."

 

Actually, I name my chapters as well. They tend to take the form of "CHAPTER 2: Blahing the Blah"

 

I'm guessing that there would be a special character substitute for the number. So we would write our chapter title as:

 

"CHAPTER %: Blahing the Blah" and Storyist would always insert the correct number.

 

I'm guessing there would also need to be some preference or different special character for those who use numbers for chapters, and those who write out the words. (I have a lot of chapters, so I wouldn't want to be writing out "Chapter ninety-six" and on and on...)

 

So we've got this thirded! Steve? Is this difficult or trivial to add?

[Steve E]

I'll fourth it but here's the thing; I have no use for it. I never number my chapters because I often split them, move them around and alter names. I have nothing against automatic numbering, though. So, if we do this, I need an easy way to opt out.

 

Bloobity bloob.

- Thoth.

[orrenm]

Just did it again...decided to move Chapter 15 to between Chapters 21 and 22, had to renumber all those chapters....

 

Hopefully when Steve digests all that turkey and finished spending his Storyist windfall profits as part of his Black Friday binge, we'll see how feasible this is.

 

Orren

[Steve]

Hopefully when Steve digests all that turkey and finished spending his Storyist windfall profits as part of his Black Friday binge, we'll see how feasible this is.

 

Back in the saddle and catching up on the email.

 

Auto numbering is already on the list. It is conceptually simple. The only trick is in making sure the performance is acceptable in long manuscripts.

 

-Steve

[fredsmith]

I'd like to see chapter numbering as well (sorry if I'm a bit late ... ) and thinking about it, is there really a need to have the chapter numbers updated live? I don't think I really care what the chapter number is until the book is printed or exported.

[Joolissa]

Hi

I'd love this too!

 

Steve, if having it done automatically would slow down the program, maybe you could make it so that you could press a "Renumber Chapters" button to force a renumbering when you have a break where Storyist can take its time to do it, instead of having it happen automatically when you move a chapter. Maybe there could be an option for both with a note next to the auto saying it is best for shorter manuscripts?

 

- Jewls

[orrenm]

Just to beat on this moribund equine one more time...

 

I'm over half-way finished with the science fiction novel I'm writing. Currently, there are 24 chapters. I've named them CHAPTER 1 through CHAPTER 24, out of habit.

 

So as I edit through the first half, go through my ideas, I've decided that I want to add two chapters in there, one around chapter 10, another around chapter 18 or so. So as I add those chapters, I have to then go forward and renumber all the other chapters after the added chapters manually.

 

It would be so cool if I could, instead, just use an "insert chapter number" command, that automatically inserted a Chapter number at the cursor much the way that one can insert the Page Number onto a page, and it keeps track of adding/deleting pages.

 

Orren

[omegaman]

I'd like to see this feature implemented in the next release.

[fredsmith]

Is auto-numbering still planned?

 

[orrenm]

Thought I'd revive this chestnut after an absence:

 

A while ago, I posted that I'd finished the first draft of my second novel. Then it went to a professional editor for a thorough development edit. I got it back last week, and this weekend the process of revising my first draft into the second draft began.

 

Part of this process includes combining chapters, removing chapters, and rearranging chapters.

 

It would sure be nice if instead of manually renumbering every chapter in the novel, Storyist would auto-renumber for me.

 

Orren

[Manfred]

I support this long-time request for chapter/scene numbering !

I don't need it specifically in Storyist itself but as an export option, like Add %number on each scene/chapter heading combined with a stylesheet/template (arabic/roman numeral, typo style, add "." or "-" after the number).

[iandstanley]

I support this long-time request for chapter/scene numbering !

 

I don't need it specifically in Storyist itself but as an export option, like Add %number on each scene/chapter heading combined with a stylesheet/template (arabic/roman numeral, typo style, add "." or "-" after the number).

 

Me too as an export option

[CartoonMike]

This would be a great thing, and not only for novel chapters. I finally got a method/template created that will do comic scripts. If a new section (i.e. chapter, scene) could be automatically/intelligently numbered it would be a great help. Since I export my comic scripts either as a RTF or TXT file, the physical page has no meaning, only the described comic story "Page" matters. I'm about ¼ of a the way through scripting a 50 page graphic novella and if I had to insert or delete a comic page at this point, I would have to renumber way too many pages and that would be a nice way to spend an hour or so that i could be writing.

[omegaman]

I'm surprised this hasn't been addressed. It's a real bug bear.

[nen1000]

I'll add my name to this. Splitting (or merging) chapters and then having to renumber them all is a pain, particularly if you (like me) make the mistake of renumbering all the chapters after each chapter change, despite changing multiple chapters(!!)

 

So if it's possible, yes please.

[Fitch]

Yes, please. This would be a big feature and a major clerical work reduction.

 

I admit, I'm astonished it's taking 6 years to add this feature.

 

Fitch

[marguerite]

I'm a big supporter of this feature request. Just as a workaround, though, let me note that I find it easier to add a chapter at the end and drag scenes from one chapter to the next than to renumber each chapter manually.

Best,

M

[JosephGrech]

Resurrecting this post! Trying to figure out if this update ever made it? It would certainly make my life so much easier! Thanks! 

[Jez.lerman]

On 11/29/2009 at 7:34 PM, Steve said:

 

Back in the saddle and catching up on the email.

 

Auto numbering is already on the list. It is conceptually simple. The only trick is in making sure the performance is acceptable in long manuscripts.

 

-Steve

Perhaps a renaming of CHAPTER TITLE to CHAPTER NUMBER (heading 1), followed by a new style called CHAPTER TITLE (heading 2) would do the trick? This way CHAPTER NUMBER will automatically auto-number, regardless of its location in the manuscript, letting authors drag, drop and relocate their chapters at will.