In OO, I want to enter a line containing only ***** for SOL to convert into a scene break but OO automatically converts it into two thick lines across the page. Is there a way to switch it off? If not, what alternatives can I use with SOL? Would *** work, for example?
TIA,
AJ
In OO, I want to enter a line containing only ***** for SOL to convert into a scene break but OO automatically converts it into two thick lines across the page.
You should be able to turn that off.
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/File:AutoformatOpt.png
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Writer_Guide/Autoformat
Thank you. It's lurking under 'Apply Border' and three or more asterisks followed by Enter get munged.
However a simpler fix sees to be to enter a space after the asterisks and before Enter.
Alternatively use REP's suggestion, non-contiguous asterisks. (I trust SOL converts them as intended).
AJ
If not, what alternatives can I use with SOL? Would *** work, for example?
https://storiesonline.net/doc/Text_Formatting_Information_Guide#gen :
any combination of '-' (dash), '=' (equal), '*' (asterisk), '_' (underscore), '@', '#', '~' (tilde), '+', '•' (bullet), 'x' and '—' (m-dash) — without the quotes)
Thank you.
If I've understood correctly, two asterisks alone on a line will be sufficient to trigger a SOL scene break.
AJ
I'm not sure if OO handles it the same but in LibreOffice you can just insert a horizontal line from the menu: 'Insert', 'Horizontal line'.
This has a huge advantage because it is a style under the Default style and that means you can change it and all you scene breaks will change accordingly. Not useful for SOL but very useful if you use your document to export to html for epubs. Exporting a default horizontal line in LO is just a regular < hr > in html. In OO it is most likely the same (if it supports the insert horizontal line).
Word does the same thing.
1. You can remove it from the autocorrect
-or-
2. hit the undo button.
I prefer the second.
The undo button undoes the last change which in this case was done by OO.
Spaces between the asterisks.
I use a linger string and it works perfectly until the SOL program tries to decide how my story should be formatted.
Also, most word processors make the change when you type in the symbols and hit ENTER.
Simple put in empty lines, and after you type the next sentence cursor back up and put in the symbols you want, but do NOT hit enter. They should simply remain as you typed them.
That is how I have gotten around that for decades. It is not new, I want to say I first noticed it in Word 97. And back then I often wrote single chapter stories, but would use a line with three asterisks to signify a scene change.
Simple put in empty lines, and after you type the next sentence cursor back up and put in the symbols you want, but do NOT hit enter. They should simply remain as you typed them.
As a reader I can only say: don't try to get fancy with scene breaks. The very best scene break is a simple < hr >. A single asterisk in your text will translate to that when it goes through the SOL process. I've never seen a story on SOL where a 'fancy' scene break remained consistent throughout the whole story/book. The simple < hr > also has the huge advantage that it can be easily styled with CSS and thus transformed into a consistent break, although I always prefer it to remain a simple horizontal line. Your text is the art, not the scene breaks :)
As a reader I can only say: don't try to get fancy with scene breaks.
I don't think he was trying to make a fancy scene break. He was trying to give the SOL Wizard what it needed to create the long line you like as a reader. But OO converts the ***** to something else that the SOL Wizard doesn't recognize as a scene break.
I still think the easiest way is to hit the undo button after OO does its conversion.
Also, as to "fancy" scene breaks, most of my novels on Bookapy are also available on SOL. I have formatting changes that I have to make when submitting to the Wizard, like breaking the chapters into separate files and changing paragraph indenting to no indenting with a blank line between paragraphs. I don't want to mess with the *** I use for scene breaks so I leave them in and let the Wizard convert them to the long line.
I still think the easiest way is to hit the undo button after OO does its conversion.
How can that be easier than a 1 time global action to turn the relevant auto-formatting off?
How can that be easier than a 1 time global action to turn the relevant auto-formatting off?
Because when it's off, it's off. He might want the change to occur in the future.
I turned off the automatic conversion to curly (smart) quotes years ago when I used Word to write HTML (the curly quotes screwed up my HTML). So my ebooks do not have curly quotes.
Because when it's off, it's off. He might want the change to occur in the future.
Oh, I don't deny that there might be justification for the effort of doing it the way you suggest, but saying that's easier than straight turning it off is ridiculous.
I don't think he was trying to make a fancy scene break. He was trying to give the SOL Wizard what it needed to create the long line you like as a reader. But OO converts the ***** to something else that the SOL Wizard doesn't recognize as a scene break.
I still think the easiest way is to hit the undo button after OO does its conversion.
I didn't mean to imply he was trying to make fancy scene breaks, I just wanted to point out that using anything but a 'real' scene break is not going to work out in the end. A real scene break (< hr >) can be styled with CSS and will ensure consistency across all chapters. In other words: you don't create a specific scene break in your original text but use styling when you process the book to html or an epub.
Does OO convert a single *?
I checked with LibreOffice but a single * is retained just as it is. As Lazeez stated, a single asterisk is enough to have the SOL process convert it to a scene break. If OO converts a single asterisk to something else you will have to change or remove that auto-format rule in OO.
I didn't mean to imply he was trying to make fancy scene breaks, I just wanted to point out that using anything but a 'real' scene break is not going to work out in the end. A real scene break (< hr >) can be styled with CSS and will ensure consistency across all chapters. In other words: you don't create a specific scene break in your original text but use styling when you process the book to html or an epub.
But the problem is, I still primarily work in the TXT format. That is what I use when reading an e-book on my phone, and I actually do not use any kind of markup language in my writing.
I really am "old school", and as the first word processor I used was WordStar a lot of my habits predate the WWW. So telling someone to use something in CSS or HTML really means nothing. Personally, I just don't get the point of doing that myself. Plus, if I upload it somewhere else that may well not work at all.
Say ASSTR, even though I have not posted there in well over a decade. Then there just ends up being random GIGO code in the middle of the story, even more jarring.
I still primarily work in the TXT format.
So do I. Unfortunately I lost all my Open Office customisations when my previous computer died, and it's a sad reflection on how little writing I've done since that only now am I trying to reinstate them :-(
I'm going to have to save my work as .txt then scan for any weird characters.
AJ
So do I. Unfortunately I lost all my Open Office customisations when my previous computer died,
Once you have all your settings as you want them to be make a backup from your OO/LO user profile. That's where all your settings are kept and this can be used to restore your settings after loss or when transporting to another system.
It depends on your system where the user profile is located, most likely as a hidden directory in your user home directory.
But the problem is, I still primarily work in the TXT format. That is what I use when reading an e-book on my phone, and I actually do not use any kind of markup language in my writing.
A little misunderstanding: I didn't mean to use markup in plain text, there is no such thing in plain text. I advocated the use of a single asterisk on a separate line. When that text goes through the SOL process to create HTML the asterisk is turned into a < hr >. HTML (and epubs which internally are xHTML) can be styled by using CSS. No need for you to use any markup in your plain text.
By-the-way, Wordstar was my first 'real' word processor too and I use a simple text editor every day. The funny thing is that HTML and CSS code is basically also plain text, just in a specific structured format. If you unzip a Word or OO file even that is flat text. You would be surprised to know how many "different" formats are actually flat text files but each with their own specific structure, often a flavor of XML.
I don't think he was trying to make a fancy scene break. He was trying to give the SOL Wizard what it needed to create the long line you like as a reader. But OO converts the ***** to something else that the SOL Wizard doesn't recognize as a scene break.
Actually, I started doing that way back in 1996, when I was working on my first long form story. And it was simply to show that a period of time had passed, but it was not enough to start another chapter.
I still do so on rare occasion, mostly as to not confuse the reader. Otherwise say Susan and Mark can be talking, and suddenly it is Susan and Jill, with no sign of Mark anywhere. Specifically in select types of stories where any other kind of lead-up to show that the scene is changing would be jarring to the narrative. In around 80 stories I have posted here, I have only used it in a handful of them.
But my doing so long pre-dates SOL. I picked it up from David Gerrold, in a book he wrote called "The Man Who Folded Himself".
Specifically in select types of stories where any other kind of lead-up to show that the scene is changing would be jarring to the narrative.
It's also needed in a story written in 3rd-person limited when the POV character changes. It could be right in the middle of a scene that switches from Joe's POV to Sue's.
