Open Office - Book Writing SW Template - Version Changes

Here is where the changes will be listed in each version. For more information, or if you have other or better ideas, please share it message area on this template, or on this Open Office Book Writers Template Email Group.

Note: In early April 2009, when this Book Writing SW was first uploaded to its page at Open Office Templates, I wrongly gave it the version number of 0.1 (Book Writing SW.0.1). and a few people downloaded that first version. As I studied  and learn more about what I wanted to be in the template, I quickly discovered that there was a lot more work to do on the template than I first realized. So I renamed the template to version 0.0.1 and have been counting up since then. If you downloaded one of those first versions called "Book Writing SW.0.1" (which is the same as the new upcoming version), you can delete that old version and download the newest version from Open Office Templates.

Version 0.1 draft -8d

Created BW SubTopic A Text

Created BW SubPlot A Text

Created Keyboard Shortcuts for both of the above.

Added both to the list of Keyboard shortcuts

Version 0.1 draft -8c

To make the text styles more useable to a wider group of writers

• Changed BW Sensistive Text style to BW CondiTopic B (Conditional Topic B)

• Changed BW Restritive Text styles to BW CondiTopic C (Conditional Topic C)

• (The base, BW Text Body, is consider Topic A)

• Deleted BW Sensistive and BW Restricted Heading styles. Since using the Sections there should be no need for separate header for these alternate paragraph styles.

Changed Control panel at front to reflect these changes

Added “Audience” collumn to Cotrol Panel for Conditopics A & B.

Added BW Subtopic A paragraph style

Added BW Subplot A paragraph style

Version 0.1 draft -8b

Set up text fields in File>Properties>Custom Properties for the Author First and Last names

Wrote instructions of how to unlock and change text on the front page.

Version 0.1 draft -8a

Cleaned up the Story Components area of the template. Created blank templates for Characters, Locations, and Items.

Created a 2. Template Components place to put all the extra template components together

Created a 12. Customizing This Template Chapter in the instructions.

Moved all the instructions out of the template and put it all at the back so that it can all be easily deleted at once.

Version 0.1 draft -7f

Moved Story Components to the end behind the Index. Put Story Components into a Section and linked it to the Control panel at the front. This will enable the Story Component descriptions to be hidden when the document/book is printed.

Changed the paragraph style of the blank Sensitive Text Section to be the Sensitive Text paragraph style.

Changed the paragraph style of the blank Restricted Text Section to be the Sensistive Text paragraph style.

Change Margins on all pages to 1” all around, except top margin of pages: Title 3 ½”, (Chapter First Page, Back Matter, Front Matter: the top margin of all set to 3”)

To help better identify from the other text and notes, put pale yellow border around BW Chapter Notes paragraph style

To help better identify from the other text and notes, put pale blue/grey border around BW Notes (for Scene, subscene, etc.) pa ragraph style.

To make is show up, put a thin red line around the Details areas (paragraph style).

Version 0.1 draft -7e

Removed hyphenation from Titile style

increased endentaion of first line of each body text paragraph to .25”

Version 0.1 draft -7c

Created the rest of the Keyboard Shortcuts and finished chart for usage.

Version 0.1 draft 4a

As I've gotten more involved and studied more about developing templates, I've learned that my earlier versions of the template have needed many changes. Those earlier versions were based upon the knowledge I had at the time. It has been becoming increasingly apparent that this template has been lacking many standard features and needs much work. So, in this version much is being changed to bring it into standard book writing designs.

• Changes all the custom paragraph styles and page styles to begin with “BW-” (Book Writer). Having them all start with the same first two letters will keep them all together when all the styles are shown. Using the “B” as the first letter will keep them all near the top of the list of paragraph and page styles..

• Worked on Page Styles, Added page styles for the “Back Matter”.

• Have changed the default text body style from Courier to another. Am experimenting with trying to find a professional looking typeface.

• Added an index in the back.

Version 0.1 draft 3

• Put index on last page(s) of template.

  • Experimenting with using Chapter Title as Index Title header style

  • Experimenting with using “Chapter Front Page” page style, with the following Default page style.

• Added “Front Matter” page styles for use by sections at front of book.

Version 0.1 Draft 2

May 26, 2009 - Am working on Version 0.1, as I have time. The  earlier versions are lacking much, (i.e. front matter - title page, copyright, preface, and index pages, etc.). I'll have to study this, and other things, out before releasing the next version.
Since they would conflict with the other book body styles, I have removed the experimental "Editing" paragraph styles the I had added in "Version 0.1 draft 1". Having the editing process marked is a good thing, but will try doing it another way.

May 31, 2009

• Paragraph Styles: changed name of “Chapter Heading” to “Chapter Title”

  • Set up Chapter Title to automatically begin a new right side page when it is chosen.

  • When you get to the end of that title page, the default pages (with regular margins, headers and footers, will be automatically chosen as you continue to write.

• Page Styles:

  • Added Title Page

    • Book Title uses the “File>Properities>Description>Title” field

    • Book Subtitle use the “File>Properties>Custom Properties>Book Subtitle” field. Enter the book subtitle in the “Values” text box

  • Added Chapter Front Page

    • Chapter Title to be 3” from top of page. Chapter title to be in 24 point Bookman Old Style with a line underneath.

    • Doesn't have any headers or footers, no page numbers.

    • At the end of this Chapter front page, the text will automatically flow into the default page styles

• Set up Default page style to

  • be mirror style

  • Turned on headers and footers

  • Have Book name on top of each left side page and Chapter title at top of each right side page.

Version 0.1 draft 1

1. Since this is an experimental version, at present, this version is only available from here at the Google Groups files section. Some of the features have been changed in this version so it is not entirely compatible with previous versions. Some of those features might be changed back, or other features might be changed in this version. So just be forewarned that this version is fine for playing around with, but you may not want to write your book with this version until the features are decided upon by the authors and contributors.
   
2. Have added some experimental sample component samples for the Character Profiles.
   
3. Since this template is designed for writing both books and noves, changed the "Novel Body" paragraph style to "Book body"
4. This version of the template has added features to help keep organized with the writing and editing process
   
5. Since the instructions for the previous versions have been put online to refer to, this version only contains s instructions for the new features.
   
6. Added the following "Editing" paragraph styles

• Book Body 1st  Outline
• Book Body 2nd - Rough Draft
• Book Body 3rd - Draft (for the working draft)
• Book Body 4th - Final Editing
• Book Body 5 - Finished
  

Version 0.0.9f

The Keyboard Settings file, which includes the Keyboard Shortcuts used in this template, has been uploaded to the files section of the Open Office Book Writers Template Email Group.

Changed the hierarchy of the SubScene, Sensitive Heading, and the Restricted Heading to accommodate put the Subscene heading right under the Scene heading. This would mainly only show up in the Navigator position and in the Table of Contents if someone were to show the scenes and subscenes, which probably wouldn't happen.

Version 0.0.9e This is the same as version 0.0.9d, except for the change in these Shortcuts
Changed the following Shortcuts, these are the new Shortcuts.:
Ctrl+Shift+3 = SubScene Header (title) (this is the new header)
Ctrl+Shift+4 = Sensitive Scene (Title)
Ctrl+Shift+5 = Restricted Scene Part (Title

Version 0.0.9d

• Added SubScenes header and connected it so the hitting “Enter” takes you to the “Novel Body” Text.
• Added shortcut for Subscenes header to the list of keyboard shortcuts.

Version 0.0.9c

• This version is the same as version 9b, except a lot more instructions have been added.
• Changed Shortcuts; created new shortcuts. When I first started working on this template I thought that the shortcuts would be saved with the template file. Have since learned that not to be true. So as to not interfere with the standard shortcuts, decided to change all shortcuts mentioned in this template to those not being used.
• Change Shortcut information to include the need to manually create the shortcuts.
• Added information and links to other useful extensions: Google Docs and Writers' Tools.
• Added Shift+f5 to the list shortcuts.
• I learned that the AutoText for Character, Location, and Item Profiles have to manually created. So, I have written descriptions for creating AutoText entries of Character Profiles.

Version 0.0.9b

Wrote that the keyboard shortcuts, including the AutoText shortcuts, have to be manually created.

Changed Keyboard shortcuts to a empty shortcut keys (instead of the standard “heading 1, heading 2, etc.”)

Changed all references to shortcuts in this document to the new shortcut keys.

Wrote a short Introductory paragraph about Shortcuts.

Version 0.0.9

After I upgraded to Open Office 3.1 this morning, all the connections to the shortcut keys were broken. So had to redo them. This template is now being developed with OOo 3.1

Added information and instructions about using 2 windows for writing.

Added “AKA” to the Character Profile

Changed “Character” heading* to “Char-Locat-Item” Heading

Changed “Character Descriptions”* to “Char-Locat-Item Descriptions”

Wrote Text for Locations

Wrote Text for Items

Rewrote text for Characters.

*I wanted the Characters, Locations, and Items to all be on the same hierarchy level, and to be listed at the same level in the Navigator (and in the TOC, if printed in document). The only way I could figure out how to do that would be to have them all use the same heading and the same description paragraph. I don't know if that will cause problems down the road, we'll see how it goes. If anyone can think of a better way, feel free to share it with me.

Version 0.0.8

Added shortcut for the Chapter Notes Title

Wrote more information for the Chapter Notes.

Added shortcut for the Scene Notes Title

Wrote more information about using Scene Notes

Went through and rewrote and edited here and there in this document.

Version 0.0.7b

Changed Scene Headings to Courier New typestyle (to match the Novel Body typestyle)

Wrote more about how the Character Profiles operate.

Added information in Properties Description about the websites where that told about using OOo Writer for writing novels.

Version 0.0.7

The Characters heading was given the “Ctrl+6” keyboard shortcut.

An explanation of the character description paragraph style was written.

Set up a very simple Character Profile.

Set up “cp” f3 as a keyboard shortcut.

Version 0.0.6b

An email group was started at Google Groups here: Open Office Writers group. The information about the group was added to the Properties Description.

Version 0.0.6

Added a summary of “This Book Writing Template” at the beginning.

Added shortcut for Chapter Synopsis

Wrote information about how to hide and unhide paragraphs and headings.

Wrote information about Chapter Synopsis.

Rewrote information about “Restricted Scene Part”.

Version 0.0.5

Rewrote much of the text for the various headings and text body style.

Changed “Chapter” style to “Chapter Heading”

Changed “Scene” style to “Scene Heading”

Corrected non-working Chapter Heading And Scene Heading Shortcuts

Version 0.0.4

This is a test upload. I'm in the process of developing a book writing template. This is the first step in learning how to upload templates to OpenOffice.org.

Enabled these shortcuts:

Ctrl+0 = Novel Body Text

Ctrl+1 = Chapter (title)

Ctrl+2 = Scene (title)

Ctrl+3 = Sensitive Scene (Title)

Ctrl+Shift+3 = Sensitive Text Body

Ctrl+4 = Restricted Scene Part (Title)

Ctrl+Shift+4 = Restricted Scene Body

Versions 0.0.1 to 0.0.3

These are test uploads. I'm in the process of developing a book writing template. This is the first step in learning how to upload templates to OpenOffice.org.