Writing the manuscript

Starting Writer as text editor

Note

The following example describes the manuscript editing workflow with LibreOffice. The same applies to OpenOffice.

Other word processing programs that claim to support the ODT file format are generally not recommended.

As soon as your novel project has at least one section, you can start writing. For this, you save your project and export your novel to the Writer word processor either with Export > Manuscript for editing, or by clicking on the Export manuscript toolbar icon.

Hint

If you use the menu command, you can have novelibre create a manuscript, and ask whether it should be opened with Writer.
If you click on the toolbar icon, Writer will be launched immediately after export.

If you have done this before and there is still a manuscript document from the previous writing session, you will now be asked whether you want to continue working on this document. If this is the case, answer “Open existing”.

If you answer “Overwrite”, novelibre creates a new manuscript document. “Cancel” aborts the export process and lets you return to the main window.

Hint

novelibre checks whether an existing manuscript is newer or older than the open project, and suggests a choice by activating the appropriate button. You can accept it by hitting the Enter key. If your choice follows the suggestion, you see a message in green at the status bar. Otherwise, the message is displayed in red, just as a reminder.

If you started the export using the Export menu command, you may be asked whether you want to open the newly created document, depending of your Export settings.

If you answer “yes”, Writer will be launched with the manuscript document. Otherwise, the document is just kept for future use.

Depending on your Export settings, novelibre now may lock the project, so that it can’t be accidentally modified with novelibre while worked on in Writer.

Note

novelibre starts your standard application for files with the .odt extension. Usually, the setting is made by LibreOffice or OpenOffice during installation.

After you change to Writer, you see the whole novel in a layout that is similar to the “standard manuscript format”. The Navigator (open with F5) shows the chapter and section titles in the Headings area. Double click on a heading to move the cursor to that location. You can now write within the frames that define the sections.

LibreOffice Writer screenshot: Note that the text boundaries are made visible here, which is highly recommended.

Note

The section titles displayed in the Navigator are invisible in the workspace so that they do not disrupt the flow of writing, and the impression of an original manuscript page is retained.

Writing changes back to novelibre

At the end of the writing session, save the changes, exit the Writer word processor, and return to novelibre. Simply click on the Update from manuscript toolbar icon, and your latest changes will appear.

Note

The toolbar icon mentioned above is only for the manuscript. If you want to apply changes made in other documents like character sheets or synopses, use the Import menu.

Creating new sections with Writer

If you need a new section while writing, you don’t have to switch to novelibre. Simply start a new line with a special marker ###. Optionally, you can add a section title, and, separated by |, a section description. All other metadata is intended to be entered in novelibre later.

Tip

You can use #### to create an appended section.

The following example shows how to split an existing section:

Back in novelibre, you see the new section. It has got a title, but no other metadata.

Creating new chapters with Writer

If you need a new chapter while writing, you don’t have to switch to novelibre. Simply assign a new line within the edited section the Heading 2 style.

Important

novelibre only re-imports text within section defining frames. Technically, it always splits sections when creating new chapters or sections from the manuscript.

You also cannot move chapters within Writer. If you want to rearrange chapters or sections, do it with novelibre.

The following example shows how to add a chapter with Writer:

Back in novelibre, you see a new chapter and a new section. Since the chapters are auto-numbered in this example project, the new chapter title already fits, while the new section’s title should be adjusted manually.

novelibre screenshot: Notice the selected new chapter — novelibre screenshot