yWriter Comprehensive Help File

This document was recovered from the lost yWriter google sites page, and is still a work in progress

THIS HELP FILE

Many contributors to the yWriter discussion groups have helped me to learn from them and put this help file together. Particular thanks to Dave Shaw. Matters are grouped within alphabetical order within the categories below.

PLEASE READ FIRST -- THE MAIN SCREEN? START HERE!

Before you start your own project (novel) we strongly suggest that you review the section immediately below. To get to know yWriter, use this Help and the yWriter sample to get a better feeling of how the program works and what it can do.

What are the basic features of the main screen?

The Main Screen is the one that opens up when you first start yWriter. The left side lists chapters. The right side lists scenes. In the middle is a vertical splitter bar which you can move (explained later). At the top of the page are tool bars.

I?ve noticed the letters W S P to the right of the chapter title. What do they stand for?

W = Number of Words. S = Number of Scenes P = Progressive word count.

Under the P column when you add chapters, some of the figures are in green, some in orange and some in red. What does this indicate?

Green is Beginning section; Orange is Middle; Red is End. Let?s say you want to divide your novel into three Acts. You can do this and mark off these sections by going to Chapter>Mark as start of middle section and Chapter> Mark as start of end section.

Can I resize the Main Screen to see more horizontal information pertaining to Chapters and Scene lists?

The vertical splitter in the middle of the page can be moved left or right by clicking and dragging. For further information go to: http://sites.google.com/site/yWritersj/q/the-main-screen

Why would I want to resize the Main (opening) Screen from time to time?

By placing your cursor on the vertical splitter bar, pressing the left mouse button and holding it down, you can drag the splitter bar to the right. You can then see in one line: (1) the Chapter Title, (2) W/S/P, and (3) the first 11 words or so of the description (DESC). The expanded description for that chapter is at the foot of the page.
It is recommended that you type your chapter Title in capitals to differentiate it from the description (summary of chapter content).
By dragging the splitter bar to the left, you can see: Viewpoint/Words/Scenes/Status/A/R/Filename/Letters/Characters/Locations Items/ Date and time.
You can expand the width of individual scene columns and choose to have these columns in a different order.

How do I move this main screen to see what other programs I have opened?

Use the minimize bar.
Make the screen slightly smaller by clicking the 'restore down? button on the very top right corner next to the delete button. Then hold down your left mouse button, place your cursor on the top blue horizontal bar and drag.

What do you use DESC (Description) on the Chapter side of the main screen for?

DESC lets you see 'at a glance? the first few words of your description of what takes place (i.e. WHAT HAPPENS) in that chapter. You enter this information by going to Chapter>Edit description box for each chapter. Without opening up any chapters, by simply running your eye down the Title and Desc columns, you will have a good idea of your novel?s storyline. Clicking on any chapter opens up the scene list on the right for more information.
Tip! Some writers prefer to work at a more detailed level. Instead of working with Chapters and Scenes, they prefer to work with 'Scenes? and 'Beats?. In place of a chapter title, they insert a scene title. The scene list then holds the beats of their story. yWriter can accommodate both approaches. This help file takes an orthodox approach and focuses on Chapters and Scenes,
Tip! The chapter title orients the reader as to what is happening. The Description (DESC) embellishes upon this. Some writers consciously give the information under DESC a consistent slant such as: 'Effect on protagonist? or 'How theme advanced? or 'Events in external world only. '

Can I change the project title or author name?

Click on Project>Project settings and enter information.

If I change the project title, will the name change on the file folder? Are there any special precautions I need to take?

Answer?

THE TOOL BAR: Can you give me an overview of the main tabs and how they work?

yWriter is easy to work with once you find your way around. The box below lists all the 'tabs? you can click.

Here is a brief explanation of some items, what they do and how you use them.

Convert an outline into chapters and scenes
Answer

Scenes (RTF/TXT files)

Answer

Synopsis with HTML timeline

Answer

Pre-defined-- User defined

Answer

Split scene on custom

Answer

Clickable hyperlinks

Answer

Use right control for DBSC entry

Answer

Delete orphan scenes

Only applies to YW5 project files, where each scene is stored in its own RTF file. This routine clears up RTF files which are no longer used by the project.

Create template txt file

Answer