Help

[turps]

Before I go on. No comments about how Words sucks, please. I like Word and while normally I have no problems teasing, not when I'm struggling to fix stuff.

I've been uploading my story to LJ, it was going great until suddenly lines started collapsing. I revealed all formatting and behind the cut is a screen grab of the file, which I think shows hard and soft returns. Maybe? Whatever is is, once it hits those square like symbols my lines collapse.

Anyone has an idea how to fix?







Sorted. Thank you :)

Comments

[saffronra.livejournal.com]

Um, totally ignore that! I have no idea. Though, when word does something really strange with me, I c/p to a .txt file and then back into a word document.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I just did that in combination with Chris' suggestion.

Thank you!

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

You mean the little arrows? Those are manual returns, as opposed to Paragraph breaks, which are the backward Ps. And replacing them is easypeasy.

Save as Mach 2 or whatever, just in case this is TOTALLY not what you want. :D
Make sure your cursor is at the top of the doc.

Click Edit and choose Replace.
Click the More dealie.
Choose Special.
Select Manual Line Break, which will put a symbol in the Find field.
Click to put your cursor in the Replace field, click Special, and choose Paragraph.
That will put a backwards P in the Replace field.

Choose Replace All. Et viola!

Does that do what you wanted it to do?

Also, if I've totally misconstrued your question--we have a LogMeInRescue account for work I could use to work on your PC with you--we can have mouse wars, and there's a chat window and stuff...

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Man, you're a life saver. I use the find replace often but it never clicked you can actually use it for symbols too.

A combination of that and saving as a text file just to make double sure and I'm set. Thank you!

[starwatcher]

.
I'm always impressed with the different ways people accomplish the same task. Did you know you can use keyboard shortcuts for the whole thing? The curly arrows are coded as ^l (line break). The backwards-p (paragraph) are coded ^p.

So, to replace --

Ctrl-H
Replace what: ^l
Replace with what: ^p
Replace all.

(The 'curlies' are what happens when you copy/paste from an email, or webpage. I don't know why, but they often screw up further pasting.)

Terri, another option is to take the Word document, and save as 'Text only'. That changes all the 'curlies' to the 'enter' mark. It also strips out a lot of 'hidden' Word code that can bollix up the works. Then copy from the Text only to the LJ posting window.

NOTICE though -- in the screen cap, some of your paragraphs have a mark in the blank line between, and some don't. This may make unevenly-spaced paragraphs -- some with no blank lines between, some with a double-think line between. It can be solved, but you'll need a few extra steps.

1. Save as text only.

2. Copy that and paste into a new Word document.

3. Collapse everything to no blank lines --
3-a. Ctrl-H
3-b. Replace what: ^p^p
3-c. Replace with what: ^p
3-d. Replace all.

4. Now add a blank line after each paragraph --
4-a. Ctrl-H
4-b. Replace what: ^p
4-c. Replace with what: ^p^p
4-d. Replace all.

5. Now, everything should be evenly spaced. You're ready to copy and paste into the LJ window.
.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I didn't know all of that. Which is why I've memorised this reply if I get issues again.

But it's your second part that's got me so gleeful. This thing about collapsing spaces has been an issue since I first started writing at Google docs, each time I posted at LJ I ended having to fix something, usually hand code and separate each paragraph before I posted.

I just went back and checked on a problem file, and your solution worked! I could kiss you right now. Or hug you very enthusiastically.

Thank you!

[starwatcher]

.
I didn't know all of that.

I like Word, too; it can be very versatile. But the 'how to' books are too thick to digest. We don't learn these tips and tricks until someone takes us by the hand and shows us. So now you know, and can teach the next befuddled user.

Which is why I've memorised this reply if I get issues again.

I'm honored, and glad it was useful. But are you always online when you're writing / editing? I'm not. I suggest that you also copy and paste into a document, and save in your writing folder. Then you can get everything ready before you're ready to post the story.

This thing about collapsing spaces has been an issue since I first started writing at Google docs,

I don't know Google docs. Maybe it's adding the ^l without you knowing.

But also, the areas with no mark in the blank line show the typing was set to 'double space' - needing only one 'Enter' to move to the next paragraph. But the areas that have a mark in the blank line show the typing was set to 'single space' - needing two 'Enter' to move to the next paragraph. I don't know how they got mixed into one document but, yes, it plays hell with later posting.

The thing is, HTML needs instructions to force a new line. If there's a blank line with no mark in it, HTML simply doesn't see it. Thus, your collapsed paragraphs.

each time I posted at LJ I ended having to fix something, usually hand code and separate each paragraph before I posted.

Aie! Major pain in the ass!

I just went back and checked on a problem file, and your solution worked!

Yay! Score one for our side!

I could kiss you right now. Or hug you very enthusiastically.

I'll take all the hugs and kisses I can get. Right back at'cha. *squeezes tight*
.

[msktrnanny.livejournal.com]

I'm useless on this but I hope you find a fix soon, collapsing fic is quite frustrating.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it! I was ready to give up in utter frustration.

[geeklite.livejournal.com]

If none of that works, you can always cheat (like I often have done in the past) and just copy and paste the whole document into a new one. This fixes about half of Word's weirdnesses.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I used those suggestions and cheated. I wanted to be double sure.

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Wow. Um. I've never even heard of it doing that... Hope you're able to sort out soon!

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty much there. Thank goodness.

[turlough]

Good to hear that you managed to sort it out!

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's all posted now. Tomorrow I'll read through and make a master link and make things public. Though Sunday does tend to be a sucky day for posting.

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

*hugs* That was probably my fault somehow. Sorry.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Not your fault, no.

It's an ongoing issue with my journal. I think each of my longer stories has had posts with me going, argh, help!

But I have a solution now, and I've tagged it so no more.

You! *leans head on your shoulder*

You are my favourite.

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

The same, my love, the same.

PS

[starwatcher]

.
I'd like to share the 'fix' in my LJ, for others who are having problems. But I can't force a mixture of styles like you ended up with. (I tried; it didn't work.) May I use your screencap as demonstration?
.

Re: PS

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Figures I'd end up with a difficult problem *g*

Sure, go for it. Hopefully it'll help other people, too.

Feel free to use the link from my photobucket if you like.

Re: PS

[starwatcher]

.
Figures I'd end up with a difficult problem *g*

I suspect it's from emailing bits and pieces back and forth as you consult with your betas. Not a difficult problem -- the fix is easy when you know how -- but difficult to recreate.

Sure, go for it. Hopefully it'll help other people, too.

Thank you. That's my hope as well.

Feel free to use the link from my photobucket if you like.

I think that's easiest -- less clicking-through for people. Thanks again.
.