need a microsoft word 2003 geek! - Writers Forum

HippoHead · 03-03-2008, 02:23 PM

yoooo

quick question coz if it doesn't get answered i'll spend hours doing this painfully repetitive and ultimately pointless task

In the old days, whenever i put the next chapter title at the top of a new page, it would stay there.
But now, after changing some setting, everytime I modify a piece of text, such as adding/taking away sentences, the chapter title moves up/down, meaning it doesn't start on a fresh page... and it's annoying as hell coz i'm having to spend loads of time moving it back... only to have it move down/up again when modifying the document.

is this clear? Anyone know how to solve it? I'll give you a cookie if you do! *wavers it* double chocolate chip! You can't resist it's charm.

Dan · 03-03-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HippoHead

yoooo

quick question coz if it doesn't get answered i'll spend hours doing this painfully repetitive and ultimately pointless task

In the old days, whenever i put the next chapter title at the top of a new page, it would stay there.
But now, after changing some setting, everytime I modify a piece of text, such as adding/taking away sentences, the chapter title moves up/down, meaning it doesn't start on a fresh page... and it's annoying as hell coz i'm having to spend loads of time moving it back... only to have it move down/up again when modifying the document.

is this clear? Anyone know how to solve it? I'll give you a cookie if you do! *wavers it* double chocolate chip! You can't resist it's charm.

I think...think...that the chapter headings will stay in place (or jump to the top of the next blank page) if you do Insert>Page Break and then the heading.

HippoHead · 03-03-2008, 03:52 PM

ah sweet that worked a charm

cheers

*throws cookie your way*

Peejaydee · 03-03-2008, 04:57 PM

Another way is to apply a style to the Heading. For example, if you use Heading 1 as the chapter heading every time, you can alter the style named Heading 1 so that it always starts on a new page. Word does this by effectively inserting a page break automatically for you so it's an auto version of the solution above.

Go to Format > Styles and Formatting. On the side window that opens up, select Heading 1 (or whatever style it is your using), click the drop-down menu and select Modify. This will give you a dialogue box. Bottom left, select Format > Paragraph. Change the tab at the top to Line and Page Breaks and tick the Page Break Before box. OK your way back out of there, and every time you now apply the style the heading will go to a new page.

Sam Winchester · 03-03-2008, 05:22 PM

It's quite simple, actually. When you want to start a new chapter in Microsoft Word (any version) simply press Alt&Enter together. This will skip down to the next page. Therefore, whenever you are editing your work, and you edit huge chunks, pages long, Word compensates for this and makes sure that every time you pressed Alt&Enter, that that chapter starts at the top of a page. Try it.

Sam.

Archer · 03-04-2008, 09:29 PM

Alt&Enter is the Redo hotkey. Whatever action you performed last will be done again.

Sam Winchester · 03-05-2008, 02:57 AM

Sorry, my bad. CTRL&Enter.

Sam.

Dan · 03-05-2008, 09:56 AM

Sorry, guys, but the cookie's already gone.

JohnN · 03-05-2008, 10:07 AM

Wait till you start doing indexing and tables of contents. now thats looong!

Fossy · 03-06-2008, 05:53 AM

Hey guys, I tried to do what you all suggested, but I keep getting an extra blank page in between each chapter. What am I doing wrong? I have almost 40 chapters to keep fixing up everytime a add or take something away, and it's driving me crazy.

Dan · 03-06-2008, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fossy

Hey guys, I tried to do what you all suggested, but I keep getting an extra blank page in between each chapter. What am I doing wrong? I have almost 40 chapters to keep fixing up everytime a add or take something away, and it's driving me crazy.

I don't know, because it works for me.

My simplest suggestion? Forget about reformatting your chapters until you're done writing.

Peejaydee · 03-07-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fossy

Hey guys, I tried to do what you all suggested, but I keep getting an extra blank page in between each chapter. What am I doing wrong? I have almost 40 chapters to keep fixing up everytime a add or take something away, and it's driving me crazy.

Make sure you always work with the Show/Hide markers activated. Most people switch them off because they make the page look cluttered and they don't know what they're for or what they mean. In my opinion, Word is impossible to use effectively without them on. The markers tell you what's going on on the page and what Word has done in the formatting.

Switch them on and look for additional page breaks or section breaks at the end of the chapters. If you've done what everyone here has suggested then you've probably got more than one break after each chapter and you won't know without the markers switched on.

Remember that Word is actually a very good and powerful application, despite what its retractors say. It is, however, universally recognised as being poor at handling very large/long documents. The way to make sure you don't get into a format nightmare is to learn how to use Word properly, particularly with regard to management, creation and application of styles.

I'll shut up now...

SeattleCPA · 03-08-2008, 11:21 AM

An idea for future. I actually give away a free copy of a previously published but now out-of-print book I wrote about Word 2003. It's available on my free stuff page (URL below) via link at very top of page:

Seattle CPA

Note that there are copies of other books on Microsoft applications, too, like Excel, etc.

For what it's worth, a bunch of computer books I wrote were these little 200pp A to Z guides on various Microsoft products (like Word) and popular technology topics (like the Internet)...