This means your document was converted from DOCX. Page “description” is one area where Writer and Word differ largely. During conversion, Writer tries pragmatically to guess a decent equivalent page style. However, considering the huge differences in page management in both suites, you could end up with one page style per page (I met this calamity).
So your first task is to rebuild a “pure” ODF structure, otherwise you’ll experience a hopeless nightmarish situation. Redesign a “template” from scratch. Above all, don’t copy anything from your presently polluted document. Or only paste as unformatted text so that you import NO formatting from the “contaminated” file.
Welcome in the realm of “compatibility”.
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Yeah, I was trying to build one from scratch and it was going very poorly (it’s the ODT file I uploaded above) and had several specific issues that no one seems to know how to address. But basically, that’s where I’m at…
I have two potential templates, one which was converted from a DOCX where the only issue I have is that the first page number of the first chapter starts with the wrong number and, if I’m gathering what you are saying is correct, there is no way to easily change that one thing…
OR
The “pure” start I tried to create that has four issues, which seem to include the page numbering starting wrong.
I am not a fan.
In the easiest, simplest possible terms:
I need a template that allows me to have all of the same physical page characteristics (font, sizing, spacing, tabs, page layout, left-right gutters and whatever else I do not see) as my existing novels, unnumbered pages until the second page of the Prologue or first chapter (where I can choose that number!) and an easy way to continue that trend (unnumbered first pages of new chapters, next numbered page continuing the numbering when they pop back up, occasional blank/unnumbered pages for section breaks).
That’s it. Once I have that, I just need that to work - i.e. only putting in blank pages where I want them, not reformatting upon saves/opens (which shouldn’t be an issue with working in ODT format)…
I am VERY appreciative of the people who have popped in on this post to help. I’m frustrated because, as you noted, “conversions” seldom are seamless.
Thanks again for the help!
The file I posted earlier today (the proper ODT version of what I am making for a template) is my attempt to build a “pure” ODF structure. It seemed to be going okay for what I needed until I tried to apply a page number… when that happened, the weird, left/right, even/odd page style change occurred and I haven’t found how to fix that and move on.
Hi. A few questions
- What is the Section? It’s that to divide the book into, say three parts, each with its own chapters? If so, does page numbering continue? Will it have a name or just a number. Or is it like Volume where numbering would reset.
- Do you want wider margins on the inside and narrower on the outside so when it is bound, the margins aren’t too near the binding?
- Do you want chapter or section name (or number) in the header as well as the page number? If so, on a right or left page?
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Hi!
Thanks again for the response!
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The sections are, yes, divisions in the book that might require a few unnumbered blank pages (an even blank, a section title page, the back of that page blank as well), then new chapter. Those sections would each have their own chapters and the page numbering would continue in the new chapters.
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No changes to the margins on the left and right; those are all taken care of by my printer. My only issue with the margins is the top margin in my template was altered on one of the two sides (odd numbers, I think) to be lower than it it supposed to be.
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No, just the simple page number in the header. On both left and right pages. I’d like it to be the same text style, too, but I can’t seem to find how to change that…
So I have made changes:
- The underlining of the title on the page with author’s name didn’t cover the entire title in the .docx so it seemed that underlining wasn’t what you wanted so I used a typographical decoration I had made for another project; it could be replaced with a straight line instead
- A Section Title is made by writing the section title in a new paragraph and applying Heading 1 paragraph style (double click the paragraph style in the Sidebar or press Ctrl+1. I have put a placeholder in the first Section Title position.
If you don’t need Sections in a book, then click in the paragraph of the placeholder and apply Heading 2 style (Ctrl+2) to start a first chapter - Chapter headings are made by writing the chapter name in a new paragraph and applying Heading 2 paragraph style (Ctrl+2)
If you don’t need numbered chapters then click Tools > Heading Numbering > Numbering, select Level 2 and set Number to None, delete the stop in the After field. OK.
[Edit]
I forgot to apply the relevant attributes to Heading 2 in sample, now replaced.
TemplateForNovels131154EA.odt (14.4 KB)
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Thank you… Sort of.
Look, I appreciate you trying to help, but:
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You continue to use the old file when you are making alterations,
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You are making needless alterations to the text and format I put into my template, which is not something I want. Everything I had there was what I wanted for the spacing, word placement, etc. I had the problem with page numbers, weird formatting for the even/odd pages, and the header spacing. Nothing else,
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You’re not actually addressing the problem I’m having with page numbers appearing on the second page of the the first chapter…
As such, these are not useful to me. If you wish to continue helping me with the problem, I would welcome you helping with the problem, but please leave the rest of my text alone. I need help with those three specific issues, nothing else. Thank you.
You are trying to format your book using Word methods which hide the power of styles and so appears as barely more than a typewriter.
You just need to write your text and let the styles do the formatting. Body Text is for the main body of the document, Heading 2 for Chapter Headings and Heading 1 for section headings. It is the only way to get consistent formatting and layout.
I reproduced those spacings and placement in the styles, e.g. for Chapter headings, 4 empty paragraphs at 20 pt (but did not allow for 1.15 line spacing) so that should be 92 pt = 3.25 cm. You can correct it by right clicking Heading 2, selecting Edit style and in the tab Indents and Spacing enter 92 pt in the Above paragraph field. OK.
TemplateForNovels131154EA_2.odt (14.4 KB)
Empty paragraphs and spacing with spaces can make inconsistent layout.
They start on the second page and appear on page 3 and onwards until the next Section or Chapter page, isn’t that what you wanted? Or did I misunderstand?
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Your line about “…which hide the power of styles and so appears as barely more than a typewriter.” is exactly right!
That is what I want.
I want my template to be little more than a consistent typewriter page formatted for the style I have declared. I want to be able to use LibreOffice as a simple word processor that I can save and print to PDF when I am done and have my new books look like the ones I have already written and published. I don’t want to have to learn about style and layout, etc. I want consistency and simplicity and I would rather do that manually than with bells and whistles.
I started with what I have for a template with exactly what I wanted in the text areas with three weird problems that had been generated in my attempts to make a template. I appreciate your willingness to try to help, but you keep trying to give me bells, whistles and additional functions - “power” - when what I want is essentially a typewriter program that has consistent margins, the occasional blank page where I want it and page numbers where I want them (numbered the way I’ve said).
Thank you, anyway, for your help. I will take some time to read the “Designing” book you referenced so I’m not wasting anyone’s time anymore.
So here is your mechanical “template”.
TemplateForNovels131154mechanical.odt (13.5 KB)
Every time you want to insert a new “section”
- Click Insert > More Breaks > Manual break and select Section Title page style, OK.
- Add the title and manually format your section title, then press Ctrl+Enter to create a page break
- Press Ctrl+Enter to enter another page break
- Type your manually formatted chapter title, press Enter to start a new line and start typing the body of the document
When you want to start a new chapter
- Click Insert > More Breaks > Manual break and select First Page page style, OK.
- Type your manually formatted chapter title, press Enter to start a new line and start typing the body of the document
Note you can accidentally start your chapter on a left page using this so be on your toes.
Note also that some settings will delete empty paragraphs and tabs at the start and end of paragraphs, see On win11 computer and using newest Writer: Tab disappears
This does not apply to paragraph spacing or correctly made indents
Compare the above steps to the properly styled document:
Every time you want to insert a new “section”
- type the title and press Ctrl+1
When you want to start a new chapter
- Type the title and press Ctrl+2
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Thanks!
I genuinely appreciate all of the time and effort you put into this. Thank you.
This is so close, by the way…
It still did not solve the weird issue with even and odd pages being two different styles, the page numbers only appearing on even numbered pages, and there are also now page numbers on 4 and 6 which shouldn’t have them, but thanks for trying.
I’m going to read the book on this and see how to fix these. Thanks again.
I cannot repair your file:
LO-WRiTER_NTfBs_v0001_irreparable_012732.odt (12.3 KB)
Your file is very poorly formatted, bordering on errors, and completely unformatted. I couldn’t improve anything in it! I can only recommend copying your text section by section and pasting it natively (without formatting) into an acceptably formatted file.
LO-WRiTER_NTfBs_v0002_012929.odt (15.5 KB)
Try this one, for example; the notes and instructions are in German, which shouldn’t be a problem. Your file reveals that you still have a lot to learn to achieve a flexible design, which my file is not, but rather specifically tailored to your requirements.
Note: I was unable to convert your /.docx/ file for editing and formatting in LO-WRitER, I could only read it! Switching from WORD to WRITER requires a completely different workflow than any attempt to edit an existing file in the other program!
Yeah, I had the wrong file there before. The one I just posted is the one I meant to put in. If you’re not able to help, that’s fine, but it does have weird issues that I do not understand… but… at least it is in the proper file format!