One or many documents?

[Dom]

Silly little question...

For novels, do you guys put everything into one document/file, or do you have a new document/file for each part, or chapter, or whatever?

I ask because normally I have 1 document for each chapter, but this one thing I'm working on is 21,000 words long and all in one document (which is unusual for me).  No chapters yet, just scene breaks in the same file.

Just wondering how all of you do it, mainly because this story-without-chapters-yet is really writing itself, and I'm not sure if it's the story, or maybe if my chapters were hindering things in my other work somehow. 

Edit: Adding a poll...

[Kalshane]

I do each chapter as a separate document. No particular reason, just the way I've always done it. Though I have heard that Word gets squirrely once a document starts getting too big.

[Kiriath]

I use different documents for each chapters, a vague chapter summary and character profiles, among other things.

[Valiar Marcus]

... I have heard that Word gets squirrely once a document starts getting too big.

Word's pretty squirrely just on general principles.

[Cathy Clamp]

I do a single document, but that might be because I come from a law background. There is NOTHING so embarrassing as preparing a massive legal agreement just to discover that you "forgot" to insert one section. I've also found it easier to find "consistency" errors when it's all together. A carpet that's red in one chapter can more easily wind up BLUE when they're in different files.

When I start writing each day, I also like to go back and read the previous two chapters to get back into the "flow" of the book, and it would be more difficult if I had to stop and open a new file, or even switch screens. If that makes sense... 

[Kalshane]

I always read the previous days/night's work before I start on the next bit and then re-read the whole previous chapter before starting a new one. Never had a real problem with flow or continuity keeping things separate. (The only real problem I have is keeping track of days of the week within the story sometimes, so I keep a timeline in a separate doc.)

[Richelle Mead]

I write each new chapter in its own file, then bundle them up into sets of five, and eventually make one complete manuscript in one file.  As for Word's goofiness: the first book I ever wrote was a sprawling, crazy 800 page sci-fi epic.  It's so long that Word pops up an error message and refuses to spellcheck it.

[pathele]

I tried the one chapter- one file thing and it just didn't work for me. I found that I kept a better continuity if everything is in one file.  Word does get more flaky than normal with a large file, but then I never trust Word's spell checker or grammer checker, too unreliable.

-paul

[Benchleyfan]

So far I've been doing the separate file for each chapter, but they go into my "writing" folder.  Inside the writing folder there are subfolders.  Subfolder categories: Short stories, poems, novels in progress, etc.  It may not be the right way to go for everyone, but I like it.   

[resurrectedwarrior]

For the first draft of my novel, I used one big file.

For the second draft, I've started using separate files for each chapter. Not sure why. It might have something to do with taking little bits at a time, though. That way, I don't feel overwhelmed working on a huge manuscript. Baby steps=good. 

[terroja]

I have to keep it all in one document, because I'm always scrolling up to make sure I'm not contradicting myself. Plus I tweak too much to go through the trouble of opening separate docs for each chapter.

[ethyachk]

I keep the story in one file, but always have an outline nearby to help both guide and let me go back and find things quickly. I also have another file that's just full of ideas I'm either intending to work into the book or keeping on the back burner for this book or the next one.

Personally, I use Open Office and I've never had a problem with it. I also haven't written an 800 page book, so I haven't tested it quite that thoroughly.

[Darrington]

I can't imagine putting chapters in separate documents, but apparently it works well for some people.   I prefer one long document myself.  It's just so fulfilling to see that page count go up and up...  And I also tend to search through the entire document for little details I can't quite remember, especially with my current writing habits (should they even be considered to exist at the moment).

I know I started having some problems with Word once I reached about the 200-page mark, but I can't quite remember what it was, and which computer it was with.  I despise Word's spell check and grammar check, especially grammar.  I spell check for myself as I type, and heed the squiggly green lines when they come up.  Grammar check is worthless...

[becroberts]

I keep all the chapters in one document, but quite often I'll write an entire scene (usually in script format) while I'm away from my computer and so I have lots of pages lying around with pieces of story until I type them up. My notes, both paper and electronic, also contain snppets of text that eventually make it in to the story.

[Roaram]

I work in paper, then my cowriter types the pages up into a rough draft, then he edits it, and gives me back a revised segment, which I then rewrite on paper, which he then types and edits and so on an so forth. I think I may be one of the last people under the age of 90 that avoids computers at all costs (present submission sent via internet capable cell phone!)