"Ready to Edit" MW Status tag needed?

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carteki
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Post by carteki »

I'm involved in a couple of dramatic reads (which are quite popular!) and I wonder if there isn't need for a "read to Edit" tag on the MW that will allow editors to easily see which chapters are ready for editing. This could also then flow through to the summary page that exists for PL's as to the status of each chapter.
You thoughts?
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Post by Availle »

First and foremost: We cannot change anything on the code anyway for the time being.

Also, since this is applicable only for dramatic works, which are comparatively rare (1 forum page vs. more than 10 for the other group and solo projects), it's maybe not really needed. Besides, many dramas and DR's have editors lined up from the start, so they should kinda sorta know when stuff is ready for edit.

I can see that this is a bit annoying if you just want to help out with editing. However, for something that is an enormous amount of work, please do ask in thread if and where is your help needed before doing "drive-by-editing". Even though we do not encourage it, there may be stuff going on in pm's that does not make it into the thread, so you may be duplicated somebody else's work here.


Having said this, admins are just discussing a new tag for the subject line in the dramatic works forum, so that people can see the status of a given dramatic project more easily. We were thinking of the status [OPEN] [FULL] [EDIT], the latter one for works that have been fully read and PL'ed, and are in the stages of final editing.
Cheers, Ava.
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TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

I've seen some DW BCs put Ready to edit in the notes field of chapters/acts. That's at least partly helpful. :) Here's the html:
<font color="blue"><b>Ready to edit</b></font>

(You can change the color name for a different color.)
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carteki
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Post by carteki »

TriciaG wrote:I've seen some DW BCs put Ready to edit in the notes field of chapters/acts. That's at least partly helpful. :) Here's the html:
<font color="blue"><b>Ready to edit</b></font>

(You can change the color name for a different color.)
Thanks Tricia, It was seeing BC's doing this that gave me the idea for asking the question.
Availle wrote: Having said this, admins are just discussing a new tag for the subject line in the dramatic works forum, so that people can see the status of a given dramatic project more easily. We were thinking of the status [OPEN] [FULL] [EDIT], the latter one for works that have been fully read and PL'ed, and are in the stages of final editing.
My 2c ... I'm not sure that the [EDIT] tag would add any value as hopefully the editing is done along the way as the chapters are finished.

Kim
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Post by RuthieG »

No, perhaps not, but it can't do any harm. The system seems to work OK as it is, providing the BC has it all under control.

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Post by Availle »

carteki wrote:
Availle wrote: Having said this, admins are just discussing a new tag for the subject line in the dramatic works forum, so that people can see the status of a given dramatic project more easily. We were thinking of the status [OPEN] [FULL] [EDIT], the latter one for works that have been fully read and PL'ed, and are in the stages of final editing.
My 2c ... I'm not sure that the [EDIT] tag would add any value as hopefully the editing is done along the way as the chapters are finished.
I would sincerely hope that nobody starts editing until ALL parts of any given role are in. While it is certainly annoying having to orphan a half-completed role (it has happened), it is worse having to redo all the finished chapters affected by this... :shock:
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MaryAnnSpiegel
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Post by MaryAnnSpiegel »

The reality is that people DO start editing before all the parts of a given role are in, especially for the main characters and the narrators as those can sometimes take quite a while to record.

I know it does happen that sometimes a part must be orphaned when it is partially done, but it doesn't seem to happen often and it doesn't always mean that the sections already in on that part are thrown out. I read for a DR where the narrator switched halfway through. On balance, I think the risk is low enough that an editor can start work as soon as they want to and approach it however they feel is most efficient given their work style.

I have also seen BCs use the "ready to edit" tag in the notes field of the MW once all the parts are in for that chapter. I've seen others list each of the characters required for a given chapter in the notes field for that chapter, bolding the name once the part file is submitted. That is a bit of extra work on the BC's part, but it does show quickly which parts are still missing for a given chapter. As I recall, the BC then added the "ready to edit" tag after the list of character names once all the parts were in. I liked the list of character names because it helps me verify during cataloging that the readers to be listed in the catalog for that chapter was correct. Nice to have, but not necessary.

M.A.
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Post by SweetPea »

MaryAnnSpiegel wrote:The reality is that people DO start editing before all the parts of a given role are in, especially for the main characters and the narrators as those can sometimes take quite a while to record.
Yes, I do that, unless the reader hasn't been around for a while and I think I might have to orphan it. It has happened a couple times in my experience when the narrator dropped out for whatever reason and I had to re-edit a few chapters. In one case she didn't want any of her files used for the project, and in the other case all the files but one had PL notes that needed re-recording and he didn't have time to fix them, and we decided that it would sound better to have one narrator for the whole book than one for the first chapter and one for the rest. It doesn't happen often with narration, though - mist of the time if a narrator isn't able to finish someone else can pick up where they left off. That doesn't really work with parts, but they're smaller so easier to re-edit, and in my experience it's rare for someone to drop out or disappear once the part is partly finished.
I know it does happen that sometimes a part must be orphaned when it is partially done, but it doesn't seem to happen often and it doesn't always mean that the sections already in on that part are thrown out. I read for a DR where the narrator switched halfway through. On balance, I think the risk is low enough that an editor can start work as soon as they want to and approach it however they feel is most efficient given their work style.
I agree. Especially with a narrator, it can work all right to have someone else take over partway through (I've read for a couple of projects where that happened.) And I don't think it happens often that a reader disappears after submitting some of the role - mostly they disappear before they've started on it. It's happened to me a couple of times (I'm not talking about the other two times when my narrator dropped out), but in both cases I hadn't started editing because I noticed that they hadn't been around in a while, so I PM'ed them and decided to wait for a response before I used any of their files. (I didn't get a response.)
I have also seen BCs use the "ready to edit" tag in the notes field of the MW once all the parts are in for that chapter. I've seen others list each of the characters required for a given chapter in the notes field for that chapter, bolding the name once the part file is submitted. That is a bit of extra work on the BC's part, but it does show quickly which parts are still missing for a given chapter. As I recall, the BC then added the "ready to edit" tag after the list of character names once all the parts were in. I liked the list of character names because it helps me verify during cataloging that the readers to be listed in the catalog for that chapter was correct. Nice to have, but not necessary.

M.A.
I do both of these. I find it really helpful both for me as BC and editor, and for me as reader when others do it. :)

One little thing that I find annoying (but I know there isn't much we can do about it, and it isn't a big deal) is that the chapters I am supposed to edit show up on my reader section details page saying that I need to record them. When I go to that page, I have to sort through which sections are my reading assignments and which are my editing assignments. I know it isn't a big deal, but I love lists and it drives me slightly crazy seeing all the chapters it says I need to record which I don't really :lol: That's all. :)

My personal opinion is that an [EDIT] tag wouldn't help much, but I don't think it would do any harm and some people might like it. :)

Rachel :D
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Post by AdeledePignerolles »

I think an edit tag would drive me crazy, because I never look at that section of the MW anyway and I'd always be forgetting to change it. :) I haven't had to re-edit something because I lost the part, although I've been in danger of it several times. What I like to do is have a word doc on my computer for my DRs with each chapter, what parts are left to be claimed for each chapter, and whether it's ready to edit or not. I make a table and then highlight each section like it gets highlighted in the MW. It's almost like a mini MW for myself, but that way I don't have to scroll through the MW and it doesn't have all the sections for each chapter. I can also highlight sections that are ready to be edit so I can tell at a glance what's ready to edit, what's waiting for PL, and what sections I still need. :D
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carteki
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Post by carteki »

AdeledePignerolles wrote:. What I like to do is have a word doc on my computer for my DRs with each chapter, what parts are left to be claimed for each chapter, and whether it's ready to edit or not. I make a table and then highlight each section like it gets highlighted in the MW. It's almost like a mini MW for myself, but that way I don't have to scroll through the MW and it doesn't have all the sections for each chapter. I can also highlight sections that are ready to be edit so I can tell at a glance what's ready to edit, what's waiting for PL, and what sections I still need. :D
I copy the MW into excel (ctrl-a; ctrl-c in the MW; ctrl-v in excel) and then use the filter function to see what needs doing as working in the MW is difficult. Yes, it means the excel doc isn't updated, but the copy and pasting is easy and there is only one version... The MW!
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Post by ToddHW »

What I have been doing - for plays but I think it applies to the much longer DRs as well - is to continuously drag all the complete and PL'd parts down to the bottom of the MW with the sections that will hold the assembled Acts (Chapter). That way if there is any part for a given act still in the MW above all this collected stuff then I know that an act is not ready yet. I originally did this rearranging so that the open parts in a play would all be at the top of the MW and hence more obvious to anyone trolling through the forum looking for parts to read. But the consolidation of completed parts at the bottom also tells me when I can start to edit.

I also try to Edit very quickly once parts are in so that it would hardly be worthwhile to change a project from [FULL] status to [EDIT] before going to [COMPLETE].

Sometimes I get antsy and will edit even without all the parts in, and then use the Audacity label function to indicate where the holes are for the remaining parts. In fact I actually used to take the scripts and prepare a set of time-sequenced "cues" - character name and first couple words in each line - to import into Audacity using its "Import Labels" function that automatically indicated where all parts in a play fit in, and then I would add each reader one-by-one into place while doing the PL of their parts. as they were submitted. Lot of work but not hard to do as it was spread out over time depending on when parts came in. Eventually I got to the point where my head does not explode with having all the many reader files for an act open at the same time as I cut and paste everything together in the master file in one very long binge editing session, but I always feel like this is a tightrope act and I'll lose my place and everything and have to start over if Audacity locks up or the power goes out or my computer crashes (which haven't happened in years, knock on wood).

Thanks, Todd
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Post by carteki »

Thanks Todd. I use the label function when editing - esp when there is a small piece missing. I find however that the label doesn't "move" with the track - so that its close by, but not at the actual spot. How do you deal with that?
Thanks
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Post by dlolso21 »

Kim,

The labels are draggable. Click on the vertical line, hold and drag to either the right or left.

David O
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Post by ToddHW »

There is a "synchronize" button in Audacity. In my version 1.3 it is an icon that looks like a small pocket watch up in the top bar near some cut and past icons and zoom icons. You can also find the "Sync-Lock Tracks" command under the "Tracks" command tab. When you press that button, it locks labels and tracks together; I have it set as my default. This way if you edit something into or out of a track, the labels will move and stay aligned with it

Also useful for locking multiple tracks together, such as when combining voices for a chorus, crowd scene, or something like that.

Thanks, Todd
carteki
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Post by carteki »

Thanks Todd - I'll remember that in future :)
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