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Q&A Writing a Non Fiction: Need to Format a Continuous Side Bar

You're working in the wrong programs. I haven't used LibreOffice, but Word is a word processing program. It's not a layout program. Write your stories in Word or whatever. Write them in two sepa...

posted 6y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T12:00:47Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40362
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T10:14:59Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40362
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T10:14:59Z (almost 5 years ago)
You're working in the wrong programs.

I haven't used LibreOffice, but Word is a _word processing_ program. It's not a _layout_ program.

Write your stories in Word or whatever. Write them in two separate documents and use whatever manual note system you prefer to indicate where content has to align. (Word has a Review tab for this, so adding comments throughout will probably be simplest; you can toggle them to be visible or not.)

If you are self-publishing, you then need to lay everything out in a _page layout_ program like InDesign. That's what that kind of program is meant for.

If you are going the traditional publishing route, you just have to explain to the agent(s) you're querying what you intend in terms of layout, and if you get a book deal, it's up to the publisher to lay it out properly.

* * *

On a separate note: I have seen that kind of simultaneous story at least once, maybe twice, and honestly I don't recommend it. It's difficult for the reader. You have to read one column and then _stop the flow of reading_ to read the other column. It's not a great experience. Alternating chapters or sections gets the job done in a more efficient fashion, and then people can flip back and forth if they need to compare events.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-11-26T10:58:46Z (almost 6 years ago)
Original score: 3