Editting our Fine Filth (erotic lituriture)

I do not know about you but due to economic conditions, I have to edit my stories from the site down to some thing more manageable.
There is nothing more absurd than a 170 page collection of smut that I have downloaded from the site, (all of the serial stories that I have become addicted to over the last 4-5 years) I have to bring that page count down to something that will not burn all my paper and toner up in smoke.
I Edit. I do not edit content but I do edit format.
I can bring a 122 page document to a mere 50-60 pages.

I assume that must of you also print out the fine erotica from the library also. I just wanted to share some of my meager tips.

They may already be known to some of you. Maybe you may share some of your own.

I use word 2000 and use the find and replace function allot

The first thing that I do is save the documents onto the hd of the computer that I am using.
I will then use word to open one of the documents and insert all that I have downloaded , usually 5-6 stories.
At times this can be up to hundred pages or so.
First thing I do is an "alt A" to select the entire document, then I will change the font to something readable Times roman or the like.
then I will drop the point size down to say 9 points.
Then the fun starts.
I am a bit dyslectics as you can see from my inability to spell or punctuate. so this may drive some of you bizerk grammatically.
I use a ^p in the find and add a space to the replace then I have it replace all.
Yes, you guessed it. It turns the hole document into one giant paragraph.
That ought to drive you grammer lords nuts.
But it will drop the page counts down considerable.
The next thing that I will do is find and replace Tabs.
This is the ^t with no added space. Some authers use them some just use the space bar.

The next thing is search for extra spaces
I use find and replace for that too.
I use about 4 spaces in the find and only one in the replace.
do that as many times as you like until the document is one big paragraph.
Then change the view in word to print layout.
Change the borders to about half inch on the sides and about an inch top and bottom.
Then do another alt A to select all and change collums to 2.
and there you have it.
a 100 page document down to 48 pages.
very readable even if it breaks every grammer rule in the book.
That and some carefull tweaking in the page setup settings in your printer you can conseve paper and toner/inkjet cartrige's.

I hope this helps I know that it cost me $53 bucks every time I have to replace my toner cartrige to most of you that is just chump change but to me it is allot of money.

The goal here was not to print out a proffesionly pollished pice
but to just get it in a state that is good enough to read and then you can toss it out if you wish.

I know that allot of you will hate the idea of this but maybe it might help some of you anyone have any tips ?

Good idea, and not just for smut. Your eyes must be younger than mine, though, 9 pt is too small for me!

You can get nearly as much space saving without losing paragraphs (assuming the author left a blank line between them) if you use an intermediate code for paragraph breaks. For example:

Change all ^p^p and ^p ^p (that's ^p^p with a space after the first p) to <> or any other character(s) that do not appear in the text.

Then change all remaining ^p to a space, change <> (or whatever) back to ^p^p (no spaces) and continue as you suggest. Sometimes there are multiple ^p's in a row, so you may want to change ^p^p^p to ^p^p at the end.

Hmmm ... your method of reducing the size of the story causes some concern. In some ways, you are arbitrarily revising the author's style ... Would you do this to Kurt Vonnegut or correct e e cumming's punctuation?

Many writers use paragraphing and spacing as part of a writing style, and the method you suggest to 'reduce space' may interefere with their intent.

If you are using Word 2000, your computer may have a CD burner as part of its features. CD's are quite inexpensive, and you could store the entire bdsmlibrary contents on a handful of cds. If you don't have one, I suggest seeing what Best Buy or some other electronics store in your area has in its clearance section - I picked up an 8x Iomega Zip CD-RW for a mere $50 CDN ... It works just the same as the newer expensive models, it just takes a minute or two longer.

Or, You could use WinZip to compress the files and store them on floppy disks.

Or, if you are determined to print the stories out, use a 9 or 10 point Times or some other serif font - easier to read than a sans serif font - print on both sides of the paper, and eliminate the spaces between paragraphs where it is obviously not part of the writing style.

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Originally posted by Fox
Hmmm ... your method of reducing the size of the story causes some concern. In some ways, you are arbitrarily revising the author's style ... Would you do this to Kurt Vonnegut or correct e e cumming's punctuation?

Many writers use paragraphing and spacing as part of a writing style, and the method you suggest to 'reduce space' may interefere with their intent.

If you are using Word 2000, your computer may have a CD burner as part of its features. CD's are quite inexpensive, and you could store the entire bdsmlibrary contents on a handful of cds. If you don't have one, I suggest seeing what Best Buy or some other electronics store in your area has in its clearance section - I picked up an 8x Iomega Zip CD-RW for a mere $50 CDN ... It works just the same as the newer expensive models, it just takes a minute or two longer.
I have a cdr and I do use them.

Or, You could use WinZip to compress the files and store them on floppy disks.

Or, if you are determined to print the stories out, use a 9 or 10 point Times or some other serif font - easier to read than a sans serif font - print on both sides of the paper, and eliminate the spaces between paragraphs where it is obviously not part of the writing style.

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No and I would not draw a beard on a Mona-lisa eather.
I am not changing the original file only the output to the printer

Or, if you are determined to print the stories out, use a 9 or 10 point Times or some other serif font - easier to read than a sans serif font - print on both sides of the paper, and eliminate the spaces between paragraphs where it is obviously not part of the writing style.

Agreed
But my printer is very tempermental, mostly mental.
even when I print out a small file 40 to 50 pages it likes to jam "grabbing clumps of paper at a time. Yes I should go out and buy a new printer. Sorry too broke at the moment.
and yes I fan the paper dosnt help it needs new paper feed rollers. Laserjet 6lsi very comon problem with the printer.

First of all I concide that I am altering the style of the story.
Not the content. my goal is not to save space on my computer.
I have over 200 gb left free on my drive array.
My goal is not to wast paper and toner by printing out 8 storys at a time off the site to the tune of 170 pages.
When I can print out the same 8 storys in about 60 page's.

Also I do not delete the storys they are still in the orginal file format as the auther subbmited.
It is only the printed output that I change so I can read the storys. So I can get my fix on capturing carol / spread em and the like.

I was just posting to see what other's may be doing,
I hope they are not just reading off the screen. That will give you a headache real fast.

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Originally posted by bbeale7
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I was just posting to see what other's may be doing,
I hope they are not just reading off the screen. That will give you a headache real fast.

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Interesting. I've never printed a story out -- not even one of my own. I write 'em, edit 'em, 'read em and review 'em all using only the screen.

I sit in front of a computer screen all day doing my real job and I guess I've just gotten used to reading that way.

How do the rest of you folks do it? Read, I mean. ;-)

Another nice bit of artwork there, Mr Beale

Boccaccio

Two answers.

I read material I find online, online. I only print online material that I expect to use in some way. Example: several people have posted helpful articles intended to help writers write better. Those that seem helpful wind up on paper.

I read material I'm working on online until I get confused. Unfortunately, that happens quite easily, so my own work gets printed repeatedly until I figure out what I've done, whether the organization makes sense, etc. Once I'm past that point, its all online again.

I unfortunatly have to use the ole 56k modem.
dont have the budget or the time for the cable modem.
I am on the road most of the day.

Thanks for the tips though I like the multiple ^p did not think of that cool will have to try it.

I never print anything out either.

I transfer with a USB cable to my Itty Bitty Vaio notebook and read it in 20pt Arial.

Paper would get really costly if I printed all this stuff out.

I don't even own a printer, giggles so I guess that solves that problem.

giggles

nice pics again beale ;)

veru :)

Im the only one that like's to read the old fasioned way paper.
intersting.

ok no problem, I But i have a modem and though I have a call plan and a local number for my netzero account and technicly I could leave the conection on for extreemly extended hours I still have this thing where i feel guilty if im on for more than a hour at a time.
can see if one has broadband and the internet connetion is on 24/7 then yes reading via display is good I guess.
or you could download the storys then read them off line duh, I can be so dence some times.
sorry not thinking

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Originally posted by castle2001
I never print anything out either.

I transfer with a USB cable to my Itty Bitty Vaio notebook and read it in 20pt Arial.

Paper would get really costly if I printed all this stuff out.

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I have always wanted a handheld pda like a palm or a wince device like a ipaq. just could not swallow the $600 doller entrence fee.

could a palm handle a 170k document or documents?
I think the Ipaq can.
how many storys can it hold at any one time?

On the used market there are some small notebooks available for $400-600. Fast processors and large storage are not needed. Text files are extremely efficient. Pictures and sound are the only reasons you need heavy metal,

The small screens are still much larger than the PDA's. 20 pt type on a PDA would mean one sentence per page.

Two of the best are Sony's. The 1999 models were lovely & small. One has a built in camera. Mine is a PCG-N505VE.
8 X 10 X .78 inches and only 2.7 Lbs.

At the start I used Serial cables to transfer the files. Now I use USB cable.
Very fast.

out side my meager budget.

but thanks

I usually read the stuff off my computer screen as well. If I really want to print something (occasionally, when reading the longer stories like Jade Pavilion, Dark Love, and what not) I reduce the font size, print on both side of the paper... and... um... I do it at work, using the company's office supplies. :D

And I agree with the lovely veru, the pics are lovely bbeale7. Especially the brunette holding her stockings up. *purr*

The pictures are amazing! The brunette holding her stockings up looks like the singer Alannah Miles.

The later picture, with the girl on her stomach, with her legs tied to the cross bars, is giving me some bad, bad ideas ... I guess that would really hurt your back after a while, wouldn't it? With the up and down bar rubbing up against someone's clit, it might be hard to wait for permission to come ... If the arms were restrained some other way, it might be an interesting position to be spanked in ...

I'm just saying ... hmmm

Amanda

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Originally posted by LadyAmanda
With the up and down bar rubbing up against someone's clit, it might be hard to wait for permission to come ...

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Oh! *hold my legs tightly together* That would be awful/ wonderful/ terrible/ fantastic!

the picture of the girl on her boobs is an ashly image.
There is a series of them. I like them too.

I read on-line, too, but have a problem similar to Mobius'. I don't get headaches, but my eyes dry out and hurt. I'm more than arm's length from the screen, my set-up is ergonomically correct, my lambda is way down (I hope that's the right word -- I mean the screen is relatively dim and the contrast is at maximum). To alleviate the problem, I have all the lights in the room turned on and I'm wearing polarized UVA/UVB sunglasses. It helps, but I've still got to remember to blink a lot.

Note to self: Buy stock in Visine

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It helps, but I've still got to remember to blink a lot

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Hmmm, and I thought the idea here was to submit stories that kept the reader's eyes wide, glazed over with lust, while his/her hand slowly creeps down to the crotch of his/her jeans. There is the soft hiss of a zipper sliding south, and a gentle moan as the wandering hand ...

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I'm more than arm's length from the screen

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That's good, I wouldn't want you knocking over the cpu in your urgent desire to "review" the story

:cool:

kittenfemme: my opthamologist recommends HypoTears, much better for long term use.

Now I feel like Rodney Dangerfield and Bruce Boxer -- no respect and damn little sympathy!

Don't worry, Fox. For you I'll keep it zipped.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Fox
Hmmm, and I thought the idea here was to submit stories that kept the reader's eyes wide, glazed over with lust, while his/her hand slowly creeps down to the crotch of his/her jeans. There is the soft hiss of a zipper sliding south, and a gentle moan as the wandering hand ...

That's good, I wouldn't want you knocking over the cpu in your urgent desire to "review" the story
:cool:

kittenfemme: my opthamologist recommends HypoTears, much better for long term use.

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Printed material is more comfortable to lay down with than a cpu!
Note to self: buy stock in Visine AND HypoTears

*giggles* Too cute cyndylu.