Faster! Faster! Fastest Page-Display Wizard!

1. Put Pointer on Link 2. Click Right Mouse Button 3. Open in new Tab



Repeat until desired Tabs are at top of Screen



Hover over Tab. Click it! Whiz to selected Page!

BEHIND THESE MOUNTAINS VOL. I

Sunday

1-4 Let Clip and Save = Efficient Writing

(c) Mona Leeson Vanek

This is not advice about software programs used to organize big writing projects such as novels. To learn about what's used for big writing projects, like novels, many writers rely on software programs. Explore them here, http://www.literatureandlatte.com/links.html. Read more about each program by checking them out at http://www.wikipedia.org./

However, for articles and such, you can easily minimize Internet research time and maximize writing time. All you need do is toggle between programs, clip and save, file methodically, and quickly retrieve data as needed. Here's how to Clip & Save your research.

Copy material on the Internet and paste it into your file-message.

Copy and Paste are actions done when you Right mouse button, and select from the drop down list by moving your pointer to the one you want and clicking the Left button.

1.) Start your e-mail program and send it to the taskbar by clicking your mouse on the "-" sign at the top right hand corner of your screen. Open your Internet browser program. To move back and forth between these two programs as you copy and save research material.
  • Toggle will mean to click on the e-mail icon in your task bar.  
  • Until you close your e-mail program, Toggle will return you to the open message you left. 
2.) With your Internet browser open (on top), Toggle e-mail.
  • Press "ctrl n" to create a file-message. Later, it will become a mailbox folder.
  • Type your research project name into the To: line. This identifies the project.
  • Use the Subject: line to elaborate on message contents.

3.) Toggle. The "http" line at the top of your browser screen is the URL (what got you to this web page, either because you typed it there, or you clicked on it's link somewhere.) 
  • Click mouse pointer on URL to highlight it.
  • Right click (opens the drop-down list.
  • Click "Copy." This places an invisible copy on your Clipboard, ready to be pasted wherever you want it.
4.) To save what you just copied
  • Toggle the e-mail icon
  • Right click mouse pointer inside the new message, and then click "Paste" from the drop down list. Anything you copy can be pasted where you want to save it.

Every time you insert material into your file-message, press "ctrl s" to save all that you've collected, in case the power goes off unexpectedly shutting the computer down, or some other computer crash happens. (When you close your e-mail file-message it goes into your OUT mailbox (or Draft, or whichever folder (mailbox), depending on your e-mail program, where it remains, ready to be reopened and added to. If using your word processor, save the named document after each insertion.)

5.) Toggle, and on the web page, look for the Site Map.

Not all web pages will have a site map, but it's very useful. It's often a link on the Home page, usually either near the top of the page or near the bottom. If you don't see it, try pressing ctrl f to open your computer's Find function, where you type 'Site Map.' Also, ctrl End will quickly get you to the bottom of the page, where you may find who owns the site.

6.) Locate the web page owner's name, and highlight (by holding down left mouse key while scrolling) and Right click. Choose "copy". Finding the owner often takes persistent searching, and not all sites list the owner. Sometimes it's a corporation. Check also in "About Us" and "Contact Us" (where you might also find the president or CEO's name), or in the Copyright information, which is also usually at the page bottom.

7.) Toggle, and in file-message, Right click and "paste" the owner's name.

8.) Toggle, and find out how to contact the web page owner. Save the contact information in your e-mail message. Include an e-mail address and a phone number (if available) in case you need to get in touch at some later date. Even if you aren't sure you have the right e-mail address, someone will generally reply to your e-mail.

Some editors only require citing your source URL, however many editors expect you to obtain permission to cite material from a web site.

If there's a contact's link, often the address will be automatically inserted into a new message in your e-mail program. Copy and save it. Other times, an on-line reply form will open. Save a copy of the web page URL in your file-message in case you want to use that form later.

When you send a message via an on-line form, it disappears, so when you contact a web site owner using the online form, before sending (or submitting) ALWAYS create a copy of the message you type ("ctrl a" inside of the online message box to highlight all, and then "ctrl c" to copy.) Paste ("ctrl v") your copy into your file-message.)

9.) As you explore the links on the web page and highlight, copy and save the snippets you'll use later when you flesh out your article or story, remember to also save the URL from every new page you gather data from.

Also check for a "last updated" note. Many pages were last updated years ago, and few say when, but if you find a recent update note it's a much more valuable resource. More and more editors will accept only recently published online citations.

When finished, the important information you need to cite your facts will be readily available when needed -- in the e-mail folder (mailbox) you create to store them.

10.) Close the file-message. It's now ready to Transfer.

11.) If you haven't attempted to create new mailboxes, the process is similar to saving word document files, and your e-mail program Help file will walk you through it. (*See Step 3.)

While you're searching online, you may find information for a different article. Save it into a new e-mail message message.

CONTROL KEY FUNCTIONS:
In many software programs, keyboarding is supported. In other words, when you press a combination of the control (ctrl) key simultaneously with another key a function is available:

Ctrl while rolling your mouse over a line (or picture) highlights it.
ctrl c = COPY, whatever is highlighted
ctrl v = PASTE, whatever you have copied.
ctrl f = SEARCH, opens a box with a line where you type the number, symbol, letter, word or words you want to find quickly.
ctrl a = HIGHLIGHTS, the entire open file. Highlighted material can then be copied, deleted or moved to somewhere else within the document.

If you accidentally delete something (and you will!) ctrl v should paste it back! IF ctrl v does not, then use ctrl z.

ctrl z = UNDO, last typing (ie: like if you've deleted something and decide you want it back, pressing ctrl z will return it to wherever it was.)
ctrl o = OPENS, Offers you a box showing all the files in your computer from which you can choose the one you want to open.)
ctrl p = PRINT, the file (message) that is currently open.
ctrl s = SAVES, the current message, and keeps it open so you can continue typing into it.
ctrl w = CLOSE, messages, mailboxes, documents, and some programs, such as Internet Explorer, etc.
ctrl e = SEND, messages. (Send is immediate IF you are connected on-line, otherwise you'll get a 'can't send' message.)
ctrl d = DUMP, messages into your trash mailbox.
ctrl l = OPEN ADDRESS BOOK
ctrl k = COPY, highlighted message sender's ADDRESS INTO ADDRESS BOOK
ctrl 6 = will start a spell-check on words in the open message. (you chose what you want to do about them and cancel out of the spell-checker at anytime.)
ctrl works with home and end keys, too. They are useful ways to speed moving around in the open file and can save you lots of time.
ctrl tab = toggle between open pages.
ctrl p = print and save this so you can refer to it anytime!
ctrl q = QUITS, a program (exits the program and the message will be gone, gone, gone, as in erased and gone forever! It's as final as putting your mouse pointer on the little "x" in the top corner to EXIT.

DO NOT QUIT or EXIT documents you've written without first using ctrl s to save, or ctrl w to close and save the current message you're typing, or ctrl e to send it.

Next: 1-5 Let Filing Methodically = Efficient Writing: http://tinyurl.com/2dtx7cp

Chapter 1: http://tinyurl.com/2es3w63

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