Proper noun handling

[cengels]

When writing a story, it is inevitable to make use of proper nouns, i.e. names, often of imaginary things, places, and people.

This proposal discusses whether and in what form these names should receive special handling in Skywriter.

Spellcheck

In order to not be falsely highlighted by the spellcheck feature, names must be ignored by the spellcheck. Users must therefore already add these names to Skywriter's internal data in some way, making further special handling relatively easy.

Instead of a simple "add word to dictionary" option, it may be preferable to offer a dedicated "add as name" (or categorized, e.g. "add as place", "add as character", "add as thing") option. This way the proper noun can be distinguished from potential false positives or unknown (but correct) words.

Overview

Skywriter may offer a dedicated menu which shows all the characters, places, and things the user has defined as well as offering the ability to modify or delete any of those entries. The actual user value is debatable, however.

Chapter assignment

Skywriter may offer a feature whereby characters, places, and things can be added to chapters or scenes while writing. This would offer the opportunity to show a more useful and coherent overview of which characters, places, and things appear in which chapters/scenes.

Another possibility is showing an unobtrusive overlay while writing with thumbnails (like portraits) of the characters, places, and things that show up in this scene. This way, if the user struggles to remember which characters appear in the scene, they can use this as a reference.