Tracking down CluesEtc with a spreadsheet

If you know how to use Excel or you can import an Excel sheet into your spreadsheet program, free downloadable sample spreadsheets are listed at the bottom of this page. You will need to create a "user log in" to see them, this is one of the many privileges of creating a log in! :) See becoming an authenticated user.

These sheets are designed for different levels of skill. If you are able to use the most complex spreadsheet (Template C), it is the best sheet to use because it will save you the most work in the long run. However, Template C requires some skill. If you can’t make this spreadsheet work, go back to Template A or Template B. If you're having difficulty downloading the spreadsheets, go to the CluesEtc forum for troubleshooting advice.

Template A

Has columns for CluesEtcType, CluesEtc Statement, CluesEtcStatus, Text Location, and WhatQuestion does CluesEtc Answer?, and Notes.

This is the simplest spreadsheet. There are no other sheets in the table, so there are no links to other data.

Template B

On the Data sheet, there are columns for CluesEtcType, CluesEtc Statement, CluesEtcStatus, Text Location, and WhatQuestion does CluesEtc Answer?, and Notes.

CluesEtcTypes, CluesEtcStatus and WhatQuestions, are now on the Format sheet, so they can be referenced from the Data sheet (rather than retyped). Because the data are referenced, they're much more consistent, and data entry is faster (therefore more easily and accurately searchable).

Template C

In addition to the features of Template B, this spreadsheet uses two sheets for the data, and therefore, like the data itself, is more truly relational. If you can figure out this spreadsheet, it's the best sheet to use.

On the Clue_Data sheet, there are columns for CluesEtcType, CluesEtc Statement, and WhatQuestion does CluesEtc Answer?, and Notes. On the Status_Data sheet, there are columns for CluesEtc Statement, CluesEtcStatus, Text Location, and Notes.

Like Template B, CluesEtcTypes, CluesEtcStatus and WhatQuestions, are now on the Format sheet, so they can be referenced from the Data sheet (rather than retyped). Because the data are referenced, they're much more consistent, and data entry is faster (therefore more easily and accurately searchable).

Template C will also enable you to easily modify CluesEtc Statements as you go through your manuscript without screwing up all the work you’ve done so far, and it will facilitate some really useful analysis of how your CluesEtc are working.

Step One: Add CluesEtc statements

See Tracking down CluesEtc for a discussion of how to prepare data for use in these spreadsheets.

For Template A and Template B spreadsheets, here's a quick trick. After you have developed a few CluesEtc statements and WhatQuestions, COPY them instead of retyping--this will save on proofing for errors!

For Template C, To reference a CluesEtc statement from the Status_Data sheet, hit "=" (without the quotes) in the destination cell (i.e. where you want the CluesEtc statement to end up), go directly to the Clue_Data sheet and click on the cell with the appropriate CluesEtc statement, and hit enter. Now you have referenced a CluesEtc statement into the status page.

Step Two: Connect CluesEtc statements to other components

In place of typing in CluesEtcTypes, CluesEtcStatus and WhatQuestions, you will see a small grey down arrow at the edge of the field. Always select what data to enter from the box which will appear when the grey down arrow is clicked. If you have more things to add to these lists, they can be added on the Format page. A caveat: if you need to enter MANY more items onto the Format page, insert new rows in the MIDDLE of existing fields so the new data will be automatically included in valid data.

Step Three: Save your data

Data can be sorted. But before you start, it’s always a good idea to save your spreadsheet before do something you’ve never done before.

Step Four: Select the relevant data

Next, you need to select or mark the data in some way. Because there are many different spreadsheet programs and different versions of those programs, it’s not possible to give you specific instructions about how to do this.

Usually selecting data can be done by click (in the highest, left-most cell) and drag (to the lowest, right-most cell) which marks every row and every column where you’ve filled in data. Sometimes selecting data can also be done by clicking in the space which is the intersection of the row headers and column headers. If you've been successful, selected text is usually highlighted or marked in some way.

Step Five: Sort the data

With your selection marked, find a Data tab in the menu structure of the spreadsheet which enables you to select a Sort function. Often you can sort by multiple columns. In this way you can group all clues together with other clues of the same type, group all items belonging to one specific CluesEtc together so you can see the progression of the clue in the story.

Step Six: Analyse the data

Now, you analyse what you've got! For a discussion of what can be done with the data, go to the CluesEtc forum.