# Writers

## About Pandoc Writers

Custom Pandoc Writers, are translators to parse and convert your comic script into new formats. Commonly, the versatile [`.TSV`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab-separated_values) (Tab Separated Value) document.

Tidy and consistently formatted scripts lead to better translations. No matter which writer you use, always prioritize using your **word processor or format's _native formatting styles_** over manually changing font size or bolding. This ensures the parser knows exactly what role every piece of text plays in the comic script.

## Available Writers

My goal is to make (and encourage others to contribute?) multiple Writers to cover the different kinds of ways people format and structure their comic scripts.

### [Ames Guide](../../writers/ames-guide.lua)

The first, and hopefully not last, writer. For those that like to measure twice and cut once.

#### Recommendations

It's inspired by [**Steenz's Standard Comic Script**](https://www.oheysteenz.com/scs-template) and works well with that structure, given that in word processing apps, _you use **document styles** instead of styling the script elements manually line-by line._

Try it with:

- MS Word `.DOCX`
- LibreOffice `.ODT`
- Markdown `.MD`

> [!Info]
> If you're using Google Docs, ensure you're using _styles_ instead of _**manual styling**_. Then, download as one of the above filetypes.

#### Input Requirements

| Element | Notes |
| :- | :- |
| Pages | Must use a consistent heading level. |
| Lettering Sources | Must use a consistent heading level.<br>The name of the heading label `[Character Name]`, `[SFX]`, `[Caption]` becomes the name of the lettering source. |
| Lettering Lines | Should be:<br>• _Automatically_ numbered lists _(**no** manually typing `1.`, `2.`, `3.`),_<br>• block quotes, or paragraphs more indented than previous line; by tab or otherwise. |

#### Available Options

- Select whether the writer should auto-generate sequential page numbers or if it should pull existing page markers from specific headings in your document.
- Define which document Heading Level corresponds to Pages and which level corresponds to Lettering Sources.
- Toggle the insertion of blank rows between pages for clearer separation in the final TSV table.
- You can choose to have the script check for, and remove, duplicate lines.