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Formatting and Layout

pbwpbw
edited September 2010 in - Writing Problems
Can anyone tell me, please, when you format your manuscript in Microsoft Word, how much space you leave between the end of a chapter and the start of the next? Specifically that is how many lines space until the line that says Chapter [number] and then how much space do you leave between Chapter [number] and Chapter Heading.

In Word I use the Heading 1 for Chapter [number] and then I use Heading 2 for Chapter Heading and that allows me to use Table of Contents to format the listing of Chapters and the page numbers.

I have my line spacing set at 2, so ideally I'd like to know how many times to press the new line key (Enter) to create these spacings.

I have eighty six thousand words now and I feel the structure is complete and the plot threads are all consistent. I shall put the manuscript away again for a few weeks and I hope it won't need any more major revisions but you never know. I would like to have a consistent layout throughout the whole document but I'm not quite sure what the norms are.

Comments

  • Idon't think there is any particular rule on the space between Ch number and first line. Take a look in a number of different novels, usually all different. Some start almost halfway down the page Use the show/hide icon to show you consistancy. This also helps with para indentations that should normally be 2 dots in. Others will no doubt throw in their experience.
  • Experience no, but I do know that for spaces between chapters, move down to the next page, then start with the chapter heading halfway down the new page. I hit the return key eight times from the top of the new page at double spacing. Then it's chapter number, 5 spaces, chapter heading in capitals, all on the same line. Double space before typing first line of chapter, with no indent at the start of the chapter. For paragraphing I indent by 0.7cms.

    Now stand back for ten TBers to give you ten variations on this.
  • Dwight, you’re completely wrong…

    I think it will be at least fourteen TBers/variations :D
  • There are god knows how many variations...My experience with agents and publishers is as follows, just to confuse you. Look up an agent or publisher's exact requirements to be sure.

    New chapter = new page. I don't use chapter headings, so can't advise you there.

    Double spacing is correct, and I tab twice to give a nice margin from the chapter to the text of the new chapter. I do the same at the end of transitions (one scene to another). Always indent every paragraph. Agents and publishers are extremely picky. Leave a margin of at least 1"minimum all round so they can make appropriate notes with your manuscript. Number your pages.

    And now I shall move aside for the upteen variations...
  • the first thing is ... email or paper.
    Email, single space, make sure there are either chapter headings or *** breaks to indicate a change.
    Paper (which I refuse to accept, BTW) double space, 1 inch margin all round, header or footer such as
    mystory/davies/page number
    indent all new paragraphs and dialogue five spaces by hitting the TAB key. Ensures continuity.
    (I asked one author to do this, he hits the TAB key and then adds a further two spaces, just to be really, really annoying.)
    If you use chapter headings, you only need a couple of spaces between the end of the chapter before and the new heading. Starting a new page for a new chapter is wasteful, adds to the bulk and postage and is not really necessary.
    is the Table of Contents for you alone? I hope so. You don't need that. I had one author who argued with me about an Index, for a 40,000 word book. He said the reader needed to remember where they were. I said that's why bookmarks were invented.
    Don 't add to your potential reader's problems. They read the covering letter, oh yes he can write. They read the synopsis, oh yes interesting., They do not need a Table of Contents unless it is an academic work and needs to be indexed.
  • Thanks again for that dd. Looks like I'll be making one email submission and two by paper this side of Christmas. The TOC can go, of course it can. I wasn't sure if it was required or not but it has been very useful for me during the editing process. The TAB indent I already use and I use the default margins in Word but I guess I'd better check that they are 1 inch. The information about the footer is useful - always hard to find out what people want.
  • edited September 2010
    TOCs are useful. One of our authors, (who has just submitted his 101st book) sends it complete with TOC, chapter word count, brief outline of characters, etc. but that is more for his benefit than mine, of course! I do know he works precisely to 5,000 - 5,500 word chapters and doesn't vary the length of the books at all. They always fit perfectly into our page count.

    I use that footer as a header mostly, but for current work, single spacing with page numbers is all I do. My editor has paper and an electronic version to work from.

    edit: in case anyone is wondering, I am busy at work, printing 12 books individually. My computer and printer don't always speak to one another, in one 72 page novelette the computer told me 4 times it had failed to print and needed restarting... so I am not able to edit, can't give it the concentration it needs.
  • I also find a TOC useful during editing as Word hyperlinks from it and you can whizz about jumping from chapter to chapter.

    I always thought you had to start a new chapter on a new page - looks like I was wrong!
  • it depends on so many things, Lou. Like, what the publishers want, they should say in their guidelines, but in 30+ years, I have never started a new chapter on a new page. No one has ever complained. I've been accepted enough times now, (12 novels and counting). I*n truth, it has never occurred to me to start a chapter on a ew page. That's their job, when they lay the books out, not mine. My job is to supply the words for the book in the first place.
  • thanks to all for the helpful information. I daresay I can get a reasonable format out of all the tips.
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