![]() Before I start any new revision I always do a ‘save as’ under a new name and archive the old file just in case I later decide I need to return to it. Finding things isn’t difficult because I’m using MSWord and I just do a search for a particular word or phrase with the ‘find’ option. Since then my novels have always been in one file. Fortunately it wasn’t too long before I realized that wasn’t the way an agent or editor would want to receive it, and I quickly copied each file into one main document. My earliest not-exactly-a-memoir was done in several separate files, one for each chapter. Wouldn’t it be great if we could hand our ms to some kind-hearted elf (like the shoemaker did) and find it all ready to go in the morning? Your last sentence made me giggle, despite being crossed out. How do you keep track of your story? Do you have everything in one large file, or do you have a different, easier method? If it’s all in one file, how do you find what you are looking for? Do you keep all your revisions until the book is done, or delete the earlier ones once you’ve made several major revisions? Would you like to fix my novel? Besides covering the format for paper submissions for novels, short stories, articles, and contest submissions, Moira Allen also goes over how to format a manuscript for submission via email. Take a look:ĮDIT 10-6-09: I found another good site. Holly Lisle’s advice includes how to handle a title page, and when it is needed. Sample Manuscript (includes title page and prologue), by William ShunnĮDIT 9-23-09: Today I found another excellent site that explains formatting for novels and short works very clearly. Preparing Your Manuscript, by Charlotte Dillon If you’re interested in this, check these out.Įdit 2/29/12: If I had realized when I wrote this post that it would consistently be the most visited post on my blog, I would have spent more time explaining what to do instead of talking about how I messed up my first draft! If you don’t see what you need to know about formatting in the links I’ve listed, let me know and I’ll try to answer your question.īasic Manuscript Formatting, by Kaye Dacus:įormatting a Novel in Word 2007, by Catherine Chant:įormat Tips for Queries, the Synopsis, and Manuscript, by Agent Query staff They do it so well that I’m not even going to attempt to summarize. The following sites explain the nitty-gritty details of formatting a novel. (It’s much easier to do it the right way in the first draft than to change it later.) Good thing I’m revising the whole thing anyway. While I may sound lazy, it’s actually a matter of preference-I preferred to do it my way and figure out the right way later. This came about because when I put each chapter in a separate file, and then made revisions which changed the chapter numbers, and then put the revised chapters into separate files, I ended up confused. (Do not do that!) I had no idea how to keep the chapters starting on a new page, so I just let them go where they wanted. ![]() My entire manuscript is currently in block paragraphs, single spaced, with no headers. I’ve read the general guidelines for the proper format of a novel several times before, but somehow I didn’t let it sink in. Now that the rough draft of my novel is complete, I decided to get it ready, technically, so that when I finish my revisions it will be polished and professional looking.
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