What is the perfect Word Page.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. When I'm starting something new, I just use the Word defaults, and I think for a first draft, just do whatever works best for you. Probably 12-point type, 1.5 or double spaced, in a font that's easy to read (Times or Ariel).

~Erin
New York City Municipal Liaison
Moderator of Romance and Writing 101
Slightly Crazy
See also the (seldom updated) fshk blog

I'm a tad weird about this. Last year, I used Verdana 9-point, since that's what I was used to. At some point between then and now, however, I started using Verdana 7.5-point for everything, so that's what I'll use. So that I can find the breaks I want, however, I'll be putting two linebreaks between each paragraph, and not using tab. And bolding chapter headings. Again, I'm used to that. But what works for me probably wouldn't work for you. xD ..I like the tiny font I use, but I doubt most people would.

NaNo '07 -- Gateways to Haven (Fantasy) - Winner (50k)
NaNo '08 -- In Their Eyes (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) - Winner (85k)
NaNo '08 -- The Angel Experiment (Sci-Fi) - Unfinished (15k)

I tend to like:

Times New Roman, 12pt, single space, 1 inch indent

This is my usual standard for anything I write.

I know it's supposed to be double-spaced, but this is the writting, not the submitting. I like to see a lot of words on the page and it's comfortable for my eyes. Besides, all I have to do to change it to double spacing is change the settings.

Happy noveling!!

2006 (Won) Title: I Can't See Myself! -- SciFi/Fantasy -- invisibility
2007 (Won!) Title: The Amber Pendant -- SciFi/Fantasy -- Time Travel Murder Mystery
2008 (Won!) Title: The Conspiracy Class -- Mainstream/ Thriller -- Conspiracy

A contained sans-serif font 11-12pt (Helvetica, Calibri, Verdana, Arial Narrow, Arial in order of preference) with 1.5 spacing, vertical margins 1" and side margins 1.25". Indentation = 1 inch.

For printing, keep everything the same but simply change to a serif font 10-12pt (Times New Roman, Cambria)

Never use monospaced like Courier; what is supposed to look like typewritten print is an unreadable mess. We have proportional fonts for ease of reading, and there's no stylistic reason that can justify making something harder to read.

@Ikasu: Come Join me at Twitter!

Tahoma, 10pt.

no indentation, 1.0 spacing with an extra line when starting a new paragraph so it looks neater.

chapters begin with a new page and are written in bold, underlined letters.

2006 - Whodunnit?! -- won!
2007 - Ich sehe -- won!
2008 - Letting Go

My favorite writing font used to be Verdana, but I got sick of sans serif and now I love Book Antiqua. I use Book Antiqua, size 11, and standard indents and stuff. Throughout the month I often switch from single spaced to 1.5 spaced to make myself feel better and to trick myself into thinking I wrote a ton more than I did, but that's just me.

I also add an extra space between paragraphs like I just did, and I don't indent every new paragraph. I have no idea if that's correct or not, though.

I do not know beneath what sky nor on what seas shall be thy fate.
I only know it shall be high; I only know it shall be great.

Okay:

Page size: 6.75 x 9 (same as the Harry Potters)

Margins: .5 on left and right, 1.13 on the top and bottom
Line spacing: 1.15
Indent: 1/4 in
Font: Garamond 12pnt
I'm probably not going to do that this year though. lol

Currently suffering from imagination constipation.
NaNoing from FOO!

When typing up rough drafts, I love Courier. I don't find it unreadable at all, and, in fact, find sans-serif fonts to be the most unreadable, because you often cannot tell the difference between capital i and lowercase L. Il.

I usually keep it single spaced and then add an extra space between paragraphs - the way I write here.

When I print it for editing/revising, I switch it to double-spaced, which, I will admit, is annoying. I leave the font as is, to indicate that it is still the rough draft.

That's as far as I've gotten so far, but if I were to print out a final copy, I would switch the font to something like Arrus BT or Book Antiqua, because I think they look more professional.

Banner by August. Thank you!
Don't write badly, write madly

I like Tahoma 11pt or Arial 12pt. Both are easily readable in size and shape.

"This corn is like an angel."

Print layout (100%), Arial 10 pt font.

Double spaced, indented paragraphs.

(Although since I'm writing fan fic, I'll probably do it single spaced, no indents, space between each paragraph, since ff.net likes it that way best lol).

*****
http://arieswriting.livejournal.com

Here's how I do it: 12pt. Times New Roman, double-spaced paragraphs, indent new paragraphs, 1.5 inch left/right margins, 1 inch top/bottom margins, line/section/scene breaks (whatever you want to call them) represented by a centered "* * *" or "#", new chapter started on a new page, halfway down.

"A bibliophile of little means is likely to suffer often. Books don't slip from his hands but fly past him through the air, high as birds, high as prices." --Pablo Neruda

I use anything from Book Antiqua to Goudy Old Style. I'm also partial to High Tower Text and Perpetua. Sydnie, I think it is, is very good for Sci Fi novels. Normally, depending on the font, it's size 11 or 12. I usually do 1.5 spacing and indent every new paragraph. I prefer chapters to start on a blank new page, and there are exactly two spaces between chapter titles and scene changes.

Yes, I'm weird.

-Mai

I usually use Times New Roman 12 pt font. I don't double space while writing. It annoys me to no end. I don't put an extra space between paragraphs. I indent every paragraph. I use three centered *'s for scene breaks. I use default margin settings. I bold chapter headings. I start on a new page for a new chapter (though I used to do separate documents for each chapter).

This year I might switch things up and use Garamond or Book Antiqua for my font. I'm getting tired of staring at Times. lol

1 in margins, size 10, Courier New. That's the only way I write these days, and I love it.

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I use:
Size = 12pt
Font = Arial (though I've been meaning to change to a serif font, they're easier to read)
Spacing = double - a line between each paragraph
Indents = no

Really, just choose whatever you like best.

-Griffin
___________________
Nano 2006 - Greed, Love, Revenge - 50k in 25 days.
Nano 2007 - Midnight Flight - 50k in 20 days (finished in February '08 at 86k)
Nano 2008 - The Southern Land (Sequel to MF) - as far as I know. Could change.
____________

I try to not worry about formatting, indeed I use software which is really good for writing in - but which does not permit much formatting in order to do so.

Worrying about formatting is a very good way of distracting myself from the work I am supposed to be doing.

On the other hand I have to use a 12pt Times NR, just because it is easy on the eye. Typewriter scrolling, so I don't find my eyes wandering south, a narrow column of text - making it easy to skim back and forth, and sections are in their own mini-files, with separate titles, notes and summaries etc, so finding them isn't a problem.

This year I think I'm doing 1.5 spacing, 11.5 Bookman Old Style or Courier New font.
I realy like .5's but it's really up to you.

--------------------
2006 NaNo: Those Three Little Words (Winner!)
2007 Script Frenzy: Mr. Blue Sky (Winner!)
2007 NaNo: And Then She Fell Down the Stairs (Winner)
2008 Script Frenzy: [Insert Witty Title That Has To Do With A Crime Fighting Marching B

Spacing and font don't matter much to me, though I prefer a font with 'feet' such as Garamond or Georgia, and I find anything over 1.5 spacing gets so spaced out it hard to read.

What I'm really picky about is the window size- I need my page to be at 85 % and the window to just fit around it with minimal grey area. Anyone else find 100% irks them?

For typing up, I like to use Times New Roman size 6 single spaced. Then I change the font size to 10 double spaced for printing and editing (single spaced if it is for someone to read)

I also center and bold any titles or chapter headings. Sometimes I will start a new page in between chapters but it depends on my mood at the time of writing.

_________________________________________________________________________
NaNo 2008 - I Dare You

I browsed through the police when I started writing short stories and went for Mangal, pt. 11. Titles will (probably) get a different font, but I can't be bothered to find which.

I have no idea what the perfect word page is since it's all a matter of opinion.

What LOOKS right to me, however, for a story, is the following:

Any serif font (The ones with the little loops at the end of 'g's and 'y's.), first line indented by 0.5 cm, single spaced, font size 12.

What I usually use for my writing projects is:

Ariel, 10 pt, single spacing, line break between paragraphs.

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I usually use 10-11 pt. font size, an indentation at the beginning of each paragraph, and no double spaces. Font choice is always changing, but it's always easy to read =)

As a Microsoft Certified Trainer and someone who has been training others for years I suggest using the tried and true:

one inch margins,

double spaced (makes it easy for editing and reading)

12 point Arial or Times New Roman (or any other font that is easy to read and takes up about the same space per inch - each point in type is 1/72nd of an inch.)

Use page numbering in the header or footer (makes it easier when printed out to keep in order.)

Or anything that strikes your muse, and helps you produce what you want. As long as you remember to change the format to the required one for submission.

Kokopelau

To make the world a better place – do the following:
Take a good, long, hard, look, at what you'd do,
if you could do it all again;
become a friend, a friend you would like to have;
Live like you were dying, Without Dying!!

TNR, 12 point, with chapter titles in 14 point, bold and centred, main title (if I have one) 16 point/bold/centred, and anything else I just make up. I like the page set at 100% with the margins at whatever Word's default is. I do double space/indent when I'm printing things off for something professional, but when I'm actually writing, I single space, blank line between paragraphs, no indent. I just think it looks so much better on the screen, it drives me mad trying to write with indents and double spacing.

This is what I'm absolutely sure of, as I always use them for any document:
Font: Palatino Linotype (I hugely dislike TNR, the way it looks just doesn't feel right
Size: 10 pts

I like using A5 sheets to type on instead of A4. They're shorter, so you get more thrills whenever you finish a page.

I use standard margins, Times New Roman in 12 or 10 pnt, and single-spaced. I use tab for paragraphs rather than leaving a line, and I don't like having those weird formatting symbols up (you know, the ones you get whenever you type a space and a litle black thingy appears? I don't know what to call them).

I do size 14 or 16 titles in bold, and leave about three lines underneath every title.

NaNoWriMo '07: Peridot and Onyx (won)
NaNoWriMo '08: The Brothers Black (12,676 words)

[IMG]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r260/Stereotypia/the_brothers_black_siggy_1.png[/IMG]

An OpenOffice page, actually.

TNR, 12pt, 0.1" margins (yes, I'm more than a little obsessive about saving space), 80% zoom, with my custom text-only toolbar that I never use because I find keyboard shortcuts much faster. :)

If you mean how should you format to submit to a publisher, the standard is pretty simple. Courier 12, one inch margins, double-spaced.

If you mean how to format for a first draft written quickly, well, any way that makes you comfortable.

I use Lucida Bright, 12-pt, 1.0 line spacing and a small 1/2 centimeter indent. It looks nice and increases moral when you write :P (even if it takes a while to set up). May chapter headings are 18pt bold, and the very first letter is dropped down (had to search ages for that) 3 lines, but one is unused (if you get what I mean). Also, the first 19/20 caracters are in smallcaps.

I know, a lot of work. But it looks nice. I can't write any other way (although for school work I sometimes do century gothic)

- Sarah

Writing: Empyrean