The names you give your story people must be fitting
first names(nickname ),surnames, Make the Names Fit the Characters
Four Tips for Finding the Perfect Name
i) Make the Names Fit the Characters.
ii) How Old Are They?
• If a character is ten years old, say, and the novel spans just one year, you won’t have a problem.
• But if the novel spans twenty years, you might have to write two (or more) mini-biographies for the character – given that thirty year olds tend to lead very different lives, and have very different internal make-ups, to ten year olds.
. 3. What Does the Character Look Like?
• Is your character tall or short?
• Are they thin or fat?
• What is their body shape?
• What color and style is their hair?
• What color are their eyes?
• What are their most distinguishing features?
• Do they have a particular smell – pleasant or otherwise? (Don’t forget to use all of the senses when you create character profiles.)
• What clothes do they wear?
• Do they use any “props” – like a walking cane or an iPod?
• Do they have a particular way of walking, running, standing, sitting?
iii) Writing a novel is a complicated affair.
• Plots need to be engineered প্রযুক্তিগত
• Settings need to be imagined and detailed.
• Characters need to be developed complete with physical features, emotional scars and back stories. And much more…
For any agent or publisher without a specific format, follow an accepted format for novel manuscripts, such as this one—
1) font: Twelve point, Times New Roman (or Courier New, if you insist), black
2) margins: One-inch margins on all four sides
3) indent: Half-inch paragraph indentations (this tab is pre-set in MS Word) for the first line of each paragraph (even the first paragraph of a chapter)
4) space: Double space; no extra line spaces between paragraphs
5) align: Align left (not justified). The right edges will not be uniform or even.
6) page numbering: Number pages beginning with the actual story (don’t count or put page numbers on the title page)
7) scene breaks: Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the number sign # in the center of the line
8) page header: Include your last name, your title (or keywords from the title), and the page number in the page header of every page except for the title page. Align the header to the right, so the information doesn’t interfere with the text of the manuscript. (Jones/Taming the Monster/1)
9) chapters: Begin chapters on new pages (insert a page break or format using styles). Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about 1/3 of the way down the page. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.
10) end: Center a number sign # on an otherwise blank line one double-spaced line down from the final line of text of the final chapter or epilogue at the end of the manuscript. Or simply write The End. You want agents and editors to know they’ve reached the end.
11) italics: Use italics for italicized words. (A former practice was to underline to show italicized words, but that’s no longer necessary unless an agent or publisher requests underlining.)
12) character spacing: Use a single character space only, not two spaces, between sentences. If you forget this one, nobody’s going to turn down your manuscript because of it. It’s just a good habit to get into, especially for those of us who learned on typewriters and always added two spaces between sentences.
13) Include a title page—
14) contact info: Aligned left and single spaced, near the top of the page, include contact information: Your real/legal name, address, phone number, e-mail address. Follow with the word count. Alternatively, you can set word count apart by listing it at the top of the right side of the title page.
15) title and author: About 1/2 the way down the page, centered, enter the full manuscript title (all caps or mixed caps); on the next double-spaced line, type by or a novel by or a story by; on the next double-spaced line, add your pen name or your real name plus your pen name—Alexis Chesterfield writing as Billie Thomas
16) agent: If you have an agent, include the agent’s contact name and information beneath your name (yes, skip a line)
17) page header: Header information is not included on the title page. The title page is not included in page numbering.
18) subgenre: For some genres, including romance and sci-fi, you can include the subgenre, such as suspense or Regency. Include this information either above or below the word count.
An example of a well-formatted novel manuscript
“The reality is, the longer you write, the more you learn, the more the language you feel you can command, and you’re still wanting to write a better book.”
— Dean K
How do I format my manuscript to the industry standard?
Luckily for you, formatting your manuscript can be summarized in a few bullet points:
Set the margins for your document at 3cm on all four sides.
Align to the left hand side only; the right hand side should remain jagged.
Use twelve point Times New Roman in black type only. Courier and Arial fonts may also be acceptable.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Single space between sentences after periods.
Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of the opening paragraph of a chapter or scene break. Don’t do this by hitting the tab key. Instead, set indentation to 1.25cm in Word through Format->Paragraph->Section.
Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the hash sign (#) in the center of the line.
Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. E.g., Smith - Manuscript - page 1
Begin chapters on new pages. Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.
Center a hash sign (#) one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the manuscript. Or, simply write The End. This will reassure agents and editors that pages aren’t accidentally missing.
Use italics for italicized words. Never underline in novel manuscripts.
Your title page should include:
The name of the work.
Your approximate word count, to the nearest hundred.
Your contact details formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.
Copyright details.
Your agent’s details, if you have an agent.
Remember to keep a copy of your manuscript for yourself.
If you’ve followed all of these bullet points, then congratulations! You now have a manuscript formatted to the industry standard! Check out the images below for an example of what a correctly-formatted manuscript looks like.
How do I make my manuscript industry standard?
Below are the basic formatting settings you need to apply to your manuscript:
Set the margins for your document at 3cm (1 inch) on all four sides.
Align to the left hand side only; the right hand side should remain jagged.
Use twelve point Courier in black type only. Times New Roman and Arial fonts may also be acceptable—check the submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Single space between sentences after periods.
Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of a scene break paragraph.
Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the hash sign (#) in the center of that line.
Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. E.g. Scripophily - Manuscript Formatting - page 2. Don’t put this header on the first page.
Center a hash sign # one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the manuscript. Or simply write The End. This assures the reader that no pages are accidentally missing.
Use underline for italicized words if you are using Courier font. If you are using Times New Roman you can use proper italics. (Again, check the submission guidelines.)
Your first page should include:
The name of the work.
The approximate word count, to the nearest hundred.
Your contact details formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.
The beginning of your story.
If you’ve followed all these steps, you should now have your manuscript formatted to the industry standard! Below you’ll see an example that shows what your manuscript should look like when formatted using the steps above.
An example of a well-formatted short story manuscript
The novel
first names(nickname ),surnames, Make the Names Fit the Characters
Four Tips for Finding the Perfect Name
i) Make the Names Fit the Characters.
ii) How Old Are They?
• If a character is ten years old, say, and the novel spans just one year, you won’t have a problem.
• But if the novel spans twenty years, you might have to write two (or more) mini-biographies for the character – given that thirty year olds tend to lead very different lives, and have very different internal make-ups, to ten year olds.
. 3. What Does the Character Look Like?
• Is your character tall or short?
• Are they thin or fat?
• What is their body shape?
• What color and style is their hair?
• What color are their eyes?
• What are their most distinguishing features?
• Do they have a particular smell – pleasant or otherwise? (Don’t forget to use all of the senses when you create character profiles.)
• What clothes do they wear?
• Do they use any “props” – like a walking cane or an iPod?
• Do they have a particular way of walking, running, standing, sitting?
iii) Writing a novel is a complicated affair.
• Plots need to be engineered প্রযুক্তিগত
• Settings need to be imagined and detailed.
• Characters need to be developed complete with physical features, emotional scars and back stories. And much more…
For any agent or publisher without a specific format, follow an accepted format for novel manuscripts, such as this one—
1) font: Twelve point, Times New Roman (or Courier New, if you insist), black
2) margins: One-inch margins on all four sides
3) indent: Half-inch paragraph indentations (this tab is pre-set in MS Word) for the first line of each paragraph (even the first paragraph of a chapter)
4) space: Double space; no extra line spaces between paragraphs
5) align: Align left (not justified). The right edges will not be uniform or even.
6) page numbering: Number pages beginning with the actual story (don’t count or put page numbers on the title page)
7) scene breaks: Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the number sign # in the center of the line
8) page header: Include your last name, your title (or keywords from the title), and the page number in the page header of every page except for the title page. Align the header to the right, so the information doesn’t interfere with the text of the manuscript. (Jones/Taming the Monster/1)
9) chapters: Begin chapters on new pages (insert a page break or format using styles). Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about 1/3 of the way down the page. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.
10) end: Center a number sign # on an otherwise blank line one double-spaced line down from the final line of text of the final chapter or epilogue at the end of the manuscript. Or simply write The End. You want agents and editors to know they’ve reached the end.
11) italics: Use italics for italicized words. (A former practice was to underline to show italicized words, but that’s no longer necessary unless an agent or publisher requests underlining.)
12) character spacing: Use a single character space only, not two spaces, between sentences. If you forget this one, nobody’s going to turn down your manuscript because of it. It’s just a good habit to get into, especially for those of us who learned on typewriters and always added two spaces between sentences.
13) Include a title page—
14) contact info: Aligned left and single spaced, near the top of the page, include contact information: Your real/legal name, address, phone number, e-mail address. Follow with the word count. Alternatively, you can set word count apart by listing it at the top of the right side of the title page.
15) title and author: About 1/2 the way down the page, centered, enter the full manuscript title (all caps or mixed caps); on the next double-spaced line, type by or a novel by or a story by; on the next double-spaced line, add your pen name or your real name plus your pen name—Alexis Chesterfield writing as Billie Thomas
16) agent: If you have an agent, include the agent’s contact name and information beneath your name (yes, skip a line)
17) page header: Header information is not included on the title page. The title page is not included in page numbering.
18) subgenre: For some genres, including romance and sci-fi, you can include the subgenre, such as suspense or Regency. Include this information either above or below the word count.
An example of a well-formatted novel manuscript
“The reality is, the longer you write, the more you learn, the more the language you feel you can command, and you’re still wanting to write a better book.”
— Dean K
How do I format my manuscript to the industry standard?
Luckily for you, formatting your manuscript can be summarized in a few bullet points:
Set the margins for your document at 3cm on all four sides.
Align to the left hand side only; the right hand side should remain jagged.
Use twelve point Times New Roman in black type only. Courier and Arial fonts may also be acceptable.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Single space between sentences after periods.
Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of the opening paragraph of a chapter or scene break. Don’t do this by hitting the tab key. Instead, set indentation to 1.25cm in Word through Format->Paragraph->Section.
Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the hash sign (#) in the center of the line.
Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. E.g., Smith - Manuscript - page 1
Begin chapters on new pages. Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.
Center a hash sign (#) one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the manuscript. Or, simply write The End. This will reassure agents and editors that pages aren’t accidentally missing.
Use italics for italicized words. Never underline in novel manuscripts.
Your title page should include:
The name of the work.
Your approximate word count, to the nearest hundred.
Your contact details formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.
Copyright details.
Your agent’s details, if you have an agent.
Remember to keep a copy of your manuscript for yourself.
If you’ve followed all of these bullet points, then congratulations! You now have a manuscript formatted to the industry standard! Check out the images below for an example of what a correctly-formatted manuscript looks like.
How do I make my manuscript industry standard?
Below are the basic formatting settings you need to apply to your manuscript:
Set the margins for your document at 3cm (1 inch) on all four sides.
Align to the left hand side only; the right hand side should remain jagged.
Use twelve point Courier in black type only. Times New Roman and Arial fonts may also be acceptable—check the submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Single space between sentences after periods.
Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of a scene break paragraph.
Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the hash sign (#) in the center of that line.
Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. E.g. Scripophily - Manuscript Formatting - page 2. Don’t put this header on the first page.
Center a hash sign # one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the manuscript. Or simply write The End. This assures the reader that no pages are accidentally missing.
Use underline for italicized words if you are using Courier font. If you are using Times New Roman you can use proper italics. (Again, check the submission guidelines.)
Your first page should include:
The name of the work.
The approximate word count, to the nearest hundred.
Your contact details formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.
The beginning of your story.
If you’ve followed all these steps, you should now have your manuscript formatted to the industry standard! Below you’ll see an example that shows what your manuscript should look like when formatted using the steps above.
An example of a well-formatted short story manuscript
The novel
The names you give your story people must be fitting
first names(nickname ),surnames, Make the Names Fit the Characters
Four Tips for Finding the Perfect Name
i) Make the Names Fit the Characters.
ii) How Old Are They?
• If a character is ten years old, say, and the novel spans just one year, you won’t have a problem.
• But if the novel spans twenty years, you might have to write two (or more) mini-biographies for the character – given that thirty year olds tend to lead very different lives, and have very different internal make-ups, to ten year olds.
. 3. What Does the Character Look Like?
• Is your character tall or short?
• Are they thin or fat?
• What is their body shape?
• What color and style is their hair?
• What color are their eyes?
• What are their most distinguishing features?
• Do they have a particular smell – pleasant or otherwise? (Don’t forget to use all of the senses when you create character profiles.)
• What clothes do they wear?
• Do they use any “props” – like a walking cane or an iPod?
• Do they have a particular way of walking, running, standing, sitting?
iii) Writing a novel is a complicated affair.
• Plots need to be engineered প্রযুক্তিগত
• Settings need to be imagined and detailed.
• Characters need to be developed complete with physical features, emotional scars and back stories. And much more…
For any agent or publisher without a specific format, follow an accepted format for novel manuscripts, such as this one—
1) font: Twelve point, Times New Roman (or Courier New, if you insist), black
2) margins: One-inch margins on all four sides
3) indent: Half-inch paragraph indentations (this tab is pre-set in MS Word) for the first line of each paragraph (even the first paragraph of a chapter)
4) space: Double space; no extra line spaces between paragraphs
5) align: Align left (not justified). The right edges will not be uniform or even.
6) page numbering: Number pages beginning with the actual story (don’t count or put page numbers on the title page)
7) scene breaks: Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the number sign # in the center of the line
8) page header: Include your last name, your title (or keywords from the title), and the page number in the page header of every page except for the title page. Align the header to the right, so the information doesn’t interfere with the text of the manuscript. (Jones/Taming the Monster/1)
9) chapters: Begin chapters on new pages (insert a page break or format using styles). Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about 1/3 of the way down the page. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.
10) end: Center a number sign # on an otherwise blank line one double-spaced line down from the final line of text of the final chapter or epilogue at the end of the manuscript. Or simply write The End. You want agents and editors to know they’ve reached the end.
11) italics: Use italics for italicized words. (A former practice was to underline to show italicized words, but that’s no longer necessary unless an agent or publisher requests underlining.)
12) character spacing: Use a single character space only, not two spaces, between sentences. If you forget this one, nobody’s going to turn down your manuscript because of it. It’s just a good habit to get into, especially for those of us who learned on typewriters and always added two spaces between sentences.
13) Include a title page—
14) contact info: Aligned left and single spaced, near the top of the page, include contact information: Your real/legal name, address, phone number, e-mail address. Follow with the word count. Alternatively, you can set word count apart by listing it at the top of the right side of the title page.
15) title and author: About 1/2 the way down the page, centered, enter the full manuscript title (all caps or mixed caps); on the next double-spaced line, type by or a novel by or a story by; on the next double-spaced line, add your pen name or your real name plus your pen name—Alexis Chesterfield writing as Billie Thomas
16) agent: If you have an agent, include the agent’s contact name and information beneath your name (yes, skip a line)
17) page header: Header information is not included on the title page. The title page is not included in page numbering.
18) subgenre: For some genres, including romance and sci-fi, you can include the subgenre, such as suspense or Regency. Include this information either above or below the word count.
An example of a well-formatted novel manuscript
“The reality is, the longer you write, the more you learn, the more the language you feel you can command, and you’re still wanting to write a better book.”
— Dean K
How do I format my manuscript to the industry standard?
Luckily for you, formatting your manuscript can be summarized in a few bullet points:
Set the margins for your document at 3cm on all four sides.
Align to the left hand side only; the right hand side should remain jagged.
Use twelve point Times New Roman in black type only. Courier and Arial fonts may also be acceptable.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Single space between sentences after periods.
Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of the opening paragraph of a chapter or scene break. Don’t do this by hitting the tab key. Instead, set indentation to 1.25cm in Word through Format->Paragraph->Section.
Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the hash sign (#) in the center of the line.
Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. E.g., Smith - Manuscript - page 1
Begin chapters on new pages. Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.
Center a hash sign (#) one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the manuscript. Or, simply write The End. This will reassure agents and editors that pages aren’t accidentally missing.
Use italics for italicized words. Never underline in novel manuscripts.
Your title page should include:
The name of the work.
Your approximate word count, to the nearest hundred.
Your contact details formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.
Copyright details.
Your agent’s details, if you have an agent.
Remember to keep a copy of your manuscript for yourself.
If you’ve followed all of these bullet points, then congratulations! You now have a manuscript formatted to the industry standard! Check out the images below for an example of what a correctly-formatted manuscript looks like.
How do I make my manuscript industry standard?
Below are the basic formatting settings you need to apply to your manuscript:
Set the margins for your document at 3cm (1 inch) on all four sides.
Align to the left hand side only; the right hand side should remain jagged.
Use twelve point Courier in black type only. Times New Roman and Arial fonts may also be acceptable—check the submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Single space between sentences after periods.
Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of a scene break paragraph.
Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the hash sign (#) in the center of that line.
Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. E.g. Scripophily - Manuscript Formatting - page 2. Don’t put this header on the first page.
Center a hash sign # one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the manuscript. Or simply write The End. This assures the reader that no pages are accidentally missing.
Use underline for italicized words if you are using Courier font. If you are using Times New Roman you can use proper italics. (Again, check the submission guidelines.)
Your first page should include:
The name of the work.
The approximate word count, to the nearest hundred.
Your contact details formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.
The beginning of your story.
If you’ve followed all these steps, you should now have your manuscript formatted to the industry standard! Below you’ll see an example that shows what your manuscript should look like when formatted using the steps above.
An example of a well-formatted short story manuscript
The novel
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