Questions tagged [formatting]
Questions about text appearance: styling, placement, fonts, indents, bullets.
358
questions
0
votes
0answers
14 views
Birth-death dates in exhibit catalog
I'm editing an art exhibit catalog. The paintings featured are primarily portraits, most often titled simply with the subject's name. What is the best practice for including birth-death dates of the ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
Word adds blank zone (damage document) after paper size changing and printing to pdf [closed]
I created word document with wrong paper size - "letter".
So for now I added more the 100 pages.
Then I changed paper size to "A4". Before printing every thing was OK.
But after ...
1
vote
1answer
17 views
Formatting a story collection for submission to publishers
Anyone know of a definitive online resource on formatting a story collection for submission to publishers and agents? One knotty question in particular: does one use the title of the book throughout ...
2
votes
2answers
85 views
How do you write a large number in a sentence?
I was there for 45,400,000 (forty-five million, four hundred thousand) seconds
I was there for 45,400,000, forty-five million, four hundred thousand, seconds?
3
votes
4answers
52 views
Hyphen for “multiple-response”?
I'm writing a help document for a website that tests people. In much of the copy for the website, I've referred to "multiple-choice" questions with the hyphen.
Now, I have to write about multiple ...
2
votes
2answers
76 views
Referring to groups and unnamed individuals from groups in a screenplay
The following extract is from a screenplay I'm writing. I could really use some advice on how to format it, particularly around referring to groups of people and an unnamed person from a group.
Bob ...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
How to start writing an autobiography [duplicate]
I’m planning to write my autobiography. I don’t know where to start. Please give some tips and tricks to kickstart the project. I know it’s my personal stuff. But still some hacks from experienced ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
How Would I Go About Sharing a Word Document to a Literary Agent?
I was wondering, how would I go about sharing a Word document to a literary agent? I currently have all my professionally proofread novels formatted. They are formatted as the following: 1 inch ...
3
votes
2answers
61 views
Screenplay dialogue tags for unintroduced characters
I am writing a screenplay for a TV show in which a character who will become important later in the series has a line of dialogue in the opening scene. However, he is offscreen and will not be ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Is there a way to make MS Word or LO Writer to automatically indent paragraphs in a section except for the first paragraph?
I would like to make a style in MS Word or LO Writer that will leave the first paragraph of a section or chapter (i.e. anything that follows a heading) unindended, but indent all the paragraphs that ...
0
votes
0answers
46 views
Title within a title: How to format properly using Chicago style
Would this be an appropriate way to format the title of my essay, or should it be different? I am using the Chicago style. I am using two book titles within my own title.
Would this be the proper way ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
How to present a 1st-person Narrator with a 3rd-person account of the same incident
I am writing a Historic Fiction novel.
The story is being narrated by someone.
The entire story is from the Point of View of the Narrator, based on information she knows.
What is the best way to ...
0
votes
0answers
15 views
Bibliography format with multiple citations from same book? (APA)
I'm writing a paper where I've included multiple citations from a book, each citation is not a direct quote from the text but rather a in-text citation so according to APA guidelines these citations ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Pictures in my book
I have recently been diagnosed with ALS. I was keeping a journal on the CaringBridge site, and I got enough feedback about it that I have decided to turn it into a book. I have added memories of my ...
0
votes
0answers
35 views
When should a chapter end and the next chapter begin? [duplicate]
I writing a short story and I would like to know when I should end a chapter.
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Quoting italicized text: keep formatting?
I'm quoting a sentence from Carl von Clausewitz' On War. He has part of the sentence italicized though:
Obstinacy is a fault of temperament.
Is it necessary to maintain his formatting? Ideally, I ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
Should the first paragraph after a chapter be indented if it is quoted dialogue?
In my manuscript I generally do not indent the first paragraph following a chapter heading. This generally looks good and reads well with the exception of starting a chapter with quoted dialogue. See ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Is it ok to underline or italicize the topic sentences of each paragraph of an essay?
I'm writing a casual essay which is intended for one of my friends. I wrote it so that it's quite easy to grasp the gist even if you read only the topic sentences of each paragraph.
Would emphasizing ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
How do I cite and translate poetry in MLA format?
I hope to translate poems from other languages to English, but I don't know how I am supposed to cite the original author and include myself as the translator in MLA format.
I will translate from ...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
How to format my book before sending it to a publisher?
I am looking to send a copy of a horror anthology that i finished recently to a publisher and don't know what the editing format of the pdf should be or how the letter to the publisher should go.
...
1
vote
2answers
113 views
Multiple superimposed supers
I'm trying to figure out the correct formatting for multiple supers for the intro of my film. I imagine four separate superimposed lines, one appears, then fades away, until they are finished. How ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
What are these parallel blocks of text called?
What are these boxes of text called that interrupt the flow of text with some aside type comment?
source
They're usually related to the main body of text, are embedded somewhere nearby in their ...
0
votes
2answers
44 views
Proper use of first-last name in a obituary?
I have to write my fathers obituary. I am not sure when it is proper to use a full name. We have kids, grand kids, and great grand kids. Are there rules or guidelines for using full names and what ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Where should a “list of poems” be placed in a book of prose?
I am working with an author to typeset their prose. It is a sizable book with a dozen of chapters in which characters sing songs and read verses from various media. The author wants a list of all ...
4
votes
2answers
41 views
Subfigures in a figure, how to label?
So if I later refer to figure 2 (i) or figure 2 (ii) would it be better for the figure to be labelled as is Figure 2: Figure (i) shows cycle C? or
Figure 2: (i) shows cycle C or
Figure 2: ...
4
votes
1answer
143 views
What does nk means in line spacing?
I see in some journals that mention the line spacing in MS Word in terms of "nk".
What does that mean and how can I set that in the Word?
For example in this link, it states:
2 nk spaces should ...
2
votes
3answers
93 views
Using a prominent phrase from the title of a film in the body of an article, essay or paper, without referencing the title
I'll start with a clear example. You are writing an essay about the film The Wizard of Oz. Following the rules of titles, you put the film title in italics whenever you use it.
But then you use the ...
2
votes
2answers
111 views
Awkward language translation
So I’m currently writing a book that takes place in Finland, though I am American and speak English. My main character’s name can be used as a play on words, and people use it to mock him throughout ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
Unit of measurement and formatting
Often I see mm stuck with the number like this: 9mm semi auto pistol. However, in most situations we see "10 km", so are there specific rules in certain situations? Because it seems for gun the unit ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
Telephone Conversations [duplicate]
The Situation: I am writing a short story. My POV character is listening to another person having a telephone conversation. The POV character only hears the one person speaking and not the responses.
...
3
votes
2answers
76 views
Switching languages within dialogue [duplicate]
I'm writing a story which requires frequent switching between languages, sometimes in the same sentence.
I thought about writing the foreign language in italics, but the problem is that I already use ...
2
votes
0answers
41 views
Italicising Fictional Company names throughout [duplicate]
If I have created a fictional theatre with it’s own name, and italicise the name with it’s first appearance in the story, do I need to keep it in italics whenever it’s mentioned after that?
Eg: We ...
2
votes
1answer
49 views
Specific MLA Question on In-Text Citation
How do I format an in-text citation in MLA format when the sentence ends as a parenthesis?
For example: Stuart Appleby won three races in his career (but lost all others) (Fredricks 23).
It looks ...
22
votes
6answers
4k views
Using font to highlight a god's speech in dialogue
At one point in my story, the characters are addressed by a god. In the ensuing dialogue, this god has a more archaic way of speaking, but even so, I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to visually ...
5
votes
1answer
134 views
Where should question marks be put in fragmented lines of poems?
For example, in the lines:
Say what good really is a life,
When so thoroughly deprived of joy
Is my restless mind,
Hurting constantly, in a dreadful strife?
When it needs so many lies,
...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
Formatting a conversation
In a novel, how would one best represent a recorded conversation between two people played back to a larger audience? The normal rules apply regarding quotation marks and beginning a new paragraph ...
13
votes
5answers
1k views
How to display a duet in lyrics?
I wonder if someone can tell me whether there is a convention when laying out a lyric to show different parts (or even a chorus). In my novel, there are a number of poems and lyrics. They are set in ...
3
votes
1answer
134 views
How to introduce a character properly
I'm working on a screenplay and I know the basics of formatting, however I still don't get why the first time a character speaks some line, it has to be written as
He or Man
instead of his actual ...
2
votes
2answers
121 views
Multiple lines of dialogue and action from a single character
I am in the middle of writing a scene between two characters, a cello player, Lisa and her friend from college, Jack. Lisa has recently lost her sight, and Jack is trying to encourage her back into ...
6
votes
1answer
106 views
Is there a good resource on all different formatting and writing styles throughout history?
I noticed writers in the past used a different format, in terms of punctuation, indentation, quotations, spacing, and paragraph length, and the format can be different from author to author and from ...
9
votes
2answers
918 views
How would you write the dialogues of two characters talking in a chat room?
How would you write do the dialogues of two characters talking in a chat room? I am seriously wondering about the format. Should it look like regular dialogues, what about emoticons like OWO and ;) ...
6
votes
2answers
231 views
How should I present a resort brochure in my general fiction?
In my story the protagonist goes to live in a health resort. The receptionist presents her with a brochure of activities. At the moment I have written like this in a word document;
After patiently ...
3
votes
1answer
117 views
Are there stylistic overlaps between novels and comic books? [closed]
I am going to quote from a novel that in my opinion shows many stylistic overlaps of novels and comic books: The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey. I am holding that novel in my hand now.
The use of a lot of ...
2
votes
3answers
96 views
Can we dialoguify sounds?
Can we dialoguify sounds? By dialoguifying I mean turning something that shouldn't be put in quote when that something correspond to sounds into a dialogue by putting it between quotes and treating it ...
6
votes
1answer
475 views
How to plan the font size in a fiction?
I have planned my book to be around 250 pages. Because that is my target audience. In my country I can sell the book of that length for around 250-300 rupees. (*Its just my plan, I don't know yet how ...
1
vote
0answers
59 views
How to plan length of a chapter? [duplicate]
I have planned my book to be around 250 pages. Because that is my target audience. In my country I can sell the book of that length for around 250-300 rupees. (*Its just my plan, I don't know yet how ...
3
votes
2answers
357 views
What are the indentation rules for the paragraph introducing a bulleted list?
I'm writing a formal document for my company where it'll be shared and used by a number of teams. Unfortunately, we don't have any official standard style guide to follow, so I've attempted to be as ...
7
votes
2answers
132 views
Breaking dialogue with actions from another character
This can get... confusing, which is why I tend to avoid it, but sometimes, I really want it there.
“What?!” [said Character B.] I laughed, giving her a minute to process
my words. “You’re getting ...
3
votes
2answers
90 views
How do you transcribe a dialogue when abbreviations are used?
How do you transcribe a dialogue when abbreviations are used?
For example, when people uses acronyms like FBI or abbreviations like a.m., do we just write them as we write them when they're in a ...
6
votes
1answer
90 views
In the Windows version of Scrivener for Screenplay formatting, how do format for action/dialogue/shot?
There is a way to automatically change the indices to respect whether it is a line of dialogue or a description of the setting, but I can't find a way to bring the menu up consistently when hitting "...
