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maiaco View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote maiaco Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Paragraph Format Preferences
    Posted: 07 Mar 2017 at 2:26pm
Formatting depends on where the story is published.  Indents (using the Tab key) are a no-no for online publication, as they aren't recognized.  Some editors ask for Standard formatting, others ask that indents aren't used.  For online publication they often ask for single line spacing with a line between paragraphs, and no indents. 

I usually post my story on a Wordpress page for sharing with the forum.  The document I submitted to the contest had indents and double line spacing, no space between paragraphs.  That all has to be changed for my Wordpress page. 


Edited by maiaco - 07 Mar 2017 at 2:43pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LaissezFaire Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2017 at 9:16pm

1) Writers who choose to leave an extra space between paragraphs instead of indenting.

I think this is fine for a single spaced story, but not double-spaced. The paragraphs crash together otherwise.

2) Writers who have no extra spaces between paragraphs and indent each paragraph.

I think a single space document screams for white space with no space between paragraphs it blends. The indents do help though. I don't like reading stories formatted this way in a Google doc.

3) Writers who indent dialogue, but do not indent the narrative.

I have done that and it was because I didn't know the were supposed to be indented.

4) Writers who choose to not indent at all.

On a blog this is fine. Smaller space like a magazine and it is hard to indent in a blog via html. I hate it in a Google doc or printed document. It is just so hard to know where you are and where you left off.


I wonder if some have just been conversion/formatting errors or purposeful choices. What does everyone think?

I have noticed that people who do a lot of blogging or online reading tend to go single space, double between paragraphs in block format. People who copy edit, have written essays, or who have sent out manuscripts follow the standard double space with indents for a document. People who don't know tend to be inconsistent with style.


Is there one right answer? Should we vary our format based on the content of our stories?

Not one answer, but a style for venue.   If the story is posted direct on a blog single space with double between paragraphs (indents optional and usually not done). This gives enough white space for the narrow presentation without forcing too much scrolling.

In a document to be read online Google doc style, Times New Roman, double-space, indents is best for reading. Arial and Courier are okay, but imo harder on the eyes in pixel form.

In a document to be printed, Courier or TNR. Double-spaced with indents. If there are necessary italics for format of the story TNR handles it better. But Courier is better for edits.

Do different parts of the world format their paragraphs differently? It's just so interesting to me!!

That is a good question. I know Chinese characters are in columns. Arabic must have its own rules. I imagine the rules fit the script of the language.

Edited by LaissezFaire - 08 Mar 2017 at 10:32am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ottersdaughter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2017 at 6:43pm
I'm an English teacher, so I tend to do everything in MLA standard format unless required to do otherwise Tongue Uploading to Google docs for posting in the forum usually squishes everything to single space though...

Edited by ottersdaughter - 08 Feb 2017 at 6:43pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KieraLesley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2017 at 10:46pm
I used standard manuscript format (Examples here: http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html and here: http://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/manuscript-format/) because I'm planning to polish up my story and submit it to other places, and because I'm used to slush reading final versions formatted that way. A piece doesn't feel "finished" to me unless it's formatted to standard.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote plkphoto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 5:55pm
For this contest I use double space between paragraphs (single space within) and no indent -- mainly because I find that style the easiest to read… probably because of my non-fiction background.

But, when submitting, I always check the format guidelines and if they want "manuscript style" then I double-space the whole thing, with indents to show paragraphs. (And by indents, I mean five spaces not tab or indent setting.) That's standard for novel manuscripts. Sometimes they request something different for short fiction. Always best to check!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scriber Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 4:57pm
Originally posted by milesmum milesmum wrote:

Originally posted by scriber scriber wrote:

For whatever reason my word program likes to be a big pain about indentation, so I tend to leave it out unless used for something like a letter or song. Personally, I always leave a space between paragraphs. I just find it easier to read. That isn't surprising since it's what I learned and how I wrote for a magazine. Come to think of it, I didn't indent much while writing my articles either and my editors never made comment. Probably because it saved space.


Yeah, standard format is different for non-fiction. Definitely do double space and indent if you are submitting fiction though. 12-point, TNR, double spaced and indented is standard. Take it from a fiction editor Wink


Honestly, I've had to re-learn how to write fiction, so admittedly I am prone to making these mistakes haha. It's made me incredibly self-conscious about showing instead of telling. It's all writing, but worlds apart.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote milesmum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 4:53pm
Originally posted by scriber scriber wrote:

For whatever reason my word program likes to be a big pain about indentation, so I tend to leave it out unless used for something like a letter or song. Personally, I always leave a space between paragraphs. I just find it easier to read. That isn't surprising since it's what I learned and how I wrote for a magazine. Come to think of it, I didn't indent much while writing my articles either and my editors never made comment. Probably because it saved space.


Yeah, standard format is different for non-fiction. Definitely do double space and indent if you are submitting fiction though. 12-point, TNR, double spaced and indented is standard. Take it from a fiction editor Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scriber Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 4:48pm
For whatever reason my word program likes to be a big pain about indentation, so I tend to leave it out unless used for something like a letter or song. Personally, I always leave a space between paragraphs. I just find it easier to read. That isn't surprising since it's what I learned and how I wrote for a magazine. Come to think of it, I didn't indent much while writing my articles either and my editors never made comment. Probably because it saved space.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote justmel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 2:17pm
Interesting thread.  It's true, as Archon1995 says, that there are no format requirements beyond font and doc type, but in addition to that, the stories you're reading through the forum may be significantly different from what the writers submitted.  For instance, the word doc I submitted for the Challenge was double-spaced in black TNR12 with all paragraphs indented and no breaks between paragraphs.  But when I copied and pasted the story into my blog, the paragraphing and the font type, size, and color all changed.  I didn't plan it that way--that's just the blog's default, and I didn't give it a second thought until now. 
 
(Edited to add "double-spaced")


Edited by justmel - 07 Mar 2017 at 6:28pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Archon1995 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 12:36pm
For this contest there are no standard formats, other than the specified fonts and doc types to use. There are no penalties for the various formats. (Though I imagine someone who submitted with no paragraph breaks, one big block of text, wouldn't do very well...)

Many prefer to submit their stories in a standard manuscript format. This particularly makes sense for those who intend to submit stories for publication, or already do so.

I do think, however, that some of the judges include how a piece is formatted in their scores, whether they realize it or not. No matter how hard they try to be objective, the judges will be subjective to some degree and they're all professionals (or supposed to be). There have been some stories which did very well in the forum that didn't do well with the judges at all.
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