My entire manuscript has just decided it doesn't like paragraph indents. They were there yesterday, but not today. Is there a way I can indent the first line of each paragraph without going through the whole thing and doing it manually?

Sue

Hi Sue,
Try highlighting the whole section you want to indent and then right clicking. From the menu select Paragraph. From the box that pops up, in the Indentation section, select 'First Line' from the 'Special' drop down box.

Always remember thought, Word knows better than you, and might decide on a whim to undo any changes you have made. Arggghhhh!

Sam

Thanks, Sam. Off to try it now!


<Added>

Yes! It works! Does the chapter headings too, unfortunately, but that IS easily remedied. Thank you...

The problem I have with mine is that it has a natural propensity to keep defaulting back to US language on the spellchecker. I write a few of my stories set in the States, but don't write like it!

JB

Hi JB,
If you haven't already done so it might be worth looking under Windows Control Panel / Regional and language options. And also Programs / Microsoft Office / Office Tools / Office language settings. Check that you have English (uk) and not English (us) selected. If that doesn't work, you could try shaking your fist at the monitor. Doesn't tend to change anything but might make you feel better.

Have that too, JB, but only on certain documents. I was fine until I got windows xp!
Sx

The particular problem I have with Word is that whenever I start writing a letter Dear Mr, it helpfully suggests that instead I should really be starting Dear Mom and Pop.

F

I used to use Word but found it over-functional and unstable. I now use Works Word Processor, less functions but fine for basic word processsing (indent, page numbers etc). Then I save as a .wps, .rtf and .doc file. I find this gives me the best of Works and Word.

Frances,

Maybe it feels you're not writing home enough?!!

Adam,

I have works as well but always thought it was the "poor relation" of MS office. I think I'll take a look at. I have to admit I don't know how to use anything other than the basics on word so I don't actually need it!

Sue

Hi. I have had problems with indents too. Try this. Highlight your whole manuscript (but don't delete it by accident). Then choose FORMAT from the Tool bar at the top. Then choose PARAGRPAH. This will give you box with some drop down choices you can select using the little arrows. First choose INDENTATION and set it at whatever you want eg 8cm. Then choose SPECIAL and set it at FIRST LINE. Press OK. Then close the box. This should give you first line indents. Note that if you have put in things like page breaks and section breaks they can interfere with the next first line indent.

Hope this works

Sue,

Works is the 'poor relation' of the Microsoft product line. Consequently it's the least flashy and the most reliable. If you do use it for word processing, then I suggest you save your work to a flash drive in both .wps, .doc and .rtf formats just to be on the safe side. If you send a document over the internet most agents or publishers can only read .rtf or .doc files.

Hope you've got that problem sorted out now, Sue.

Am I the only person who writes everything in 'Notepad' (Actually editpad which is just a posh notepad)?

I then copy and paste the lot into Word at a later date and format accordingly.

I find all the wiggly underlines and automatic capitalisation a real distraction when I'm writing. I lost count of the number of times I've had a great paragraph in my head only for it to dissolve when I'm distracted by screaming 'IF I WANTED TO KNOW THAT IT WAS A FRAGMENT SENTENCE I WOULD HAVE ASKED YOU! AND I WILL CONSIDER REVISING WHEN I BLOOMING WELL WANT TO!".

All in all, I find I get more written in notepad than i would in the same time in word.

Although I use word religiously for editing.

You can switch off all those wiggly lines and auto-capitalisation and all the other, horrible, bossy, Nanny knows best crap in Word, without too much difficulty. I get particularly indignant when I meet it on some one else's computer and it DARES! to tell me about grammar

Emma

Emma,

Does that also apply to comments on WW?

Len

Sue,

There's a simple way to indent every para. Edit the style of your body text so that the first line is indented by default. This has the advantage that your chapter headings will be untouched.

Place the cursor in your text, then run through the menus: Format/Styles&Formatting/Modify/Format/Paragraph/Indentation/First Line Indent

Do it this way and every new para will be indented by default.

One of the problems with Word is that it has way too much functionality for most users' needs. (And it's too damned expensive, patronising, counter-intuitive...)

Hope this helps.

smudger