Double Spacing

[Antfarmer77]

Like just writing wasn't hard enough without technical stuff *sigh*
If I understand correctly ( and I rarely do) double spacing is essentially a blank line between each printed line. So how many blank spaces is "the norm" seprating paragraphs?

 

[damppanties]

Two, I think.

Actually, what I'd do is write the text in MS Word normally like you do, then select all and use the Format menu and 'Paragraph' and 'Line spacing' in there to convert it to double spacing.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Double spacing (or line-and-a-half spacing) goes back to the days of typewriting and hard-copies when an editor needed room to insert comments. You don't have to do that anymore. If you're posting to Lit and using MSWord, set up your document template however looks best to you and Lit will convert it to its own format.

If you;re writing a hard-copy for submission to a publisher, read their guideliens and see how they want it formatted.

My only suggestion is for posting messages on the boards here, and that's to always double space between paragraphs, otherwise your text will come out in one, impossible to read, monolithic block.

 

[FallingToFly]

In double-spaced hardcopy or submission files, a new paragraph is indicated by USING A FRICKING TAB SPACE!

*bangs head against desk*

 

[Antfarmer77]

Thanks everyone!!

 

[3113]

In double-spaced hardcopy or submission files, a new paragraph is indicated by USING A FRICKING TAB SPACE!

Um, yeah, ditto.

Here's an example:

This is single space. When single spacing paragraphs, you can ignore the "indent" and just space between paragraphs. A new paragraph is indicated by *two* spaces between them.

Like this. This is the beginning of a new paragraph with single space, as you probably already know. It's how it's done on stories here. Read any Lit story and you have an example of double-spacing between single-spaced paragraphs.

*****However, if you are double-spacing, then you want to indent every new

paragraph; adding more spacing between paragraphs is unnecessary as the indent

indicates when a new paragraph begins.

*****Like this. This is the beginning of a new paragraph in double space. You indent

five spaces, indicated here by the stars. I have to use the stars because I can't get

this post to indent by just hitting the space bar. So, the stars stand for "spaces" or

tabbing in five spaces. Just like you would see in a book.

 

[Weird Harold]

Like just writing wasn't hard enough without technical stuff *sigh*
If I understand correctly ( and I rarely do) double spacing is essentially a blank line between each printed line. So how many blank spaces is "the norm" seprating paragraphs?

Just out of curiosity, why do you need to double-space something?

Legal documents have different formatting and spacing requirements than a hard-copy "manuscript" for submission to a print publisher. Different print-publishers have different preferences within the generally accepted standards for double-spaced maunscripts.

In archaic, fixed-font, typewriter/teletype/ASCII terms "double-spacing" means each line ends with CRLFLF insead of CRLF -- that's Carriage Return, Line Feed, Line Feed.

In Proportional Font terms, line spacing and paragraph are defined in terms of "points" relative to the Font's point-size -- if you're using a Font size of 10, double-spacing adds ten points of white space between lines and an additional five points between paragaraphs (using One of MS Word's default style template's paragraph formatting as an example.)

Technology has changed how "white space" is managed and where/how the document is intended to be presented makes a difference in what is "Normal."

3113's difficulty in showing an example of tabbed indents in an HTML based forum is a prime example; HTML doesn't recognise the tab character and ignores leading/trailing spaces; a teletype machine/ASCII Text editor would indent eight spaces instead of five because that's the ASCII definition for a "fixed-tab."

If you need to double-space for a specific company or organization, ask them if they have a Style Template for MS Word (or whatever your preferred Word Processor is) that will format your document to fit their requirements.

 

[Antfarmer77]

Just out of curiosity, why do you need to double-space something?

I was going to submit a story for an online contest, but I'm not sure I'll be able to finish it in time now, but thanks again everyone

 

[Weird Harold]

I was going to submit a story for an online contest, but I'm not sure I'll be able to finish it in time now, but thanks again everyone

Double spacing for an online contest doesn't make any sense from a technical standpoint -- at least not if the entires are to be posted online as Lit's contest entires are.

I presume the submission requirement was phrased as "a double-spaced Word document" or something similar?

 

[angelicminx]

deleted

 

[Antfarmer77]

Double spacing for an online contest doesn't make any sense from a technical standpoint -- at least not if the entires are to be posted online as Lit's contest entires are.

I presume the submission requirement was phrased as "a double-spaced Word document" or something similar?

Yep

Format of the attachments:
Use 1 inch margin all around, Font Arial, Size 12, Double-spaced

 

[Weird Harold]

Yep

Format of the attachments:
Use 1 inch margin all around, Font Arial, Size 12, Double-spaced

In that case, the answer to your question is to just set the line spacing in the Format/Paragraph dialogue of MS Word and zero out things that aren't mentioned -- except for the first line indent.

In MS Word 97 it looks like the First attachment.

To set the margins, double click the ruler line and fill in the appropriate values. See the second attachment.

If you have the entire document selected when you make the changes, the changes will immediately take effect throughout.

 

[PayDay]

In double-spaced hardcopy or submission files, a new paragraph is indicated by USING A FRICKING TAB SPACE!

*bangs head against desk*

This^. We work with the format we have, though, right?

I like to use the spaces between paragraphs as an idea separation, since paragraph form is iffy on Lit, plus I break rules for fun. Separating two paragraphs by one sentence helps to push across an idea that you want, or for effect. Similar to the following:
Paragraph.

Paragraph

single word, punchline, or short sentence.

Paragraph


As far as separating scenes within chapters, three lines helps to break the flow, similar to:
Last sentence of scene

**

First sentence of next scene.


Outside of those two, as far as I can tell, double spaces (one empty line) between continuing themed single spaced paragraphs seems to work well for the majority.

It's also a good idea to separate dialogue out of paragraphs. Maybe start the paragraph, or line, with one part of the conversation followed by related information, then move the response, via one empty line space, into the next paragraph, or line, for clarity. The rule can be broken from that style to show 'all at once' or 'speed' in the dialogue. For example, when the rule is broken:
Paragraph

Paragraph

quote one
quote two
quote three

Paragraph


There's nothing wrong with single spacing for your stories, just remember that you cannot indent easily on a bot submitted story. I would suggest usuing a free line between your paragraphs, it makes it much easier to read in my opinion.

Hope that helps.