Indenting paragraphs

[Threddy]

Is there any way of setting MS Word to automatically indent paragraphs, ones I've written and ones that I have yet to write?

Thanks,
Threddy

 

[chrispenycate]

I'm hardly a specialist in Word (or anything in computers, for that matter) and my copy was bough here, so speaks French to me but: select all

Format

Paragraph

something like "indent"? (it's retrait in my version)

first line, positive – and you're given the amount by which you indent it.

OK

 

[Ursa major]

Note that in most fiction (and, perhaps, non-fiction), the first paragraph of a new section is generally not indented.


(Sorry if this confuses the issue for you.)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

But it is indented in the original manuscript, Ursa. Whether or not the indent appears in the published version is a matter for the book designer to decide.

 

[Lith]

You can set your margins to do it automatically- on the ruler, there are these little wedge-shaped tabby things- on the left, there's two of them, top and bottom. If you move the top one to the right, all first lines will start there. If you move the bottom line, all subsequent lines but the first will start where you put it. If you move the square under that, you move it all to the right or left.

There are probably other ways to do it too, but that's the only one I know.

 

[Ursa major]

I must bow to your experience, Teresa.


(Note, however, that I have seen - in the UK - advice to follow the book convention in the manuscript. This may be a difference between our two countries or simply something that some people expect over here. What is written in the paragraphs is, of course, paramount, whatever the convention.)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well times change, and as more and more publishers are using that convention it may become the standard for manuscripts, too. And perhaps it's becoming the standard over there, but I've never seen it suggested in anyone's submission requirements over here, or mentioned in any article on manuscript formatting. (In fact, I just checked, to see if I'm being a total dinosaur on this issue. Nope, it's not in any of the articles I just Googled.)

Looking over the recently published books on my shelves I see a great variety. Many do leave out the indent on the first line. In some books the entire first line is capitalized, or the first five or six words. I also come across a lot of books where this is no indentation, as such, on the first line of a new chapter but there's a giant first letter (which in some cases means that the next few lines are indented in order to make room for it). Or the indentation may be halfway across the page.

So unless somebody specifically asks for something else, I'd stick with the old standard. That's always safe.

 

[Ursa major]

I wouldn't disagree with that, Teresa. Safety first.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Safety first.

They used to teach us that in school -- although they weren't, of course, talking about manuscript formatting.

Anyway, I have always lived by that law. (See what early indoctrination can do?)

 

[Culhwch]

I always leave the first line of the first par of a new section or chapter flush on the left hand side, and then indent subsequent pars, mostly because I like the look of it. As I have never had call to submit anything, I don't know if that would get me into trouble, but I figure I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it...

But to the topic - yeah, I agree with Lith. That's how I do it, but there probably are other ways. That way is pretty simple, though.

 

[Malloriel]

You can set your margins to do it automatically- on the ruler, there are these little wedge-shaped tabby things- on the left, there's two of them, top and bottom. If you move the top one to the right, all first lines will start there. If you move the bottom line, all subsequent lines but the first will start where you put it. If you move the square under that, you move it all to the right or left.

There are probably other ways to do it too, but that's the only one I know.

This is what I do as well. You set it to the little dash between its starting position and the 1, and that's your standard indent position. Right where tab would set it each time you hit it at the beginning of a paragraph.

 

[Threddy]

You can set your margins to do it automatically- on the ruler, there are these little wedge-shaped tabby things- on the left, there's two of them, top and bottom. If you move the top one to the right, all first lines will start there. If you move the bottom line, all subsequent lines but the first will start where you put it. If you move the square under that, you move it all to the right or left.

There are probably other ways to do it too, but that's the only one I know.

Thank You
and thanks to other participants in this thread.

 

[Purdy Bear]

In typing class you usually indent a paragraph depending on where the signature goes in a letter. I would imagine as long as your not writing a letter then block paragraphs are ok.

I'm a bit rusty on word, but there is something in page set up for indent paragraphs, I think it's were the point section is.