Twelve Days of Writing…Day One

Writing: The Basics

And, by basics, well, I really mean basics. Let’s talk today about formatting. When I write a manuscript, the very first thing that I do is adjust the set-up of my page. I use Microsoft Word for my writing, and I just open up a new document, then immediately adjust my page so that I have one inch margins on all sides. I set the document up for double-spacing, and I use Courier New 12 for my font.

Why do I follow these formatting guidelines? Well, when I do it this way, I’m creating the old “industry standard.”  With this particular set-up, I can take my number of pages written and multiply that times 250 (the anticipated number of words based on this set-up) and get a total word count. Some publishers ask for this type of word count for their materials–and other publishers will allow a writer to turn in a manuscript based on a computer generated word count. But no matter what word count my publisher wants me to follow, I still use the same page set-up. Why? Simple…readability. With the guidelines I listed, I feel my pages are easy on the eyes and since editors read–A LOT–they need a manuscript that won’t make them squint and swear.

On each page, I write the title of my work in the upper left-hand corner (in the header area) and I include my name, a dash, and the page number (Cynthia Eden–43) in the upper right-hand corner (still in the header).    Other authors do this differently…some include the name of the manuscript and their author names in the upper left-hand corner and then just have only the page number in the right-hand area. Honestly, I think as long as you have this information (title,  name, and page number) you should be good to go.

I know, you’re thinking…formatting–sexy. Or, rather, not. But, honestly, I’ve gotten a ton of formatting questions from folks who are just beginning their writing efforts. So, I figured why not start my talk with formatting?

And here are a few formatting links:

eHarlequin–Formatting Sample 

Carolyn’s Writing Workshop:  Appearances Matter

Today I’m over at The Idea Boutique, talking about the inspiration for “New Year’s Bites.”  If you’ve never visited The Idea Boutique before–you are totally missing out! The place is great! Writers blog about their various story ideas–it’s an interesting way to learn more about the origins of books.    A big thanks to Heather Waters for creating The Idea Boutique!

Later, I’ll be back with my first “Twelve Days of Writing” post.

Ah, the first day of December will finally arrive tomorrow. That means, of course, that I can let my Christmas mania out, full-force.

It also means the start of my “Twelve Days of Writing” posts here on the old blog. Beginning December 1st, I will post a “craft” entry on my blog. Sometimes the entries will be brief, sometimes they will be more detailed–but they will all focus on some aspect of writing (from manuscript formatting to ideas to publishing info). So, if you’re a writer or you’ve ever given serious thought to writing–tune in! And if you have a particular topic that you’d like me to cover, send me an email at cynthia@cynthiaeden.com.

See you soon!

A RED HOT NEW YEAR officially hits store shelves today! Sweet. I can’t believe that it is finally release day! I can so easily remember when I first came up with the idea for my novella (“New Year’s Bites“)…it all started with the title. The title jumped at me while I was brainstorming (b/c I’d been told that I had to have a New Year’s theme), and as soon as I knew the title, well, I was good to go. Normally, this doesn’t happen for me. Titles usually come to me dead last, but this story, well, it was different.

Usually, werewolves are the heroes in my stories. Ah, but I do love a strong wolf hero. This time, I mixed things up a bit, I altered the werewolf legend, and I came up with a new mythology to work with in this novella. I hope you like the changes I made, and I hope you enjoy the main characters–Anna and Jon. I had a fabulous time writing about them.

If you haven’t read the excerpt from the novella yet, then check it out. And don’t forget to enter my New Year’s Party Contest!

Happy Reading!

I still love this widget! I can’t believe so much time has already passed, but, yep, A RED HOT NEW YEAR will be hitting store shelves on Tuesday!