Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

There are no hard and fast rules for the length of a scene. It can consist of a few lines in a single paragraph or cover many pages, depending on the needs of the story. A rough average is 10 double-spaced pages, or 2000 – 3000 words.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

No guidelines exist for the number of chapters in a book. This can vary from ten or twelve in a 50,000 word category novel to 20-25 for 100,000-word mainstream fiction, but 50 or more in literary fiction. Author vision and story requirements dictate how many chapter breaks are required.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

To begin a new chapter in a continuous MS Word file, insert a page break, space down one-third the length of the new page, type your chapter heading, double-space, and then start your text again.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

Manuscripts are usually formatted with the complete text for the book in a single computer file. Page break commands are inserted at the end of each chapter so the next will begin on a new page. They may also be created with each chapter in a separate computer file if that's the author's preference. However, all chapters must be merged into a single file prior to electronic submission.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

The “cliff hanger” chapter ending is a useful device when used sparingly. The effect is lost when every chapter ends that way.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

No guidelines exist for the length of a chapter. Any given chapter can cover from a few paragraphs to 50 or more pages, depending on intent of the author or the needs of the story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

Each new chapter in a manuscript should begin on a new page, with its chapter heading centered approximately halfway down it. The preferred heading uses letters and the number, that is, "Chapter 1" instead of "Chapter One."

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

Microsoft Word is the word processing program preferred by most publishers and editors. Working with the publishing house staff is easier if the same program is used for your manuscripts.

How I Came to Write the Three Graces Trilogy

At the RT BookReviews conference in 2008, I participated in a workshop with long-time friends and fellow writers, Roberta Gellis and Bertrice Small. The workshop was on how to avoid plagiarism while using historical research materials. Roberta suggested that we each take the same piece of research text and use it to write two or three pages to illustrate how we incorporated factual details without actually copying from the information source. At the end the workshop, we would read these pages to the group. Since it was Roberta’s suggestion, she chose the paragraph of research, one which happened to be on medieval pele towers. I took the paragraph, added a bit more research for color, then wrote what was basically the beginning of a book. In it, the well-born heroine arrives at the home of the illegitimate commoner she is being forced to marry, and is disturbed by the brooding nature of the late 15th century manse and pele tower awarded to him by the king. The description of the tower was tied to the emotions of the heroine, and the pages ended as the hero was about to appear.

When I read my pages at the workshop, there was a beat of dead silence. Then someone yelled, “But where’s the rest of the story?”

Well, there was no “rest” of the story. My area of expertise had always been pre-Civil War Louisiana history, and nearly all my 50-something previous books, including many best sellers, were set in that time and place. It seemed highly unlikely I would be allowed to write something so radically different. No matter how many times Bertrice told me I should, must, had to write this late medieval story!

Fast forward several months. I finished the last book of my Masters at Arms series, and then created a proposal for a new trilogy set in New Orleans. The stories revolved around sisters known as the Three Graces who lived under a Voodoo curse which said any man who attempted to marry them without love would die. My editor liked the idea, and we were about to go to contract. Before the deal was finalized, however, she attended a sales conference where figures were presented which indicated books set in Europe sold much better than those set in the States. She emailed my agent to ask if there was any way I could transfer my Three Graces trilogy across the Atlantic.

Here was my opportunity to write that medieval tale! Though the storylines I’d intended for my New Orleans trilogy would not work in England, that was fine. After more indepth research, I created three entirely new stories that revolved around sisters known as the accursed Three Graces of Graydon, young women who could not be wed without love—though they were wards of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, who could choose husbands for them at will. My editor was pleased with the trio of tales, and to contract we went. Naturally, Book 1 used the beginning I’d written for the workshop.

If you’re curious about those few pages, they are included in the excerpt that’s now available for BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. See it by clicking on the link below its cover art on the front page of this web site.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

Simplicity and easy readability are the watchwords for all aspects of manuscript preparation. If a story cannot stand on its own merit, no special font or unusual formatting will help it.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

The font chosen for your manuscript should be plain and easy to read. Script or archaic fonts should be avoided. This will benefit the eyesight of both author and editor.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

The preferred font for manuscripts was once Courier 12 point. This is an even-space font with every letter occupying the same amount of space, so word counts done by the averaging method were more accurate. Computer generated word counts make the font used less important.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

Word counts for manuscripts were once arrived at by counting every word on the first five pages, dividing by 5 to obtain an average, and then multiplying the average words per page by the number of pages in the manuscript. Some publishing houses still use this method, but a majority of editors accept the word counts generated by word processing programs.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

The accepted length for most mainstream commercial fiction is 100,000 words, or approximately 400 pages. Various genre fiction categories have other preferred word-lengths from 50,000 to 85,000. Check the guidelines of your targeted publisher before you begin plotting or writing your book.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter-May 2011

Greetings:

Summer is a-coming here on the lake. The fish are biting, bass tournaments have started, hummingbirds and purple martins are here; the poule d’eau, or coots, that stay with us during the winter, have flown north; jet skis and tubing runs are making waves, and neighbors are having swimming parties on weekends. My roses, daisies and iris are blooming, and the sound of the lawnmower is heard in the land. We’ve had a few tornado scares, a tree and limbs lost to storms, but no major damage. The doors opening onto my screened porch are wide open. Life is good.

Meanwhile, the build up to summer and fall publication of my Three Graces trilogy continues. The covers for the three books are now up on the front page of my website. Clicking on them will bring up the cover blurbs describing the books, as well as an excerpt for Book 1, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. Each information page also has a link for pre-ordering from Amazon.com, if that should be your choice. The books will ship (or be available for download) on their official publication dates, respectively, beginning on July 19 with the release of Book 1. Pre-ordering may be helpful as an indication to the publisher of the number of books to print.

Something else available on the web site is a direct window to the YouTube book video for the series created by Siren Projects. It’s a great overview of the theme, setting and atmosphere of the trilogy. I love the images and background music. Check this out and let me know what you think?

Last month, I mentioned a cruise planned as a reward for finishing the trilogy. We—my husband, two of his brothers and their wives—departed on April 9 out of Port Canaveral, FL aboard the Norwegian Sun for the eastern Caribbean, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas, and St Maarten. Though I’ve been on a dozen or more cruises, this was my first “Freestyle” venture, and a fine trip it was. However, on April 7, as I was packing, I received the emailed pdf file of the page proofs for Book 2 of the trilogy, BY GRACE POSSESSED, along with a request for their return by the week of April 18. Yikes! I’d been afraid of this when I booked the cruise; it’s just the way things happen. But no worries. I printed out the complete set of page proofs and slipped them into a briefcase, then read and corrected them on the days at sea included in the cruise. These corrections were zapped back to my editor when I returned. Now there’s only one more set of page proofs left, for Book 3, SEDUCED BY GRACE. The trilogy will then be out of my hands. This final set of proofs should appear near the end of this month—probably about the time I leave for a few days in New York…

This New York trip will be for Book Expo America, where I’ll be signing advance copies of BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE for booksellers and librarians. Also involved will be meetings with my editor and agent. Business, in other words. Regardless, I’ve arranged to stay on for a couple of extra days, for a bit of sightseeing and to catch a couple of Broadway shows. My older daughter, Delinda Corbin, will be joining me, which will add much to the fun and relaxation.

So what’s next on the writing front? That’s still undecided, and should be a subject for discussion with my editor and agent in New York. Much may depend on how the Three Graces trilogy is received by booksellers. Though more medieval stories are stirring in the back of my mind, other projects drift through my synapses every day. Stay tuned.

A new blog post for the Mira Author page will be up on or before May 9. The subject will be "The Appeal of Romance Novels." You can access these random thoughts and rambling of mine at: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/mira-author-blog

In this same vein, I’ve begun a new series for the “Writing Tip of the Day” section of my web site blog at: www.jenniferblake.com/jennifersjournal These are on the how-to of manuscript preparation and formatting. Basic information, yes, but something beginning writers often ask about. By the time this subject is exhausted, I’ll be at Writing Tip #300. Will I stop at 365, a calendar’s worth, or try for 1000 for a future book? We’ll see!

Another project for this month has been the creation of a special FaceBook page for the Three Graces trilogy. I’ll be posting progress reports on the publication process for the books, of course, but also snippets of scenes, character descriptions and short interviews with my heroes and heroines; how I came to write the book, research info, etc. I’ll have a special contest for followers of the page as publication draws nearer, as well. Look for it and become a “friend” by typing “The Three Graces Trilogy” into the Facebook search pane.

Finally, I have something listed in Brenda Novak's Cure for Diabetes annual online auction. It’s part of author Winne Grigg's “My Crafty Friends and Family” category, Item #2106033, and consists of a hand-knitted silk and wool scarf in shades of turquoise , as well as an autographed copy of the final book of my Masters at Arms series, TRIUMPH IN ARMS. Bidding started on the site on May 1, and ends May 31. An amazing array of wonderful items has been donated for this auction, including many, many signed books. Do yourself a favor and bid to support this great cause at: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com

That about covers it for another month, I think. With warmest wishes for blue skies and reading pleasure as summer heads your way,

Jennifer Blake

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

A header should be included on every manuscript page. The text for this is normally located in the upper left hand corner, and includes the book title and author name or pseudonym with a slash mark between them, i. e., title/author. The purpose is easy identification of the manuscript, as well as aid in matching any straying page to its appropriate book and author.