Writing Templates

by Lazarus Black

I'm a template fiend. I've made hundreds professionally laying out ad campaigns and books of all kinds. Feel free to download and use these I made for Word and Scrivener. If you have any problems, let me know - but I may not be able to update immediately (depending on how long these stay relevant).

For those who don't know, William Shunn is widely considered the expert of standard Manuscript Guidelines, and many publishers even cite and link to him for writers to abide by. You can find his work here: https://www.shunn.net/format/

Or you download these templates I've already made for Microsoft Word and Scrivener 3. They both specifically use Style Sheets. 

Microsoft Word Template

Download the template for Microsoft Word by clicking here: https://files.pixpa.com/671957...

Save and Open It

The file is a *.dotx file, which means that it cannot be written over. Save it anywhere, open it with Word and it will force you to save any work you do as a new *.docx file.

Once open, there will be obvious places for you to replace with your own information (e.g., name, address, title, etc.). Don't forget to double-click in the header to replace that title as well. 

Styles:

I highly recommend you use the Styles I programmed and not to futz with the settings yourself. Honestly. Do yourself a favor. You can find the Styles in the Home Panel or the Styles Pane. I prefer to keep the Styles Pane open at all times. Select the new Style listed to change the active paragraph to that new style.

"How to Apply Styles" in Microsoft Word for Windows: https://support.microsoft.com/...

"How to Apply Styles" in Microsoft Word for MacOS:https://teacherscollege.screen...

While there are over a dozen styles to choose from, the only ones you will use commonly are:

• Normal: Times New Roman. 12pt. Double-Spaced. 0.5" indent. Left-Aligned. (For all of your prose.)
• Section Break: Times New Roman. 12pt. Double-Spaced. Centered. (For centered # symbols.)
• Subtitle: Times New Roman. 12pt. Double-Spaced. Centered. (For POV changes.)
• Chapter Head: Times New Roman. 12pt. Double-Spaced. Centered. Page Break before. (For chapter titles.)

Scrivener 3 Template

(It may work for other versions. I don't know.)

Download the template for Scrivener 3 by clicking here: https://files.pixpa.com/671957...

Save and Open It

The file is a *.scriv file, which means that it can be written over. Save it somewhere safe, duplicate it, then open the copy with Scrivener.

Once open, there will be custom pages with obvious places for you to replace with your own information (e.g., name, address, title, etc.). 

Custom Elements

There are lots of custom folders and templates inside it. Honestly, Scrivener is complicated enough that if you are using it already, I shouldn't have to explain how. But notice there are templates to keep track of your Characters, Places, and MacGuffins. There is also a section called Structure with entire story structure you can copy into the Manuscript folder and begin writing.

Notice the general text file is titled "Scene". That's how I write. One file per scene. You can use it however you want. Inside the default you will find:

• A section break "#" (Delete if you don't need it.)
• A scene title in Blue Text. (Delete it as soon as you don't need it anymore - and never publish with it.)
• An ellipsis "...". Replace this with all your prose.
  

Also notice that the default icon for the Scene icon is an Unticked checkbox. To replace it, right-click or control-click on the file and select the Ticked icon from the Change Icon>To Do contextual menu. I do this to help measure my progress.

Styles:

I highly recommend you use the Styles I programmed and not to futz with the settings yourself. Honestly. Do yourself a favor. You can find the Styles in the Format>Style dropdown menu, Style Menu (⇧⌘Y), or the Styles Panel (^S). I prefer to keep the Styles Panel open at all times. Select the new Style listed to change the active paragraph to that new style.

"Doing it with Style" in Scrivener for MacOS: https://www.literatureandlatte...

While there are over a dozen styles to choose from, the only ones you will use commonly are:

• 2 POV: Times New Roman Italics Bold. 12pt. Double-Spaced. 0.5" indent. Centered. (For POV changes.)
• 3 Centered #: Times New Roman. 12pt. Double-Spaced. 0.5" indent. Centered. (For centered # symbols.)
• 5 Body - Double-Spaced: Times New Roman. 12pt. Double-Spaced. 0.5" indent. Left-Aligned. (For all of your prose.)

Good luck!