Getting it right from the start

Getting it right from the start

Rule Number One

In a lot of cases, first drafts will be handwritten.  My first two were, although I tend to type quicker these days and my handwriting is seriously lacking in legibility!  Therefore, rule number one is type out your manuscript onto a computer.  Sounds obvious, but it’s a MUST.

Rule Number Two

Use the correct format.  For children’s novels; this differs depending on where you look, but here are some basic rules from www.ehow.com;

o    1

Once in Word, open your Normal Template to establish the basics for your manuscript.

o    2

Set the font to Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point size in black. Do not use bold, italics, underline or any colors.

o    3

Set the paragraphs to left alignment based on the body text and the line spacing to double.

o    4

Set the margins for the document to one inch on all sides.

o    5

Set the indentation to zero and the first line indentation to a half inch.

o    6

Set the spacing before and after each paragraph to zero.

o    7

Number your pages. Start with one. Set a page break at the end of a chapter. Don't start numbers over after each chapter.

If your manuscript is a picture book, do not break it into pages with a few sentences on each, as it would appear in the finished book--just type it out as a story.  The publisher along with the illustrator will decide when the page breaks occur. 

Poetry should be in stanzas, as you would see it in a book.  A stanza is when you group two or more lines, that are usually within a set pattern of rhyme.

Rule Number Three

After you’ve written your masterpiece, use the spellcheck – each and every single time you make revisions.  There will be spelling errors, no matter how well you spell! 

Getting it right from the start will make things a whole lot easier for you.  Good Luck x