To Tab or Automate?
***I interrupt your learning for this important statement: Please know I really wanted to include screenshots, but haven’t learned how to do that with SquareSpace yet. I do have a Word doc with screens shots. If you’d like me to send the Word doc to you, please use the email icon located in the upper right corner to send me a note. Thank you. And now, back to your learning.***
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how Word can do the mundane task of setting the first-line indents for you!
Why is this so awesome? Because first-line indents are the industry standard per the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS 2.11 and 2.12). Why not just use the space bar or tab? Because CMoS specifically states not to use spaces, and tabs are more work for you. If you automate the task to indent the first line of each paragraph, you can type, type, type away at your story, essay, or article without interrupting the creative flow with remembering to tab in half an inch.
Some writers mark new paragraphs by adding an extra line, with or without the indent. According to CMoS, the industry go-to for how to format a manuscript, the extra line is not the standard format. Whether agents and editors frown upon it, I’m not sure; however, the extra line does require an editor to go through the manuscript to delete the extra lines and add the first-line indents if they’re missing.
Many writers like the tab key and are accustomed to the key stroke routine “Ending punctuation, return, tab.” For some, including me, it’s a bit nostalgic, reminding us of the clickety-clack, thunk, whoosh of the same routine on a typewriter. Using tab is acceptable as long as you consistently use it. If you’re like me, when you get in a flow, the tab is easy to forget, which means spending time during revisions to add in the erroneous formatting.
Fortunately, there is a way to “code” Word to automatically add the first-line indent every time you tap “Return,” and you don’t need to know how to code. All you need to know is which buttons and drop-down options to click.
If this is your first time reading/watching one of my tutorials, please note that I use Word for Mac. I assume Word for Microsoft/PCs works similarly, but there may be subtle differences.
Before we start, I recommend setting up Word so you can see the paragraph symbol (¶) in your documents. Look on the Home Tab at the top of the screen to find the ¶. If it’s shaded by a dark grey square, it’s on. If not, click on the ¶ to turn on the Formatting Marks.
If you don’t see the ¶ in the Home tab, then go to Word, Preferences, Ribbon & Tools.
Scroll in the left list of options to find and select “¶ Show Formatting Marks.” Click the right pointing arrow to move it into the right list of customized ribbon options.
Now to format the first line indents.
Option 1:
Open a new Word document.
Look at the Ruler up top. If it doesn’t show, select the View menu and click Ruler.
Find the triangle markers (my term. I have no idea what Microsoft calls them). They may be flush left. If this is the case, click the top one and slide it over to the half-inch mark on the Ruler. Et voilà, you have your indent automatically set.
But if you’re like me, clicking on the tiny triangle every time I open a new document frustrates me because I often forget to make that adjustment until I’ve written several paragraphs.
So, Option 2:
In your Word document, select Format, Paragraph to open the dialogue box.
In the Indentation section (second from the top), select First Line from the drop-down options on the right. The distance, 0.5”, will automatically populate.
Click OK. Et voilà, you have your indent automatically set.
Even Option 2, though, requires the adjustment before the writing commences. AAARRGH! Depending on when you realize the paragraphs are not indented, you could have a lot of paragraphs to go back and manually correct.
There are three ways to add the first line indents.
The first option is select all and move the tiny top triangle in the ruler, à la the Option 1 above.
A second option is to select all and go through the steps of Format, Paragraph, Indentation, à la Option 2 above.
OR, if you want a way to indent all the paragraphs without “selecting all,” you can modify the “Normal” style to include the first line indent. Word then updates every paragraph formatted as “Normal.”
From the Home tab in the Ribbon, select Styles Pane. If it doesn’t show on the Ribbon, you can go back to Preferences, Ribbon & Toolbar. Add Styles Pane.
Open the Styles Pane from the Home Tab.
Hover the mouse over the Normal style and click the down arrow on the right.
Select Modify Style…
Click on Format at the bottom left and select Paragraph…
In the Indentation section (second from the top), select First Line from the drop-down options on the right. The distance, 0.5”, will automatically populate. (This is the same as Option 2 above)
Click OK. Et voilà, you have your indent automatically set.