Unleaded – Fuel for Writers

When it comes to the appearance of a manuscript, agents end up seeing a variety of formats, including some horror stories. So how should you format your manuscript? Nathan Bransford, a literary agent with the San Francisco office of Curtis Brown offers the following “author standard” template.

1. A title page with the title and your contact information
2. Double Space
3. 1″ margins
4. 1/2 inch indent for each new paragraph
5. Make sure pages are numbered and don’t start over every chapter
6. Page break after the end of a chapter
7. And no unusual fonts, choose either Times New Roman or Courier 12 point font

I’m sure there are a number of other details but Mr. Bransford suggestions are a great place to start.

 

 Manuscript Formatting [1:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In the writing world, and even more so in the screenwriting world you hear about being able to pitch your story. Basically, take your tale and encapsulate it in a one minute explanation. At first I thought the idea too easy and then when I was working on it, I thought it was stupid, but once I was done, realized exactly how useful it could be. Try and condense your story down into a single sentence of 25 words or less, a logline. And then try practicing it in front of a mirror, or some writer friends. It crystallizes what you are thinking and if you do this in the planning stage helps shape your book. It also doesn’t hurt that it gives you a concise well-thought-out answer the next time someone asks you – You write? So, what’s your novel about?

Audio File: Pitch Your Project – (An Unleaded, Fuel for Writers Podcast)