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Writers Retreat > Student Talk > Course Lessons > Identing for new paragraph and dialogue
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Dani
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« on: September 28, 2008, 12:14:34 AM »
On page 22 of the Instruction Manual (Writing for Children and Teenagers), it indicates to indent 5 spaces.  It appears that this is the case whether it is dialogue or narrative.  However, my instructor indicated that I should ident .5".  She only marked it for the dialogue portion and not the narratives. Since she did not mark the narrative, which I'd indented 5 spaces, like the manual indicates, I am confused.   Huh?  I want to get this right before submitting assignment 2, which I'd hoped to do tomorrow (Sunday).  I could understand it if 5 spaces was the same as .5", but that is not the case. 

Also, I noticed that the narrative and dialogue indents start at the same place in the stories I've read in From Inspiration to Publication and First Time Authors.  They start in the same place in the sample on page 22 as well.  So, they must be the same.

Is our manual out of date?  Can someone help me with this please? 


Thanks,

Danie
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Danielle
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« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2008, 10:12:30 AM »
I've noticed that if I indent paragraphs with a tab, the word processor eventually "learns" that I want to indent paragraphs and just does it for me. I like that. It will switch all the indenting to standard if you just use the tab for indent -- that's assuming, of course, that you're letting the word processor do your spacing too. Hitting enter at the end of every line will prevent you from using any of the word processor automatic format functions (and will drive elesson instructors insane...which might be a bonus, not sure  Grin )

Jan
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Dani
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« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2008, 10:25:06 AM »
Thanks, but is the ident .5" or 5 spaces?   The manual says 5 spaces, but my instructor indicated .5".  From my assignment markup, it appears that dialogue is indented .5" and narrative is 5 spaces.  I say that because she didn't markup the narrative for indentation.   It doesn't look good when narrative is 5 spaces and dialogue is .5".  I hadn't indented the dialogue at all for assignment 1, so I can understand why she marked that, but the narrative wasn't marked for not being .5".  I'm still confused about what to do. 

It seems to me that it should all be .5".  It that's true, then the instruction manual is incorrect or does the amount of indentation not matter, as long as it's consistent.  Huh?
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Danielle
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« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2008, 11:40:46 AM »
I use tab to indent all my new paragraphs, both dialogue and narrative, it is so much easier. My instructor has never complained about it, and I am on lesson 6. I reccommend you use tab.
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Sandy
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« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2008, 12:02:08 PM »
lol, it's nice to know that the *tab* works, but you have set a tab bar so it knows where you want it to go don't you?  Lol I know you had to way back in the stone ages when we had a typing class with type writers, not keyboards.  But not only was that forever ago, I didn't ever go, so I can't remember the rules either.  I thought it was 5 spaces.  It's what I always use.  But the tab bar can't know what your teacher wants if it's different from the book.  And that's the real question.  Is the book right or is it old and the teacher right?

Sandy
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Sandy
Dani
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« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2008, 01:36:11 PM »
Quote from: Sandy on September 28, 2008, 12:02:08 PM
lol, it's nice to know that the *tab* works, but you have set a tab bar so it knows where you want it to go don't you?   Lol I know you had to way back in the stone ages when we had a typing class with type writers, not keyboards.  But not only was that forever ago, I didn't ever go, so I can't remember the rules either.  I thought it was 5 spaces.  It's what I always use.  But the tab bar can't know what your teacher wants if it's different from the book.  And that's the real question.  Is the book right or is it old and the teacher right?
Sandy

That's exactly my question.  I know HOW to use a tab and I know HOW to indent, but I want to know by how much?  I'm just going to send it in and make everything .5".  If it's marked up, so be it.

Thanks for all input though.   Smiley

Dani

Edited:  There's a Talk About article entitled "Preparing Manuscripts for Submission", and it states indent 1/2".
« Last Edit: September 28, 2008, 02:16:31 PM by Dani » Logged
Danielle
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« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2008, 04:09:33 PM »
Dani, I'd say indent 5 spaces, and if in doubt send a query to your instructor. Smiley
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« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2008, 05:43:52 PM »
Sorry, the default first tab for a manuscript in WORD is .5

Actually, originally with typewriters, most fiction manuscripts were indented 5 spaces (because a lot of writers guidelines called for that) but as we all started using word processors, 5 spaces just doesn't show up well in a printed manuscript so many guidelines switched to 8 spaces which is about .5

Thus, the manual asking for 5 is actually reflecting what writers guidelines used to ask for...now mostly they just ask writers to indent new paragraphs and editors assume you're using the default tab for the first indent. If you really want to space...space 8 and you'll get about the same distance most of the time.

Jan
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Dani
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« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2008, 06:41:14 PM »
Thanks.  I'll use the .5" tab for everything.  Smiley
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Danielle
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« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2008, 02:49:45 AM »
Well that makes sense, Jan. Smiley
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