Home
>
Writing
>
Basic Word Processing Tips for Writers

Basic Word Processing Tips for Writers

Word processors are so widely used now that I tend to take it for granted that most writers know how to perform basic tasks (e.g. double space their work, count the number of words, and indent a paragraph automatically). Every so often, however, I see a manuscript that reminds me that there are a lot of writers who are still using a word processor as they would an old-fashioned typewriter.

They put a double space after a full stop; they hit the space bar half a dozen times to indent a paragraph, and they tap 'Enter' at the end of every line to achieve double spacing. This can result in some peculiar effects - such as capital letters at the beginning of every 'double spaced' line. (The computer thinks you are starting a new paragraph when you hit 'enter', so it automatically starts it with a capital letter.)

Here are a few tips on how to perform basic word processing functions. I'm using Microsoft Word for these examples, because it is the most widely used word processor (and the one I'm most familiar with). However, you should find that most word processors work in a similar way.

How To Double Space Your Work

Type your story or scene in normal single spacing
Look for the word 'Edit' on the menu bar at the top of your screen. Click on it, then choose 'Select all' in the drop down menu. Slick on 'select all' and your story will be highlighted in black.
Look for the word 'Format' on the menu bar. Click on it, then choose 'Paragraph' from the drop-down menu.
A pop-up text box will appear. Look for the line that says 'Line spacing'. It will probably say 'single' in the rectangular box underneath it. Click on the arrow beside the box and a menu will drop down with other choices. Choose 'double' and then click on OK. Your whole story should immediately become double spaced.

How To Indent Your Paragraphs

If you set your work to the accepted layout for business letters and documents, your paragraphs will all be flush left, and you will have a space between each paragraph. Don't use this format for your manuscripts- otherwise when you double-space your work, the spaces between get double spaced as well. You will waste a lot of paper, and it can be annoying for the reader if you have a series of short paragraphs and therefore a lot of white space on the page.

Before you start typing, set your paragraphs up using this method:

Click on 'Format' on the menu bar at the top of your screen.
Click on 'Paragraph'. A text box will pop up.
Look for the word 'Indentation'. In that section, you will see the word 'Special'. It will probably be set to 'none'. Click on the arrow beside the box, and choose 'First line'. This means that just the first line of each paragraph will be indented. Don't close the text box yet.
In the section underneath you will see the words 'before' and 'after'. This refers to the space before and after your paragraph. Make sure both are set to zero. Then click OK.

How To Count Words

Click on 'Tools' on the menu at the top of your screen.
Choose 'Word Count'. A box will pop up with various statistics for your work in progress, including a word count.

Cutting, Copying, Pasting and Deleting

You can select (highlight) one word quickly by double-clicking it. You can select a whole paragraph by clicking the left mouse button three times.
To delete a word or a paragraph once it is highlighted, simply press the 'delete' key.
To move a highlighted sentence (or a word) to a different place in the paragraph, you can use either of these methods:
click on the 'edit' menu at the top of your screen, choose 'cut' from the drop-down menu, move your cursor to the place you want to insert the sentence, choose 'edit' then click on 'paste'.
Place your cursor (which turns into an arrow when you highlight text) anywhere in the highlighted text. Click and hold down the left mouse button. You will see a little box appear at the bottom of the arrow-this represents the block of text you are moving. Making sure you continue to hold down the left mouse button, drag the highlighted section to its new position. (You will see a grey cursor line moving with the text-just position that cursor where you want the sentence to start.)
If you want to copy text from one document to another, simply open two files at once. Highlight the text you want to copy as described here, but choose 'copy' from the 'edit' menu rather than 'cut'. Move to the second document (which will be open in separate window - look for it on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen; click on it and it will pop up. Alternatively, click on 'Window' on the menu bar at the top of the page, and choose the document you want from the list that drops down.) Place the cursor where you want to place the text copied from document #1, choose "Edit" then "paste".

How To Start A New Page

Sometimes (for example, when you want to start a new chapter) you will want to move to a new page when you are only part-way down the existing page. DON'T just keep tapping the 'Enter' key until you eventually arrive at a new page. This makes it harder for the editor to format the work later on.

To finish working on one page and move quickly to a new one, click on 'Insert' on the menu bar at the top of your screen. Then click on 'Break'. A box will pop up so you can choose what kind of break you want - in this case, it's simply "page break". This will probably be the one selected. Make sure there is a black dot in the circle next to 'page break' (do this by clicking on it if the circle is empty) and then click OK.

The "Undo" Arrow

This is a blessing for writers. If you make a mistake while editing, and end up losing a whole paragraph, page or section, simply click on the little blue curved arrow at the top of the screen. If one click doesn't get you back to where you were, keep clicking until you've undone the disaster. The arrow that curves to the left is 'undo'; the arrow that curves to the right is 'redo'.

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.

Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money

Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches

Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.

Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.

C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.

Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.

Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts

Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.

Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.

ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.

Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.

Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.

Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.

A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Basic Word Processing Tips for Writers

Writing