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Jul 24, 2022 · Step 1: Set up your document. Microsoft Word might not be made for screenwriting but the program can be heavily customized to approximate screenplay format. If you aren’t already comfortable using Microsoft Word, then refer to the video below for a helpful beginner’s guide to the features and functions of the program.
Open Microsoft Word and click "File" and "New" to create a blank document. Save this document with a title that you and others will easily recognize as your play. Make the first page of the document your cover page. This will give whomever is reading your play (agent, actor, director, etc.) all the basic information they need.
- Overview
- Formatting the Layout
- Formatting Text
- Adding Pictures, Graphs, & Tables
- Using a Formatted Template
- Saving in Other Formats
Microsoft Word is the world's most popular word processing app. Depending on what kind of legal, formal, or personal paper you’re writing, each has its own formatting guidelines. Fortunately, Microsoft Word makes it easy to format the layout, text, and other objects in your document. If you’re new to using Microsoft Word, don’t worry. You can be formatting your document
in no time. This wikiHow guide will teach you simple ways to format a Word document on your PC or Mac computer.
You can find most of the formatting tools you’ll need in the Ribbon menu at the top of your document.
If you don’t want to do all the formatting from scratch, try using one of Word’s premade templates.
Explore the Word user interface.
You can access most of Word’s formatting tools from the Menu Bar or the Ribbon at the top of the window. You can modify which tools are visible using the
The Menu Bar is the area at the top of the screen where you will find
, and other important menu commands.
The Ribbon is at the top of your workspace and contains icons, menus, and shortcuts to common tasks.
Different types of documents call for different text alignments. You can choose whether to align your entire document to the left, right, or at the
tab, you will a drop-down menu containing a list of fonts to choose from. Use your mouse to select the text you want to change, then choose a font from the list.
Change font size and color.
tab, you can change the size, color, and highlighting for your font. Select the text you want to format, then choose your options.
By default, they will be set to the size and font associated with your document’s current Style settings. For example, if you’re using Word’s default template, the
style will use Calibri as the default font and 12 pt. as the default text size.
Always consider the formatting guidelines of the document you are writing when choosing the font style and size.
Drag an image into your document.
This is a quick way to
to your Word document. Simply select an image on your desktop and drag and drop it into the document window. Make sure your image is placed exactly where you want it before you drop it.
You can also insert an image by going to the
Select one of the options to browse for images on your computer, the web, or Word’s gallery of stock photos.
You can also insert graphics or other media (such as video or audio clips) using the
Choose a template from the
Templates are a great way to create a nice-looking document without having to do all the formatting from scratch. To use one, open Word and select
from the side menu to create a new document, or select
menu. Click one of the templates on the screen to select it.
If you don’t see a template you like, use the
bar at the top of the window to find one that fits your needs. For instance, use keywords like “flyer,” “resume,” or “research paper” to find different styles of templates.
Click the file menu and select
If you want to save a document as a file type other than .DOCX, you can do so with the
If it’s a brand-new document that you haven’t already saved, select
You’ll see this menu at the bottom of the
Select the format you want from the menu.
In addition to common formats like .DOC, .DOCX, .TXT and .RTF, you can also save your document as a PDF, an XML file, or a macro-enabled Word file.
Apr 30, 2020 · Open a new Word document and select the same paper size as your preferred screenplay format. Choose your font. The title is centered somewhere just above the middle (doesn’t matter). On the next line (or you could leave a couple of lines) you write ‘by’.
Jul 17, 2022 · Our Microsoft Word screenplay template works by mimicking the various formatting elements of a screenplay such as sluglines, action lines, and dialogue. To strengthen your characters’ conversations, be sure to read our tips for writing great dialogue. The way our template is able to mimic a screenwriting program’s various formatting sets is ...
Mar 12, 2012 · OpenOffice Writer, for example, uses the OpenDocument, or ODF, format. Kingsoft Writer uses a format called WPS. And so on. Fortunately, these and other programs can save documents in multiple ...
Dec 20, 2023 · Standard manuscript format calls for 1-inch margins on all sides. This is typically the default setting in most word processors, but you can set it manually in Microsoft Word under Layout > Margins > Normal. Make sure your page size is also set to the standard dimensions of 8.5 by 11 inches by selecting Layout > Size > Letter. Headers
