I am writing a comedy scene outline using bullet points. The problem is that when I get to bullet point 10 I get the text moving inwards like it has been tabbed. If I remove a bullet point sow that point 10 becomes point 9 then the extra spacing is removed as it is now bullet point 9



I have had it create extra spacing between each line. Microsoft's apparent default.

Attached Files

Temp.docx (12.6 KB, 8 views)

Your document uses auto-numbering, with a tab following the number. The shifting is caused by having insufficient space to accommodate the number and tab. You can fix that by changing the hanging indent setting for all the numbered paragraphs to, say, 0.33".

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I haven't added any tab in the numbered bullets that is how the word bullets system has created it. I found out from another document that if I change the font to Calibri then it works. It only seems to faile with Courier new. So can't be a tabbing problem.

If you click of the ¶ symbol on the Ribbon's home tab, the tabs, etc. in your document will show up. It doesn't matter whether you say you have added them; they are there and the adjustment I suggested will solve the problem.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks. Can I make this a template default as I would have to do this over 80 times on a very long document.

You can do that by right-clicking on the paragraph break for the modified paragraph, then using Styles>Update No Spacing to match selection. However, because you have some other paragraphs using that Style (e.g. Scene 1: ) instead of, say, the Normal Style, the update will get applied to them, too. Changing those paragraphs to a different Style (e.g. Normal - then adjusting its font in the same way) will solve that issue, too.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I have got a backward P to show tabs etc. Set font to Courier New as this is the problem. I have increased the hanging indent spacing on the ruler to solve the issue.

Right clicked on the paragraph marker Styles Update No spacing. I have lost my bullet points.

There is an option to create a new style so is that the best route to go down.

Sorry I should be able to get my head around this.

There is something odd about word. If I open word from the start menu which I have modified. This is ok BUT if I open up word document and Using the top office button thing and Select New I have a choice of Blank document or new blog. If I select new it is not the same as opening word from the start menu!

There is nothing odd about how Word is working. When you follow the process you outlines, all paragraphs in the 'No spacing' Style get changed - exactly as I indicated in post #6. The problem you're having is that you didn't follow the procedure I outlined.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

If the same Style is used for each of these bullet points, yes, you can modify the paragraph Style. I am capitalizing Style to emphasize that this is a Word feature rather than simply meaning how things look.
Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word

You are undertaking a major project using Word. Word is not a typewriter. By not having a good understanding of how this deceptively complex program works you are getting it to fight you rather than help you. Spending a few hours learning Word will save you days of tearing your hair out.

Basic Concepts of Microsoft Word - from Shauna Kelly

And finally, on numbering, it wouldn't hurt to look at How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Ribbon Versions of Word by Shauna Kelly .

These should be the same unless you put a shortcut to a different template on your Start Menu.

I suspect that if you are going to be doing the same kind of work a lot of the time, you would want to set up one or more numbered styles in a custom screenplay template for that purpose. Templates in Microsoft Word

You could also include boilerplate formatting and parts as AutoText.
Automated Boilerplate Using Microsoft Word

See http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/NumberAlign...#NumberedLists.

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Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

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