question about line breaks/short stories

bkwriter · Jan 11, 2010

Well I have just printed out ch 1 for pnwa contest and within the rules it said to place *** after each break. I'm just wondering is this standard for all submissions, even ones submitting to angents?

Thanks.

Another question: Can novels use the same scenes as in your short stories and just make the scene longer and vice versa if need be. I just have some ideas.

Thanks

Polenth · Jan 11, 2010

Standard manuscript format for a scene break is a # on its own line. That's the same for novels and shorts.

As for the other question... in general, I don't see a problem. For the contest you're entering, I have no idea.

blacbird · Jan 11, 2010

Regardless of the specific symbol recommended, there's a good reason to use a symbol of some kind to indicate a break. If you simply leave an extra blank line, it may fall at the end or beginning of a page, and thereby be easily missed.

caw

bkwriter · Jan 11, 2010

thanks

Danthia · Jan 12, 2010

I always use *** and nobody ever seemed to care. Whoever buys the story will change it to their house style anyway. As long as it's clear that there's a break, you're fine.

You can use the same scenes from a short in you expand it into a novel, but bear in mind that anyone who reads both could feel a weird sense of deja vu.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 12, 2010

Danthia said:
I always use *** and nobody ever seemed to care. Whoever buys the story will change it to their house style anyway. As long as it's clear that there's a break, you're fine.

You can use the same scenes from a short in you expand it into a novel, but bear in mind that anyone who reads both could feel a weird sense of deja vu.

There is no such thing as "house style" in this area. The editor will change your *** to a # because the # is a proofreaders' mark, and all editors use proofreaders' marks. So why not get it right and save the editor the trouble of having to charge it?

question about line breaks/short stories

bkwriter

Polenth

Mushroom

blacbird

bkwriter

Danthia

Jamesaritchie