What's your favorite writing font?

librarianj

Registered
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
One of my favorite forms of procrastination is changing the font on my manuscript. My brain: "If I could find the right font, my story will come pouring out of me!" LOL

So just for fun, what font do you write your manuscripts in??:popcorn:
 

Brightdreamer

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
12,975
Reaction score
4,508
Location
USA
Website
brightdreamersbookreviews.blogspot.com
I once read a writing tip that suggested using different fonts for different drafts, to help you keep track of where you were in revisions (and to prevent pages from being shuffled if you print out for review.)

For writing, I tend to stick to the classics - Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman. They're nicely invisible. (That said, for other projects, I have a metric spitload of downloaded fonts.)
 

starrystorm

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
2,987
Reaction score
605
Age
24
I usually write in Times New Roman, but during this last editing session, I have been rewriting in different fonts. After a while, if I'm dragging, I change fonts. I don't know why it's so amusing. :)
 

talktidy

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
896
Reaction score
86
Location
Fabulous Sweyn's Eye
Verdana 13pt. I write in Scrivener and it's what looks best with my present screen settings. I can compile into Times New Roman 12pt if needed.
 

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
9,239
Reaction score
2,316
Location
Oregon, USA
Since traditional trade publishers used to want either old school Courier (which I've never liked from the bad old days of font balls IBM Selectric typewriters) or Times New Roman, I go with the latter.

I guess I don't see the point in playing mind games with myself in the off chance I might improve one of my many drafts.

Likewise, I can't see my lady's point of eating on smaller plates to trick ourselves into thinking we get more food. I mean, I can see it's only less food on a smaller plate. How dumb does she think my stomach is? :Shrug:
 

MaeZe

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
12,772
Reaction score
6,478
Location
Ralph's side of the island.
I'm an Arial gal but I use Courier and NewTimesRoman depending on what I'm writing for.

Wonder if the font we use says anything about our personalities.
 

stephenf

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
335
There are lots of nice fonts available. However, if your preparing a manuscript for posable publication your better off sticking to monospace fonts, such as Courier New or Times Roman
 

msuss

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2008
Messages
72
Reaction score
5
Location
Boston area
Website
www.MichaelSussmanBooks.com
There are lots of nice fonts available. However, if your preparing a manuscript for posable publication your better off sticking to monospace fonts, such as Courier New or Times Roman

Librarianj is referring to fonts that are conducive to writing, not to the conventional fonts used for submitting a manuscript. I used Verdana for writing the MG novel I recently completed. The novel contains a story-within-a-story which is inspired by Alice In Wonderland, and I found that the font called Bodoni MT has a storybook look to it which really helped me write that section.
 

Erinell

Registered
Joined
Aug 22, 2018
Messages
44
Reaction score
6
Location
Where ideas and imagination gather
I compose in 12 pt courier, double-spaced -- it's just easier on the eyes for some reason -- but when preparing it nicely for the inevitable rejection, I stick with TNR (a font everybody has). I discovered, however, that when reading the "final" draft, I catch errors more easily in 10.5 point Georgia, formatted as if for a 6x9 book (folios and all). That give me very nice side margins for markup and the psychological edge of reading it as a book rather than casually as a draft. Also means that whenever the querying day is done, I've also got it formatted to self-pub it.
 

librarianj

Registered
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
I usually write in Times New Roman, but during this last editing session, I have been rewriting in different fonts. After a while, if I'm dragging, I change fonts. I don't know why it's so amusing. :)

Haha I wish it actually helped me write better !!
 

rgroberts

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 1, 2018
Messages
135
Reaction score
14
Location
New England, USA
I write in Georgia. I used to write in Garmond, but Georgia is easier on the eyes. I can't force myself to write double spaced, either, so right now I'm writing with an extra space after every paragraph to give myself a little more thinking space. It's better than hitting enter twice and then having to find/replace ^p^p with ^p to fix the formatting after the fact, anyway! I always change to Times New Roman and double spaced before submitting, but typing in that format makes me feel like I'm back to writing a college paper. That definitely doesn't help my creativity!
 

Enlightened

Always Learning
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 5, 2018
Messages
4,863
Reaction score
167
Location
Colorado
Times, 12pt. I wrote a lot of academic papers earning my degrees. It's what I am used to.
 

Mulergo

Registered
Joined
Jul 24, 2018
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Location
Michigan
I used to use Constantia for everything, but somewhere along the way I got tired of switching it and fell into Times New Roman. If I find myself easily distracted, I increase the pt. until the words are challenging me to a glaring contest.
 

s_nov

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Messages
224
Reaction score
20
I use a different font for every manuscript. It helps me develop tonally, which is odd, probably. I have one in Dante, one in Centuar, one in Verdana, and a few others. I use serifs if they go well with voice, more whimsical fonts for more whimsical stories, etc. And then I change back to Calibri or TNR before sending to my agent :)
 

CharlesXav

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2008
Messages
53
Reaction score
4
Location
Springfield, MA
Gotta say - mine is definitely Courier New. I've gotten a lot of feedback from my beta readers that they don't like it though so I've switched to Times New Roman recently.
 

Helix

socially distancing
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
11,695
Reaction score
12,079
Location
Atherton Tablelands
Website
snailseyeview.medium.com
I write in Georgia or Booksomething. (Can't remember what the actual name is.) I'll sometimes switch to Comic Sans to see if the writing stands up. But I always submit in 12pt TNR.
 

Helix

socially distancing
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
11,695
Reaction score
12,079
Location
Atherton Tablelands
Website
snailseyeview.medium.com
Could be! It's a serif font, not too fancy, but easy on the eye. (Am bored stupid at Heathrow at the moment. I could entertain myself by looking up the font.)

ETA: that didn't take long. It's Bookman Old.
 
Last edited:

syntellsmith

Registered
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Location
Detroit, MI
New Times Roman, it's the standard. Makes no sense to commit to any other font if they want it in that font anyways.
 

AstronautMikeDexter

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
209
Reaction score
168
Location
Massachusetts
Website
michaelprocopiowrites.wordpress.com
There's just something about Calibri 11 pt, 1.5 spaced font that really gets the writing juices flowing during the first draft for me.

Once the first draft is done, I'll switch it over to Times News Roman and double space it and all that, which kind of helps separate the drafts for me. I'm able to view it with a critical eye.