Formatting of novels and novellas

• Chapters: Chapter headings structure the text into larger units and can be numbered or titled.
• Scenes: Some authors use subheadings or dividers to highlight scene changes within a chapter.

Paragraph Layout

The visual layout of paragraphs helps to guide the flow of reading:

• The first paragraph of a chapter or a new scene begins left-aligned and is not indented.
• All subsequent paragraphs are with an indented first line.

This ensures a clear visual separation of paragraphs without the need for additional blank lines.

Special Formats Within a Novel

A novel can contain various text types within the narrative that should be visually highlighted:

Letters and Written Documents:

• Letters are usually indented, italicized, or formatted in a different font to distinguish them from the rest of the text.
• Alternatively, they can be indented left and right to give the impression of a separate document.

Chat Messages or Digital Communication:

• These are often italicized to distinguish them from the rest of the narrative.
• To replicate the structure of a real chat, a left-right layout can be used to visually separate the speakers.

Flashbacks, flashforwards, memories, and dreams are also often italicized to clearly distinguish them from the narrative present or reality.

Scene Separators:

If a scene change occurs within a chapter but no new chapter begins, it is often marked by a separator.

• Typical separators are three stars (***), lines (—), or blank lines.
• They signal that time has passed or a plot change is taking place.