To two space or one

[Rachel Caldecott]

One space between each sentence, they said. Science just proved them wrong.

 

[Amber]

Funny.

It took me a while to get used to single spacing but now it’s easy. I know people who refuse to single-space. Either way, it’s easy to do a search and replace to change the spacing.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Well, that study really proved nothing except what we already knew ... two spaces worked better for the old typewriter fonts. Why did they not use modern fonts, which is what the whole current argument is all about? Weird.

I'm a reformed two-spacer and have no strong opinion one way or another, frankly. I switched to one space because it takes half as much time to type, and it's what publishers want. I think it's a little like the question of which way the toilet paper roll faces ... not worth spending too much time worrying about.

 

[KateESal]

I two-space out of habit, then usually delete the extra when editing, so it takes me twice as long. Clearly I need to sort out the FIND option mentioned above. In fact, that may revolutionise my writing process in a small way.

 

[Colin Mulhern]

I don't use Tabs anymore. I use a first line indent on my paragraph style. The time it saves - as well as the unnecessary stretching of my left pinkie.

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I two-space out of habit, then usually delete the extra when editing, so it takes me twice as long. Clearly I need to sort out the FIND option mentioned above. In fact, that may revolutionise my writing process in a small way.

Hi KateESal, I'd never even heard about this debate until someone in the Colony pointed out that I was double spacing. (Oh, the shame!), but they kindly explained that in Word you can search for a word and replace it throughout the document. Well, that works for spaces too. Saves a lot of time. My computer is in French so I've taken a screen shot of what you need. Which in my case is 'Remplacer'.

 

[KateESal]

@Rachel Caldecott-Thornton This is brilliantly helpful and will save me precious time. Thanks!
PS (off-topic alert!) Which part of France do you live in?

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I live in Lodève, about 50k north of Montpellier (just before you climb up onto the plateau on the way up to Millau).

 

[Rich.]

... (off-topic alert!) ...

I wouldn't worry too much about steering the ship off course. Most people here are happy to discover new destinations.

I think it's a little like the question of which way the toilet paper roll faces ... not worth spending too much time worrying about.

But... but... if you've got tiled walls and you take a shower and the roll faces inwards, the paper sticks to the wall!

Ahem. Excuse me. I appear to have been possessed by a pedant. Now, where did I leave my exorcism kit?

 

[KateESal]

I live in Lodève, about 50k north of Montpellier (just before you climb up onto the plateau on the way up to Millau).

Ooh, I bet it's gorgeous. My mum lives in Provence, after being in the Lot region for twenty years. France is so beautiful.

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

Our part of France, the Hérault, is beautiful but very poor. Full of people who'd like to be in Provence, but can't afford it. I imagine they like to tell their friends back home in the UK that they live (or have a holiday home) in the South of France. So, while Provence is full of company execs, film stars etc... Hérault is full of retired low-level civil servants, teachers, etc. We bought our house in 2002 when it cost £9000. There is a fair amount of snobbery here (which I think is missplaced). One 'ex-pat' (it turns out he's an ex-double glazing salesman on the run from his creditors in the UK, ) once said that we weren't worth knowing because we were 'too poor'. But it is beautiful and full of interesting history. Every direction you go out of town , you come across completely different scenery with its own selection of flora and fauna. It gets very hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. We have one of the best street markets in the region (which is where i work every Saturday morning) and there is a huge Buddhist temple just outside town (site of a massive sex and financial scandal). Huge population! 7000! Lots of North Africans, Germans, Aussies, English, Dutch, Belgians, Bhutanese, Tibetan and so on.
Interesting factoid: Bernard Guidonis was Bishop here for a long time - he was the Inquisitor in Umberto Ecco's Name of the Rose.

 

[KateESal]

Sounds like a fascinating area and not one I've ever visited (I've been to various parts of France, but it's so huge there's still plenty to explore).
Ha, my mum is a retired teacher (semi-retired – she keeps getting offered work...) and her partner is a retired engineer, so not part of the company exec and film star set in Provence..! They've benefitted from a few wise investments and being well-placed baby boomers, though.
I love French markets, they really are fantastic. The Spanish Sunday markets are more akin to car-boot sales and flea markets, but can still be a lot of fun to wander 'round. Great places for people watching.
Nice factoid, btw...

 

[Amber]

I two-space out of habit, then usually delete the extra when editing, so it takes me twice as long. Clearly I need to sort out the FIND option mentioned above. In fact, that may revolutionise my writing process in a small way.

Are you using Word? In Windows programs, in general, you can get to Find by pressing Ctl-F (Control and F at the same time).

For the replace option. I use old keyboard strokes in Word, because I'm old, and Word kindly has conceded to continue to recognize them, even though I'm clearly an anachronism. Those keyboard strokes are: Alt-e e (Hold down the alt key and hit E twice while not letting up on the Alt key). It sounds harder when I type it out. In the find box you can type a period and hit the space bar twice. Then you can replace all or have the program navigate to each instance and replace each one.

 

[Amber]

Hi KateESal, I'd never even heard about this debate until someone in the Colony pointed out that I was double spacing. (Oh, the shame!), but they kindly explained that in Word you can search for a word and replace it throughout the document. Well, that works for spaces too. Saves a lot of time. My computer is in French so I've taken a screen shot of what you need. Which in my case is 'Remplacer'. View attachment 2276

Oh. That's what I get for not reading all the posts....

 

[Carol Rose]

Well whether people like it or not, or find it annoying, silly, whatever, it's the standard now to SINGLE SPACE between sentences. And it's been the standard for like two decades now. Just like one inch margins is the standard, indenting paragraphs using the settings in your word processing program (as opposed to using the tab feature) and double-spacing your manuscript are standard.

The reasons? Uniformity and ease of formatting for print and ebooks. If you've ever had to format a document into something that looks right on the pages of a published book, or makes sense on the pages of an ebook after you open it in an e-reader, you'd understand why these things are necessary.

They're not to torture or shame the author. They're to make the process as smooth as possible so readers have a nice-looking book they've just spent money on, and so someone isn't sitting in the background, taking as long to format the damn thing as it took you write it.

So sorry, but suck it up buttercup, and learn to use ONE space after a sentence. Not two.

 

[KateESal]

For the replace option. I use old keyboard strokes in Word, because I'm old, and Word kindly has conceded to continue to recognize them, even though I'm clearly an anachronism. Those keyboard strokes are: Alt-e e (Hold down the alt key and hit E twice while not letting up on the Alt key). It sounds harder when I type it out. In the find box you can type a period and hit the space bar twice. Then you can replace all or have the program navigate to each instance and replace each one.

Thanks Amber, all layout advice welcome.

So sorry, but suck it up buttercup, and learn to use ONE space after a sentence. Not two.

Duly sucked up.

Best regards,

Buttercup

 

[KateESal]

Okay, just spent a useful half hour or so re-formatting my manuscript with paragraph indents now corrected and double spaces eliminated.

Thanks, All.

And, incidentally @Amber I did use the keyboard shortcut for find and replace. It was very satisfying.

 

[Amber]

Okay, just spent a useful half hour or so re-formatting my manuscript with paragraph indents now corrected and double spaces eliminated.

Thanks, All.

And, incidentally @Amber I did use the keyboard shortcut for find and replace. It was very satisfying.

Isn't it? It has a nice rhythm to it.