Manuscript Format Setting Changes . . .
Browser Preferences Menu

THE PLAYWRITING SEMINARS > FORMAT > SETTINGS >

You'll only need to make these changes in the FIXED FONT and LINK STYLES settings so the Manuscript Format examples will display properly on your monitor. If you're not interested in format now, wait until you need it to change the settings . . . and go on to the other units of The Playwriting Seminars.

If you don't like following directions -- and that's often a good sign for playwriting -- here's all you're trying to do with the fine print below . . .

• Get rid of the underlining of links

• Setting your "Fixed Font" to 12-point type size

Here's the boring fine print going all the way back to stone-age Web browsers . . .

• For Netscape 1.1: Open the Preferences menu under Options.
  [Netscape 2.0 & 3.0 have it under General Preferences.
  Explorer 2.0 Options and Explorer 4.0 Preferences are under Edit; in 3.0 it's under View.]
  • Open & Set the Fonts and Colors window:
    [With Netscape 2.0 & 3.0 click on the Fonts tab. For Explorer 4.0 this is under Language/Fonts.]
  • Set the Fixed Font: to Courier
  • And set the Fixed Font Size: to 12
    [For Explorer 4.0 the browser's default setting for the font size is the correct one. It's the middle size of the five sizes you can select at the top of your browser window. But for some versions of Explorer, you'll need to change the font setting to one size larger [Large], using either the tool bar at the top of the window or the Font size in preferences.]

  • Open & Set the Window and Link Styles window:
    [With Netscape 2.0 it's on the Appearance tab. Netscape 3.0 does not underline links. For Explorer 4.0 it's under Browser Display.]
    • Unclick the box so that links are not underlined.
    • If you're using a B/W monitor: Leave the links underlined, but remember that there's no underlining in manuscript format except for occasional word emphasis in dialogue.

  • Set the Size of Your Browser Window:
    You need to do this to see the relationship between text on the page and the actual size of the paper.
    • For Netscape & Explorer browsers: open the Playwriting Seminars Format Page. Then narrow the width of your window by moving the right edge in so it's about 1" [4 cm] to the right of the page number [I-1] that's in the upper right corner.