Top 10 Microsoft Word Tips for Writers

When you use something every day for years, you start to think you’re getting pretty good at it.But if you’re like most writers, you’ve probably been using Microsoft Word to write a few pages, save them, and maybe print them out.

If you’re working with an editor, clients, or other writers, then you likely use Track Changes or Comments all the time, too.

You could do those things for years without even scratching the surface of Word’s features.

But who cares, right? You use Word for exactly what you need to do.

Until one day, a weird dotted line appears across your page. Try as you might, you cannot remove it.Or you insert a photo and your text formatting goes haywire.Or you know you misspelled someone’s name in your document, but you don’t realize it until you’re 25 pages in.
Or, *gasp*, your client forgets to use Track Changes. (See #7 and thank me later.)

Luckily, there are ways to fix all these problems – and we wrote blog posts with instructions.

We even threw in a couple neat tricks to save you time. Check out our Top 10 here, in random order:

  1. #1.Format Painter

    If you’ve ever copied content from one document and pasted it into another, you’ve probably had to go back to fix the formatting so that it matches. Format Painter makes that tedious task a little faster. Read more

  2. #2. Using Tables to Format Images

    Have you ever tried inserting a bunch of images into a document by just clicking on Pictures in the Insert tab? The answer to the chaos that inevitably ensued is none other than Tables. Read more

  3. #3. Removing Mysterious Formatting

    Recently, we had a long document that had several dotted lines running across the page. We had no idea how they got there. Several writers tried to remove them, but it wasn’t until months later that one of them succeeded. Here’s how she did it: Read more

  4. #4. Spell Check in Other Languages

    Word’s spell check feature is multilingual! And you can unleash its genius with just a few clicks. Read more

  5. #5. Readability Statistics

    Writing something for the general public? Then you’ll want to aim for about a 5th grade reading level. Turning on the Readability Statistics feature in Word will let you know if you’re in the right ballpark for your audience. Read more

  6. #6. Read Aloud

    For the best proofreading job, you’ll need to read the document aloud. So, you can read until you’re hoarse – or you can get Word to do it for you. Read more

  7. #7. Compare Documents

    Need to compare two versions of a document for all those secret, un-tracked revisions?
    Thank goodness it’s easier than you think! Read more

  8. #8. Customize the Ribbon

    Save time and clicks by organizing all your favorite features in one area of the toolbar. Read more

  9. #9. The Control Button

    You’re on deadline and don’t have time to take those fingers off the keyboard, so commit a few ctrl functions to memory. Read more

  10. #10. Alphabetize

    Here’s a bonus tip so quick that it doesn’t need its own blog post. Use the AZ button in the Home tab to quickly alphabetize any list. Just highlight the list and click this button:

Do you have other Word tricks up your sleeve? Let us know in the comments.

Word Tip of the Week: Create a Custom Toolbar

If you’re like most of us, you tend to use the same Word features all the time.

And those features might not just be in the Home tab.

If you find yourself switching tabs over and over, save yourself some clicks – and time – by customizing the ribbon.

To customize the ribbon in Word:

1. Right-click on any tab. A menu will appear.

2. Choose Customize the Ribbon…

3. A big menu of your many options will appear! Choose which features you want on which tabs. Take your time!

4. Make sure to click OK when you’re finished.

 

Like this tip? Check out our other Word tips to save you time.

 

 

 

Word Tip of the Week: Compare Documents to See Revisions

When several people are working on a document, it’s almost inevitable that someone will eventually forget to use Track Changes.

Luckily, Word includes another way to see the revisions between two versions of a document.

Don’t comb through a document looking for changes! Instead, use the Compare feature:

1. Make sure both versions of the document are open in Word.

2. In the Review tab, click the Compare button.

3. Choose Compare in the dropdown menu.

 

 

4. Under Original document, choose the previous version. Under Revised document, choose the latest version.

 

 

5. Click OK. Word will display a side-by-side comparison and a list of revisions.

 

Got another Word problem? Maybe one of our other tips can help.

 

 

 

Rounding Up With The Writers For Hire

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at The Writers For Hire?

The details of our weekly meetings are usually top secret, reserved only for those with the highest level of security clearance.

Sometimes, though, things are just too good not to share.

So, here it is… some of the amazingly interesting things that we have discussed (and learned from each other) during recent meetings.

 

What is the Longest Word in the English Language?

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

Do you know what that means?

Neither did we!

Thanks to an interesting article we found, not only did we learn the meaning; we also learned that Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest word in the English dictionary.

We also discovered that there are “ghost words” in the dictionary, that literally have no meaning.

If you want to read more about it, and learn some other fun facts, check out this blog from Grammarly.

And as you can probably imagine, we are big language nerds, so we also found this article from Lingoda to be quite fascinating!

 

Internet or internet?

As writers, it is our job to know the rules pertaining to the written English language.

It’s not always an easy task, though, when the rules keep changing.

For example, according to this NY Times article, internet used to be Internet, but is now internet.

Confusing, huh?

 

Chaucer Says you CAN Say Ax

Did you know that people have been saying “Ax” instead of “Ask” for 1,200 years (and that, contrary to what many believe, “Ax” is not incorrect)?!? Tweet this

In fact, according to this Smithsonian article as well as this article from WNYC, even Chaucer used to say “Ax.”

And really, who can argue with the Father of English Literature?

 

The History Behind the Ampersand

Have you ever sat and pondered where the Ampersand symbol came from?

You know the one… it’s that fancy “&” symbol on your keyboard.

Thanks to this article from Medium.com , we have found the answer to that question.

Now we will finally be able to sleep at night!

 

What is the right way to write?

Whether it is spelling, pronunciation, or punctuation that is in question, it is always helpful to have guides to remind us of the “correct” way to write things.

For example, knowing when to use Em dash vs En dash may not be something you inherently know.

And keeping track of when titles should be underlined or italicized can cause even the most experienced writers to go crazy.

 

Prompts for Preventing Writer's Block

As writers, there are times when we just need a bit of a kick-start to get our words properly flowing onto paper.

We found this article with 500 prompts for narrative and personal writing will help get those creative juices flowing.

 

When the Misuse of Language Causes Legal Trouble

Believe it or not, incorrect usage of language can cause major problems (as illustrated in the picture above).

As a matter of fact, we found two examples of times when misuse of language could even be the cause of law suits.

A company in Maine is learning the importance of the Oxford Comma, in a class-action lawsuit about overtime pay.

And this blog from Barnes & Thornburg’s Labor & Employment Law Department discusses just how the use of emojis in the workplace can cause major legal issues.

Who would’ve thought those cute little pictures could cause so much trouble?!?

 

Just for the Love of Language

As you can see, we at TWFH spend a great deal of time making sure that we are keeping up with the important changes involved in writing and language.

We do try to keep things a bit lighthearted when we can, though.

So, in the spirit of lightheartedness, we leave you with these 10 Perfectly Cromulent Words, for your enjoyment.

 

Word Tip of the Week: Using Tables to Insert Images

Have you ever tried inserting a bunch of images into a document by just clicking on Pictures in the Insert tab?

If so, you might have spent the next 30 minutes trying to drag them into place, then another 30 trying to fix your text formatting.

Once everything looked like it was wrangled into place, you added a little more text….and BAM! Word went wild yet again.

Fixing this issue is as easy as inserting a table before you insert a photo.

Seriously, tables will fix it all!

1. In the Word document, place your cursor where you want to insert an image.

2. Click the Insert tab, then click on Table. The Insert Table menu will appear.

3. For a single image, select a 1×1 table. A table will be inserted into your document.

 

 

4. Click inside the inserted table to make your cursor appear.

5. Click the Insert tab again, then Pictures.

 

 

6. Choose your image and insert it into the table. Once your image is in the table, you can click the table borders to make the image          bigger or smaller. Or, click the arrow cross in the upper-left corner to drag the table into a new position.

 

 

Of course, now your image is very obviously inside a table. But don’t worry, you can make those lines disappear:

1. Right click on the arrow cross in the upper left corner.

2. In the menu that appears, choose Table Properties.

 

 

3. In the dialogue box that appears, click the Borders and Shading button.

4. Another box will appear. Click None.

 

 

5. Click OK. The table borders around your image will disappear!

Once you’ve mastered inserting images into tables, use tables to manipulate the look of your whole Word document by using them to keep your content in the right place.

Looking for more Word tips like this one? Check out our whole list!