I am trying to set up indents for my novel - without success. I have set up Flush Left and the ruler to .5 for tabs. However when I wish to start a non-indented paragraph the text stubbornly refuses and stays at the indented tab. I have checked FAQ:The Editor #12,but this - frustatingly-seems to offer only Mac solutions as I can’t find the options offered.
One thing to note, when the format options says “(only applies to new documents)”, it means that literally. Not just for new paragraphs—those take on the formatting of whatever you were typing in before you pressed return (i.e. the paragraph above it; as do all streaming style rich text editors). To reset a document to the application options, use the menu command, Documents/Convert/Formatting to Default Text Style.
I’m not sure if that is what you meant, but it would be one way of explaining what you are seeing.
Nope, sorry, I’m missing something here, perhaps my query was badly put. I will want to export my novel to Word. That means I need a flush left margin - say a double tab to start a new block of text when I’m writing. Then an indent, let’s say, for dialogue, and soon after have another flush left. If I use default text everything is flush left anyway - and to export (a compiled 130,000 words) would be impossible to edit in Word into the tabs I’ll need. My understanding from the tutorials is that I can set up everything I need for any given project in Scrivener. To have a Chapter, or a Scene, of text and have Scrivener dictate that I cannot alter indents or paragraphs because a previous paragraph is different seems … wrong. It’s probably me getting mixed up - but further thoughts please. Many thanks.
Could you clarify how the program is not letting you change indentation on the ruler? What sequence of steps are you taking and where does the reaction by the software deviate from what you expect to happen? I have a feeling we’re both talking about totally different things, because tabs should not be coming into play here. Tabs are for aligning tabular data into columns, not adjusting indent—that’s all settings on the ruler and you can absolutely have paragraph (a) look one way and (b) look another way entirely.
Are you basically asking for a way to handle the first paragraph of a section differently, flush left as is typical, from the indented paragraphs in the rest of the section? If so there isn’t a way to do that yet, that’s what you’ll need to use Word for once you are done with the Scrivener project.