What font do you write in? Are you a Times New Roman person, or Arial? Do you obsess about it and try lots of different variations, or just stick to the default?
I tend to tinker a bit. My current book is written in Lucida Sans, size 12 (n.b. it should always be size 12, and double spaced -- it's much easier on the jaded eyes of publishers and agents) and I have experimented with Courier and flirted with Trebuchet. The reason I'm raising this is that I do believe it has a psychological effect on how you conceive your work. If I'm thinking about a more romantic story, having a softer and more rounded font seems to fit; if I'm doing non-fiction then something more angular and authoritative works well.
During the editing process, altering your font can be an enormous help in seeing what you have written differently. The layout on the page changes as a result, which means that phrases and paragraphs crop up in unaccustomed places and you see them with fresh eyes.
So when you are setting out on a new piece of work, consider the font and what effect it might have on your output. If writing is all about the nuts and bolts on the page, having the right font is like finding that vital little washer...
No comments:
Post a Comment