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Here WordPerfect users can download and install some handy files to help automate the task of formatting short story manuscripts:

Download format-wp.zip

This zip archive contains the following three files:

format-story.wpt

WP template file

wordcount-story.wcm

WP macro file

wordcount-story-true.wcm

WP macro file

Please note that these files were designed on WordPerfect 12 for Windows. They will likely work on other platforms and older versions of WordPerfect, back at least to 10 and perhaps farther, but I don't guarantee it.


How to install the files:

1. Download and open the zip archive.
   
   
2. Save the template file (format-story.wpt) from the zip archive to your WordPerfect template directory. If you don't know where your template directory is, you can get the location by selecting the following from the WordPerfect pull-down menu:
   
   Tools  >  Settings...  >  Files  >  Template
   
   The template directory location will be shown in the Default template folder field, as in the example graphic below:
   
   
   
   
3. Save the two macro files (wordcount-story.wcm and wordcount-story-true.wcm) from the zip archive to your WordPerfect macro directory. If you don't know where your macro directory is, you can get the location by selecting the following from the WordPerfect pull-down menu:
   
   Tools  >  Settings...  >  Files  >  Merge/Macro
   
   The macro directory location will be shown in the Default macro folder field.
   
   
   OPTIONAL STEPS
   If you want, you can assign keyboard shortcuts to the two new macros for ease of use. The steps below are therefore recommended but not necessary. (You can now skip directly to the usage instructions, if you like.)
   
   
4. Select the following from the WordPerfect pull-down menu:
   
   Tools  >  Settings...  >  Customize  >  Keyboards  >  Edit...
   
   You should now see a dialog box similar to that in the example graphic below:
   
   
   
   
5. Scroll down in the list under Choose a shortcut key until you find Q+Alt. Highlight that row in the list.
   
   
6. Click the Macros tab to the right, then click the Assign Macro to Key... button.
   
   
7. Find the macro file wordcount-story.wcm. Highlight that file, then click Select.
   
   
8. In response to the question "Save macro with full path?", click No.
   
   
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 above, but use W+Alt for the keyboard shortcut and wordcount-story-true.wcm for the macro file.

And that's all there is to installation. Now your new template files are ready to use.


How to use the template to create a properly formatted short story manuscript:

1. Select the following from the WordPerfect pull-down menu:
   
   File  >  New from Project...
   
   
2. Under the Create New tab, scroll down until you find Short story manuscript. Highlight this selection and click Create.
   
   
3. A dialog box comes up containing several empty fields. Enter your story and author information in the fields, as in the example graphic below:
   
   
   
   The last two fields are optional. If you don't belong to a relevant writers organization or don't want to include ms. disposal instructions, leave these fields blank.
   
   
4. When the information is complete, click OK.
   
   
5. Your manuscript template is now all filled in. Save your file, naming it whatever you like.
   
   
6. Move your cursor to the very end of the document and start writing! Don't forget to save your work and back up frequently.
   
   

You can use the macros you installed to generate an automatic word count at any time. Playing the wordcount-story.wcm macro (or clicking ALT-Q, if you defined the keyboard shortcuts recommended above) will copy a standard editorial word count, as explained in the "Proper Manuscript Format" article, into the header of your manuscript. It will be somewhat higher than the actual word count in the document.

Playing the wordcount-story-true.wcm macro (or clicking ALT-W, if you defined the keyboard shortcuts recommended above) will give you a true word count, rounded to the nearest 100.