You may or may not be familiar with style sheets, but once you start to use them you might find them incredibly useful for your writing and even more for the editing phase. For me, a style sheet is a tool that helps me keep in touch with the names, places, expressions, and style that I'm using for each wip.
The style sheets inform the writers and their editors about spelling, punctuation, and general rules that you have created for your manuscript, so it can remain consistent and reduce errors in the story.
What to include on your style sheet
Include any item or names that you use in your story.
List punctuation rules, serial comma or no serial comma, dash, parentheses, hyphens, and any other signs that are allowed on your manuscript.
Rules for using numerals and words for numbers.
What kind of English you will use and for which characters. Foreign words that will be used.
Show the contractions that will be used and for which characters.
Which measurement system you will use and for which characters.
What kind of knowledge or technology your characters have, especially if your book is set in another year.
Abbreviations, use of italics, unusual words, words you created, etc.
List acceptable dialogue tags other than said or asked, if any. Add other tags you will use to refer to characters if won't use their names.
Curse words and who will use them.
Anything else that you may find useful or keeps repeating on your story.
How I create my style sheets.
Personally, I create them with pen and paper and I fill them with a pencil so I can erase anything if I change my mind, but for this, I will create a digital example to show you and I will provide a .docx version to download if you want to fill your own.
Mine looks like this:
At the top, I write the name of my book. In the eight cells, I write names of my characters with their role in the story, some places, items, and other names.
On the other side of my piece of paper or on the second page of the digital document I write the most important rules that I can't forget. I usually write the kind of English that I will use. In the example, I wrote no metaphors, since the main character does not understand them, therefore will never use them.
The other eight cells you can divide and use as you please, personally I divide them on the punctuation rules, the contractions that I will use, and for which characters; abbreviations; foreign words that I will use; numerals and how will I use them, the tags that I can use, like says, whispers, interrupted, etc.; Curse words and expressions that each character will use; Pet names for characters and how I will refer to them I don't use their names; places and words to describe them; and extras that don't fit the other cells.
This is only an example, a proper style sheet tends to be fuller and has lots of information the more you write. Don't forget to have it by your side or open the document while you write, it will help in the long run with consistency and finding information that you need.
Don't be shy to send this to your editor so they can see what you want on your story and they can check for themselves that you are following your own rules.
You don't have to fill them before you write, I only write the kind of English and some basic grammar rules and names. When I start to work on my manuscripts I start to really work on filling them with any information that I deem important, and I check on them any time that I get confused about something and when I edit.
I hope that you found this useful for your writing!
Download the word version of my style sheet for free below.
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