(If you're only planning to use chapter numbers or titles and not both, then you can delete the top line of the chapter heading.)

If you're writing a novel, replace the chapter number and title on the second page with your own.

Replace the placeholder title in curly brackets with your own title.

When you create a new document, choose Story Manuscript.dotx or Novel Manuscript.dotx from 'My Templates.' Your new document should appear with all your contact information already filled in.

That will update the font everywhere in each template.

Optionally, if you prefer Times New Roman to Courier, you can edit the 'msText' style in each template and change the font.

Your cursor should wind up at the end of the line 'Begin text here.'

In Story Manuscript.dotx, hit Backspace to delete all those returns you just inserted.

Edit the page header in each template, replacing the surname text in curly brackets with your own surname.

In Story Manuscript.dotx, hit Return repeatedly until you get to.

Replace the text in curly brackets with your own name, contact information, and byline.

Open each template in Microsoft Word as a document.

Save the template files ( Story Manuscript.dotx and Novel Manuscript.dotx) from the zip archive to your Microsoft Word template directory.

They should work in Word 2007 and any newer versions, but I don't guarantee it. Please note that these templates were designed for Word 2010 for Windows. Novel Manuscript.dotx Microsoft Word template file

Story Manuscript.dotx Microsoft Word template file This zip archive contains the following two files:

What's more, they'll even calculate a rounded word count for you! Here Microsoft Word users can download and install handy files to help speed the task of formatting short story and novel manuscripts.

How to download a template in word