Keyboard Shortcuts
Sometimes if you’re in the middle of typing a compelling scene, it can be annoying to have to stop and take hold of the mouse in order to change something in your document, or save it.
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Even if you prefer using your mouse, there are a number of keyboard commands you can make use of to save yourself time.
I’ve memorized the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-s (Hold down the Control key and press “s”) for save, because it means I don’t have to stop typing and pick up the mouse to save my document. Usually I save my document at the end of a sentence, or whenever I stop to think for a bit.
I also italicise my characters’ thoughts and I find it much easier to use Ctrl-i at the start and end of a thought. It means I don’t have to stop pounding the keyboard while I’m in “voice”, and I also don’t have editing problems with thoughts remaining in ordinary text because I’ve missed them while formatting later on.
There are a number of handy keyboard shortcuts that can help keep you typing. These are some of the more popular shortcut commands:
(Mac users – the Control key is called “Command” on your Mac keyboard)
| Function Keys | |
| Ctrl-F2 | Toggles between Print Preview screen and Page/Print Layout or Normal View |
| Shift-F3 | Toggles selection between lower case, initial upper case, and full upper case. |
| F4 | Repeat the last action |
| Ctrl-F4 | Close the current window |
| Alt-F4 | Shut down MS Word, or other Office applications |
| F5 | Go To Command |
| Ctrl-F6 | Toggle between open documents in MS Word |
| F7 | Spelling Command |
| Shift-F7 | Thesaurus Command |
| F8 | Extend a selection |
| F12 | Calls up the Save As dialog box |
Shortcut Keys |
|
| Ctrl-n | Create a new document |
| Ctrl-o | Open a document |
| Ctrl-s | Save a document (will save changes over original document) |
| Ctrl-p | Calls up the Print dialog box |
| Ctrl-c | Copy selected text to the clipboard |
| Ctrl-x | Cut selected text to the clipboard |
| Ctrl-v | Paste clipboard contents to the insertion point |
| Ctrl-b | Bold the selected text |
| Ctrl-u | Underline the selected text |
| Ctrl-i | Italicise the selected text |
| Ctrl-z | Undo an action |
| Ctrl-y | Redo or repeat an action |
| Ctrl-1 | Single Line Spacing |
| Ctrl-2 | Double Line Spacing |
| Ctrl-Enter | Insert a Page Break |
If you find you prefer to use the keyboard to the mouse, you can find more keyboard shortcuts by requesting “Shortcut keys” from Help or Word’s office assistant. Print out a list and keep it on your desk, or stick it to your monitor or keyboard. You will be amazed at how quickly these stick in your memory.
Copyright © Elsa Neal, 2005.
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