Boot your computer and open a new document in a word processing program. Set your margins to at least 1 1/2-inch wide on all four sides of the page. Select an easy-to-read font--opt for anything in the Courier family or choose a serif font in the Times New Roman family. Never use multiple fonts; stick to one typeface for all copy.
Format your document to produce double-spaced copy. Leave the leading (space between lines of copy) in its default setting unless the editor has asked you for a different measurement. Write your short story in black ink only; no colors.
Set your margins at flush left, ragged right. Avoid the urge to justify paragraphs as you'll create strange rivers and word spacing throughout the story that will not endear you to editors reading your manuscript. Set tabs that will allow you to indent the first line of every paragraph half an inch.
Place this personal information atop the upper left corner of page one: name, address, phone, email address. Note the manuscript's word count to the upper right hand corner. Make your word count exact by clicking the Tools menu in MSWord; find the word count command about six lines down.
Access the Insert menu to automatically paginate your short story. Opt for numbers on the bottom of the page. Add your name and address to the top right of every succeeding page so if any fall out they can be correctly reinserted into your story.
Write and center the title of your story (in boldface capitals) about 3 inches below your personal data and word count on Page 1. Give yourself a byline by centering your name directly beneath the title. Skip two lines. Draft your first paragraph and continue to follow format throughout the rest of the story text.
Run the spell check to catch errors. Read the entire manuscript backward if you want to make certain it's error-free by looking at the words out of context. If there's a prize or a grade hanging on your story, take the extra time to double check.
Load your printer tray with white paper; no colored paper or card stock. Output your manuscript on only one side of each sheet, even if you're trying to save money and trees. This is one time you will want to stick to protocols like glue.