Getting Started: New Document and Entering Text

Usually when you open your word processing software, a blank document will be displayed on your screen so that you can begin working right away. If your screen is dark and there is no document name at the very top of the screen, you will need to open a new document yourself. Think of it as putting a piece of blank paper in your typewriter. Here's how you do it.

Move your cursor to the "File" pull-down menu. Click on "New." Click on "Blank Document." Now you can see that your screen is white, like a piece of paper, and the name of the document will be at the very top of the screen. Now all we have to do is start typing.

Notice that the keyboard works very much like an old-fashioned typewriter. There are some differences, however. One is that you don't have to use a carriage return. The computer is smart enough to know that you have reached the end of a line, and it will go on to the next line. Be sure not to use the "Enter" key to start a new line in the middle of a paragraph, because the computer understands the "Enter" key to mean the end of a paragraph.