How to add a scene break in Google Docs
In Google Docs, a scene break is a centered line with a symbol or a small image on it. Docs can’t save custom paragraph styles, so the Paint format tool keeps every break matching. Follow these steps, and then download the finished file.
By the Proselis team · Updated
- 1
Put your cursor on an empty line between the two scenes.
- 2
Type your scene break, such as * * *, or open Insert › Special characters and search for a symbol by name, such as “asterism.”
- 3
Center the line with Format › Align & indent › Center, or press Ctrl+Shift+E (Command+Shift+E on a Mac).
- 4
Remove the first-line indent with Format › Align & indent › Indentation options, and set Special indent to None.
- 5
Select the finished break, and double-click the Paint format button in the toolbar. Then click each other break to give it the same formatting.
- 6
For an ornament image, use Insert › Image, choose In line in the image options, and center it like a symbol.
- 7
When you finish, choose File › Download › Microsoft Word (.docx) to import the book into Proselis or upload it elsewhere.
Copy a scene break for step 2
Why don’t Google Docs scene breaks match?
Each break you type is formatted on its own, and Docs has no custom paragraph styles to tie them together. Copying the formatting from one finished break keeps the rest the same.
Do scene breaks survive the download to Word?
Centered text symbols come through a .docx download intact, and so do images set to In line. Open the file once before you publish, and check that every break is still centered.
Questions
Can I use Google Docs special characters on Kindle?
You can use some of them. Symbols outside the basic character set may be missing from Kindle fonts, so test the book in Kindle Previewer before you publish.
Why does my scene break sit off center in Google Docs?
The line still has a first-line indent. Set Special indent to None for that line, and the break will center exactly.
Can I use these scene breaks in a book I sell?
Yes. The symbols are standard characters anyone can use, and the 50 ornaments are free to use in any book, in print or as an ebook, with no credit required.
Should every scene break in a book look the same?
Yes. Pick one design, and use it throughout so readers learn what it means on the first page.
Use these scene breaks in your book
All 50 of these designs are built into the Proselis themes. Choose one in the theme settings, and it appears at every scene break in your book. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.