How to add a scene break in Word
In Word, a scene break is a centered line with a symbol or a small image on it. The trick is to save it as a style so every break in the book matches and one change updates them all. Follow these steps, and then check the result before you upload.
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 insert a symbol with Insert › Symbol › More Symbols.
- 3
Center the line with Home › Paragraph › Center, or press Ctrl+E (Command+E on a Mac).
- 4
Remove the first-line indent from that line so the break sits exactly in the center.
- 5
Save the formatting as a style. With the line selected, choose Home › Styles › Create a Style, and name it Scene Break.
- 6
Apply the Scene Break style to every break in the book so that one change later updates them all.
- 7
For an ornament image, use Insert › Pictures, set the picture’s layout to In Line with Text, and center it like a symbol.
Copy a scene break for step 2
Why not just leave a blank line?
A blank line works in print only until it lands at the bottom of a page, where readers can’t see it. In ebooks, it can vanish entirely, so a visible symbol is safer.
Will a Word scene break survive the upload to KDP?
Text symbols on centered lines usually come through intact. Check the converted book in Kindle Previewer before you publish, and look for any break that turned into an empty line.
Questions
Can I use an image as a scene break in Word?
Yes. Insert the image, set its layout to In Line with Text, and center it. Keep the image small, about the height of a line of text.
Should a scene break line have an indent?
No. Remove the first-line indent from the scene break style, or the symbol will sit slightly to the right of center.
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.