I've always been a Book Antiqua/Bookman Old Style kinda guy. I think it just has kind of a classic typewriter feel to it.
Times New Roman. Hate all the others.
None of the other fonts read naturally to me on a screen. I'm not against people using them if that's what works, but when I download stuff from the workshop the first thing I do is select the whole thing and change it to Times size twelve if it isn't done that way already. In print there are plenty of fonts that work for me, although I don't usually know what they are. I actually don't tend to buy any book unless I know what the typesetting's like. I've picked up plenty and put them back after finding their in a font that I know I won't get used to.
I am not a font snob, but I do everything in TNR now because it's what's used for submissions. For whatever reason, Word defaults to Cambria for me, and I don't mind it, except that if I forget to change it going in, I have to change the font at the end before sending my work out.
Word always defaults to Calibri for me. Anyone who uses Scrivener on PC, does the font/font size not inexplicably change every once in a while for no reason? I always export and format in Word. TNR 12 point, I like the header/byline to be in something like Century Gothic though, which I think is subtle enough not to annoy people. Green text on black in fullscreen mode.
TNR these days for the same reasons as Renee: it's what most journals request. Used to be Book Antiqua, but I've grown tired of changing fonts each time I want to send out a story.
Times New Roman. Hate all the others.
This. Ain't nobody got time to mess with typefaces! I don't like most other fonts because they are typically too expressive. They create a feeling that doesn't exist in my words.
@ G. X. Bradbury, you can change your default font in Word. I think Calibri or Cambria is Word's new install default.
Calibri & Cambria was a really horrible band, and I never understood how they got so popular.
TNR 12! Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
because of why everyone else said...
Copperplate Gothic Bold or nothing at all. Everything looks more epic.
Courier New 12 point with ragged right margin. It just looks professional to me. I don't need my font to be fancy, it is a vehicle, not a flourish.
I default to Times New Roman 12pt or 14if I'm tired.
Jack mainly writes eye charts.
It's not the writing of eye charts that is tough, it's the re-writes.
@Renee & Renfield & Bradbury - This Microsoft article on how to change your default font. Took me forever to find the first time. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291291
This Microsoft article on how to turn off orphan control works on pretty much every thing regarding default spacing, page layout, automatic indents, and all that. http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2010-word/how-do-i-disable-widows-and-orphans-control-for/a3ed7025-77e3-4ab5-94f1-b3112ba15523?msgId=730353d5-4078-429a-bdb8-81abe64594e0
@John -
I don't need my font to be fancy, it is a vehicle, not a flourish.
I think you are absolutely right, well said.
Courier New 12 point with ragged right margin.
I use the same font as John, Courier New 12 with a ragged right edge. It is monospaced (Times New Roman and most the other ones I've used are proportional) which for me at least makes it easier to catch errors. That might be why it looks more professional to you, although I had to do research to find it and you just noticed. I also go for 160% view, since that is big as it can on my screen and still show all the text and comments.
@Bradbury
I'd feel like my word processor was always angry with me for writing.
I like to think it is mad I haven't written more.
In all seriousness, I write in whatever is default. In fact, I generally write first drafts on an Alphasamart NEO. It doesn't have selectable fonts. By the time I am on an actual comptuer, I am usually in the re-writing stages and want to be in standard manuscript formatting. When I do write first drafts on my laptop, I just use the default. When I want to write, I want to write immediately.
However, none of that is as interesting as Copperplate Gothic Bold.
Welcome. It is my computer that is mad, not me.
EDIT: It looks like this.
Most editors request TNR or Courier. Be wary of trying a different font for submissions just because you like it better, especially if they request a certain font. Don't give them a chance to reject on principle of not following directions.
Thanks, Dwayne!
@Renee - Very welcome.
@Bob - Except for Renfield's use of a different font for his title, I think we are all just talking about the font we work in, not what we send off.