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Markdown basics

Markdown is plain text with a few symbols for formatting. Write and preview your formatting in real time using our free Markdown editor and live preview tool, or reference the printable Markdown cheat sheet.

Paragraphs and emphasis

Leave a blank line between paragraphs.

This is a paragraph with **bold**, *italic* and ~~struck-through~~ text.

This is the next paragraph.

# Chapter title
## Section title
### Subsection title

- A bullet
- Another bullet
  - A nested bullet

1. First
2. Second

- [ ] An open task
- [x] A finished task

Leave a blank line before and after a list.

> A quotation, set apart from the text.

---

A line of three dashes on its own, with blank lines around it, draws a horizontal rule. In the Novel template it becomes a scene break.

[Link text](https://example.com)
[A heading in this file](#setup)

Use backticks for inline code, and three backticks for a block:

```bash
echo "hello"
```

| Column A | Column B |
|----------|----------|
| One      | Two      |

A claim that needs a source.[^1]

[^1]: The source goes here.

End a line with two spaces to force a line break inside a paragraph.

Read the manuscript standards for the rules the validator checks.

Something unclear? Tell us and we will improve this guide.