Writing - MS Word - The "Da Gates Code" of Hidden Paragraph Markers

Have you ever wondered why you cannot edit justthat FOLLOWS a listed step, you will not be able to
the way you want to edit a selected numbered listchange properties of the list number easily, in a
item in MS Word?controlled manner.
Were you ever frustrated by your inability to changeWhat is a paragraph mark? It is the character that
the step numbers from, let's say, plain-black tolooks like the Greek letter "Pi." Also know as the
bold-red and then to italic-green (without changing"hard return" marker, it is created automatically every
the body text) no matter what you tried?time you hit the Return (Enter) key on your key
All that maddening difficulty is due to a "secret styleboard. If you are using the Word without turning on
principle" built into the very code of MS Word. If youyour text markers you won't see the paragraph
do not know this secret (and it really is nomarkers and you will not know what to select to
exaggeration to call it a "secret") no matter whatchange the styling of your list numbers.
you do to the text of a numbered list item, you willThus it is good practice to always have your
not be able to change the styling of its number. Orparagraph markers turned on when you are working
conversely, sometimes you'll see "weird" changeswith Word.
that you do not want and can't get rid of!By only selecting the paragraph marker that follows a
Here is the secret that will save you untold hours ofnumbered step you can assign a different font color
frustration in the future:from the font color drop-down list and thus have
In MS Word, the paragraph style information iseach step start with a differently-colored number
embedded not in the paragraph itself but in thewhile the body text remains the same. How cool is
PARAGRAPH MARKER! How's that for a surprise?that to impress your friends and clients?
Therefore, unless you select the paragraph mark