Visual C

File → New → Project...
Under C++, choose Empty Project. If you want to minimize the number of folders created, uncheck the box to Create Directory for Solution. Give the project a name and location and click OK.
In the Solution Explorer for the new project, right click Source Files and select Add → New Item.
Choose C++ File (.cpp), and give it a name like SomeName.c. Make sure to specify the .c extension. Add the following code:

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
return 0;
}
If necessary, disable Microsoft extensions to the C language by right clicking the project and selecting Properties. Select All Configurations at the top of the dialog. Then go to C/C++ → Language → Disable Language Extensions: Yes.

Visual Studio will create the following files for your project. Just get used to having them there. Do not check items with a * into source control.

ProjectName.sln
ProjectName.sdf*
ProjectName.suo*
ProjectName.vcxproj
ProjectName.vcxproj.user*
ProjectName.vcxproj.filters
somename.c