Every now and then I see posts on Twitter or Facebook asking whether or not Scrivener is a good project development program for writers. I always chime in with a resounding \u201cyes!\u201d Not because I\u2019m being paid to say so. I\u2019m not. I just know a useful tool when I see one, and I want to share that information. Writing is hard enough without using cumbersome, top-heavy writing software to do it. For me, Scrivener has been a life-saver.<\/p>\n
Here are seven reasons why.<\/p>\n
1. All the pertinent documentation can be saved in one project file. For a number of years, I wrote only ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/DocumentStorm.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\")
in Word. I have folders and folders and still more folders with documents and research notes and versions of my drafts, ad infinitum. With all that information scattered around, I inevitably lost files. Oh, I\u2019m sure they\u2019re on my hard drive. Somewhere. Finding them is the problem. Who can remember what they titled something more than a few weeks ago?<\/p>\n
With Scrivener I can save all my research and notes in connected files that are all packed away in a single project document. What I see when I open my draft folder is the file name \u201cThe Founder\u2019s Seed,\u201d but what I see when I open that single document is a sidebar to the left (called the \u201cbinder\u201d) listing multiple scenes in separate files, all of which are organized into chapters; character and scene setting profiles (I\u2019ll come back to this in a minute); research notes; cut\/pulled scenes or narrative that I might be able use later; a glossary (my MS is a science fantasy with some of its own language); and other supporting documents I\u2019ve saved into the project file.<\/p>\n
No longer do I need to search my hard drive for notes I might have made three years ago. They are all near to hand and ready whenever I need them.<\/p>\n
2. I can choose how I view the manuscript. With Word, I had to write either one long (100K words) document and work with that unwieldy file, or write the chapters as separate documents, then compile them all into one massive text to view as a whole.<\/p>\n
In Scrivener, I write the scenes as separate documents within the project, so that I can work with a smaller chunk of text that is easier to navigate. Yet when I want to see the whole chapter (with multiple scenes), a whole segment of the MS, or even the entire MS at one time, I can let the program run them together in one contiguous document without actually losing the segregation I put there on purpose. I can also choose to view only the scenes where a particular character makes an appearance, to perhaps check their continuity or look for missed opportunities to develop the character\u2019s persona. Scrivener offers a number of ways to view the text.<\/p>\n
I also like that Scrivener has a corkboard feature, where I can type in one or two sentence summaries of what is happening in any given scene throughout the novel. If I want to move a scene from one place to another, I don\u2019t need to copy and paste any text. I can simply view the corkboard where each chapter\u2019s scene summaries are displayed on digital 3×5 cards, and move the card for the scene in question to its new location. Scrivener then moves the text to the associated location for me.<\/p>\n
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\nViewing windows have options too. I can open one of the research documents or one of the other chapters or scenes in a pop-out window for easy access while working another scene; I can also split the central screen into two windows that scroll and modify independently of one another.<\/p>\n
There is more, but these are the most important \u201cview\u201d options for me.<\/p>\n
3. Scrivener offers template sheets. Already included are those for characters and settings, which suggest important details to include in each, but both are changeable so that you can suit it specifically to your own needs. You can also create whole new template sheets that are relevant to your story\u2019s world and your unique manuscript!<\/p>\n
4. Scrivener\u2019s \u201cInspector\u201d offers tools to assist me in drafting, refining, and tracking. The \u201cinspector\u201d is so detailed that I admit I use only a small portion of its capability. I can make notes related to reasons behind details in a scene or chapter that are visible only to me in the inspector\u2019s notes sidebar (to the right of the text window). I can bookmark documents and files external to the project or even drag them into the project file. I can tag scenes with metadata (I\u2019m still learning this tool.) I can take a snapshot of a scene before I revise it and, later, compare the two; if I hate the revision, I can still access bits to reuse or even go back to the way it was before just by clicking on a prior version. And I can tie a comment on any portion of the scene directly to the text in question so that I can go back and review my own comments during the revision process.<\/p>\n
5. Scrivener offers a huge palette of tools from which to choose. Among the options, Scrivener\u2019s tools run the gamut from a dictionary\/thesaurus to keywords to tools for setting word count targets, and so much more. Adding new tools is as easy as clicking and dragging. At the moment, my toolbar (across the top of my window) has some available space, but I\u2019m still learning Scrivener\u2019s hidden depths and cool options.<\/p>\n
6. Scrivener is POWERFUL, yet easy to learn. You can fumble through it and learn it on your own like I did. It\u2019s very user friendly! But there are dozens of Scrivener tutorial videos online. Some are through Literature and Latte, the company that produces Scrivener. But there are plenty of others, and most are ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/PackAPunch.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\")
free. I don\u2019t think I ever watched a tutorial until the last year, and I\u2019ve been using the program\u2014and discovering handy tools by accident\u2014for about six years now.<\/p>\n
7. Scrivener is inexpensive. The program costs $45. That\u2019s it. And they do regular upgrades, many of which come free to registered purchasers. They even offer a discount for students and academics!<\/p>\n
There are numerous other little niceties in the program that make writing so much easier, too, like the tool to easily replace multiple spaces with a single space or remove leading tabs, or check the project\u2019s statistics. It also has a Name Generator, which is fun to play with, and which can be expanded with external lists, if I\u2019m not mistaken. There is also a nice online forum and community where you can ask questions and get answers and tips.<\/p>\n
The program was written by writers for writers, so it\u2019s geared specifically toward long writing projects, though I\u2019ve also used it for shorter works, especially if I had concept notes, multiple characters, or research details I needed to keep handy. It\u2019s so flexible that whether you\u2019re a plotter or a pantser (or somewhere in between), you can customize your project to work the way you want to.<\/p>\n
What program do you use?<\/p>\n