Finally Here I am USING 2.0,
In fact I have just finished paying for my copy, and I spent all day waiting. At first, I will confess that I was pissed. I live in America, and I’m physically handicapped on top of that. I haven’t been able to get out of bed - move - at all in four years by the time Christmas comes around, so impatience is something that I really have issues with… But thats totally irrelevant, and that irrelevance was totally exemplified when I booted 2.0 for the first time, and converted my first Scrivener project to the new format; being the obsessive compulsive geek that I am, I had to go through all the Preference panes one by one, change my colors, and I’m going to have to go through the videos and manual and reteach myself everything that I once knew about this program - and thats when it hit me.
Keith put his mind, heart, soul, and geek-mojo with no sense of reserve whatsoever into making this program what it is, and I know that I’ll be repeating what the rest of you have already muttered or whispered to yourselves as it became obvious, in each of your own individual moments of reverent discovery. Personally, mine was:
“This isn’t an update - its a complete overhaul!”
A lot of love went into making this revision what it is, and to be honest, even though I bought a Wacom Cintiq 20WSX with my first generation macbookpro my primary reasoa(s) for being the mac cultist I am today is entirely due to the following programs:
Scrivener 2.0 (but ultimately regardless of version)
Dragon Dictate for Mac 2.0
Chrome Web Browser
Corel Painter 10
Marsedit Blog Editor
Adobe CS3: Design Premium
Word for Mac 2011
…most certainly and decisively in that order…
And believe me when I say that its been a long day, because I’ve sworn that I’m either going to write a novel this november for NaNoWriMo or DIE trying, and if Word 2011 has anything to say about it I’ll end up dying because its BLOODY IMPOSSIBLE to get it to do what you want it to do. I spent -all day- from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Eastern trying to create a custom Bullets and Numbering auto-format system of my own in-between checking to see if 2.0 was ready for purchase every hour on the hour, and now that I HAVE 2.0 - I simply have to sit back for a moment and marvel at the fact that Keith only took $25 for an update that while less than two hours old seems easily worth four times as much. Therefore I have two things to say —
1.) Where do I go to learn 2.0 in and out PROPERLY so that I don’t need Word for myself AT ALL? (Even though I’d still like to use Word -just- for outlining one project because I was dumb enough to buy it, and even dumber to hope it would be worth the money)
and
2.) It feels like common sense that I do what I can to get a fully registered copy of this software into as many peoples hands as possible. To that effect I make the following pledge in honor of Keith, and all his hard work, to put as many of MY dollars as I can spare into HIS pockets; because its obvious to me that a.) he deserves it, b.) its obvious 2.0 is worth far more than what he asks for it, and I’m sure that this comprehensive writers workbench belongs in the hands of the next generation of writers that have within them that spark which ignites the flame that never dies. The fire that burns in the depths of every human spirit demanding that each man and woman, boy and girl, put words to pages simply because their soul demands that they must. I may never be one of the greatest, I may never even earn a single dime from the works that I create, but I do it because I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. My works must sell - I must succeed - and with Scrivener all that matters is that I write; I know that once my training in 2.0 is complete i will not have anything else to worry about. Because thats what Scrivener guarantees… As long as your sure you need to write what is inside you, all you have to do is use Scrivener and write it. Scrivener, without question or complaint, will do the rest.
Therefore I submit for consideration the following ultimatum: I can only afford to pay for one full license beyond what I’ve already spent for my own upgrade. Thats next to nothing I know, but its the best that I can do, and giving something from the depths of ones heart is better than nothing at all. What I’m suggesting is that every writer that has benefitted from Scrivener get together [digitally] at some point during the year (around the time of NaNoWriMo makes as much sense as any) and everybody donate whatever they see fit in the spirit of making sure that writers without means are not left without the opportunity of loving scrivener as much as we all do. I want to do this for the writers that could use the financial help, encouragement, and just as much - if not more so - for Keith so that he and his family can get from the community of Scrivener users what they have all given to us.
I defer to the community when it comes to the particulars and the logistics of making such a venture possible. Off the top of my head, a paypal donations account seems to fit the bill, though the criterion that decides how the funds are dispersed is beyond my skill or desire to officiate. All I want is to see that writers that don’t have Scrivener are not prevented from attaining it due to something as trivial as the absence of funds, and that Keith is not prevented from tasting the fruits of his labor as often as this community can make possible. Without his work, this tool would be nothing but the stuff of dreams, and I think that we can all agree that in this case - without question - its a grand thing indeed that at least one dream - shared by every writer that now uses Scrivener - has qithout question come true.
If some of you would be good enough to direct me to the information that will teach me 2.0 in and out, I would be forever grateful, and if there happens to be somebody out there that also knows how to bend Word 2011 for Mac to their will and are willing to teach me I would be forever thankful. (What I need to know is quite specific, and therefore private exchanges of email would be fastest and easiest for me.) It would certainly be easier to drop Word altogether but, I was dumb enough to pay for Office 2011 for Mac and cannot return it…
Thank You Keith for your hard work, blood, sweat, and tears - because I’m sure you gave some of them all to make this release possible. I will follow up with a comprehensive review when I’m certain I’ve learned the features entirely. I faithfully remain an active (permanent) member of the Scrivener for Mac Community.
Respectfully,
Christopher Ryan
a.k.a shadeofgrey