I must be missing something really obvious. I have been using the trial version off and on, just sprang for the paid version (thanks, son and DIL!), but I am HUGELY frustrated. Here’s what I want to do:
Make a new project.
Import an existing Word file to populate the new project.
Sounds simple, right? But I cannot for the life of me import the file. Here’s how I have been trying to accomplish this:
Close Tutorial via Close Project.
New Project.
Select Blank Template.
Save As [Title].
Where: Browse. And here is where I run into trouble. I know where the file resides in my computer, but the Browse window within the Scrivener New Project window displays only folders, not files. So I can’t drill down to the file I want. I have tried moving the file to various other locations, but nothing works. I end up canceling and pounding the table. I know the file is there, but I can’t get to it via the Browse window.
I have also tried Import the file, which just ends up importing a title (the file seems to be empty!) into the Tutorial. What’s the point of that? I don’t want the Tutorial cluttering up my work space!
The file is a .doc file created in Word, about 30 pages of poems. If I can ever get the thing into Scrivener, I want to break the file into discrete sections (one poem per section) and move them around. I am using Windows 8.1 and Word 2013 on a lenovo notebook.
What on earth am I doing wrong? I thought once I paid for the software maybe it would work, but noooo. Can someone please help before I lose my mind? I have been trying to do this for weeks! Thank you in advance!
I’m a little confused by what you are trying to do in step five. It almost sounds like that is how you are trying to load the Word file? That won’t work because Scrivener needs a project to import files. It’s not a file editor like Word or Notepad that can just open files off of the disk like that—it’s more like OneNote, you need something to put the Word file in, first (like, incidentally, the Tutorial, though of course that isn’t what you ultimately want, the tutorial is just another project on your disk). You have to create a new blank project first—which it sounds like you’ve already mostly done, only at step five you’re making a new project—you are not looking for anything that already exists, save for the main folder you wish to put the project into (like My Documents; hence why it only shows you folders, you are just choosing where to create the project).
Once you have the new project created, you’ll get a project window that looks a bit like the Tutorial did (because again, it too is a project), only the new one will be completely empty. Now you should be able to drag and drop the Word file into the blue Binder area, or use the File/Import/Files… menu command (either way works the same).
Or, have you already created a blank project and are trying to load it? If so, use the “Open Existing” button, or it might even be listed in the recent projects button, both along the bottom of that template chooser window.
Ohhhhhhh…kay. I think I left my common sense back on the train platform. “Where” means where to save the project to, not where to find the file I will subsequently want to load. I got way ahead of myself. Thank you, AmberV, for setting me straight! I have figured it out and successfully accomplished this simple task. I feel…a little silly now! On the positive side, I love how much easier it is going to be to visualize the changes I want to make.