Is there a way to create a new character sketch template? The one that comes with Scrivener is okay, but I have a lot more details I like to add than one is available. I know I could just create a novel template with my preferred character sketch loaded, but I’d rather be able to just have a template within my current project. Is this possible?
You can modify any template as much as you wish. You can duplicate any one and start from there or start from scratch.
In fact, Scrivener does not know they’re character templates, or settings, etc… The template folder is just a place where things gets picked when you select “New from template”.
Hope this helps!
Thank you for responding, but I’m not sure how that answered my question? I know you can modify a template once it’s loaded. I’m asking how to create a new template that can then be found in the New from Template menu, alongside the other three options that are already there (Daily Target, Character Sketch, Setting Sketch) so that no matter what project I have open, I can load a character sketch of my own creation (or a permanently modified version of Scrivener’s) without having to copy and paste information from anywhere else.
Templates are just regular documents, so you can create a new document in your project and fit it out to be a character sketch template. To make it recognised as a template in the project, make a new folder in the binder, select it, and choose Project > Set Selection as Templates Folder. Its icon will change to a white T in a blue square, and all its subdocuments will have that same T icon superimposed in the lower right corner to indicate they’re templates. They’ll appear then in the New From Template menu. You can move files into and out of this templates folder, so just drag in the character sketch you made to make it an easily-accessible template.
Excellent, thank you!
I must be missing something very basic. I am looking at the Template called Character Sketch. Ok, I like it, but I want five of them. How do I duplicate that template and have it land in Characters?
Thanks!
Hi YorkshireMom,
Templates are just regular documents. What makes them special is the folder they’re in has been designated as the Templates Folder.
So you duplicate the Characters document as you would any other: right-click on the doc and select duplicate, then rename appropriately.
You should now see that new template doc in the New From Template list.
Did that work for you?
ETA: The Scrivener Tutorial project has a section devoted to Templates, so you may want to review that, if you haven’t already. In the Windows Scrivener Tutorial, it’s toward the end under “Customizing Projects”, although it may be in a different part of the Mac Tutorial.
HTH,
Jim