As one of the members of a small writing group, I have been assigned the task of presenting, explaining, and demonstrating the features and virtues of Scrivener. The audience will be comprised of generally non-tech people whose word-processing and computer assisted composition knowledge extends no further than a very basic familiarity with MS Word.
I’m a relatively long-time Scrivener user and am comfortable with most of its included features & functions, but communicating this to the other members of my group has proved problematic in the past. My question in a nut shell is: What current books/videos/tutorials etc. would you all recommend as the most effective tool(s) with which to complement my task?
I read David Hewson’s book approximately three years ago and it was fairly useful, but unless a new edition is available, I’m assuming it’s a little outdated.
Any suggestions and recommendations are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Dick Keaton
The Interactive User Guide that comes preinstalled is a good introduction to Scrivener, as it’s already laid out and sequenced as a tutorial-cum-demo.
Maybe try using that, on a laptop with an external monitor mirroring the main display, so that others can see what you’re doing.
Decide on what you think are the most interesting or impressive features, those most relevant to the group.
I imagine that would be the most direct way of showing what the program is all about.
If their experience with Word is very basic, the transition to Scrivener could be quite trivial, as far as basic text editing goes. What makes Scriv unique are its file and document management and manipulation toos, multi doc viewing options, and its various meta data tools. Those are its main ooh and ahh selling points.
For more experienced Word users, it could be a harder sell, especially if they’re used to Word’s more advanced editing and formatting tools, and its automation and customization options, which at present Scrivener lacks.
MGD,
Many thanks for that well thought out and informative response. Some great suggestions. I have tried some of what you’ve suggested in the past with mixed results. My thinking was that a book (similar to David Hewson’s) but perhaps more current and a little more detailed might provide more success. It would allow each person to proceed individually, at their own pace, with their own writing to use as working documents. I’ll keep on the lookout for all types of Scrivener learning aids. If I stumble across anything of particular note, I’ll be sure to share it in this forum.
Thanks again for your thoughts and for taking the time away from your own writing to respond.
To everyone else: your thoughts?
Keep writing,
Dick Keaton