Hello everyone! I’ve been experimenting with document templates (I didn’t know they could be used in Blank projects!) and would love to know if anyone has template ideas/tips I can use, since I’m using Scrivener to develop a story jointly with my best friend.
Tagging the Scrivener geniuses @AmberV and @nontroppo, just in case.
If your template is intended for text to use a style, don’t solely apply the style to the empty first line. Have it have “XXXX” that you can double-click then type when creating a new document from that doc template, otherwise the font will be lost (Windows).
I use Windows, but she uses macOS. We’ve only just discovered the feature and are playing with it. We don’t use styles since compile handles everything we need.
There is sort of a prior question: Have you set up a Scrivener project to your liking? The reason I ask is that a template saves a project, making it easy to recreate its structure and content for a new project. If you have a project set up to your liking, you can save it as a template for future use. It can also be shared with others.
I’m not sure how a template would help to create a story jointly with your best friend. I suspect it would be better to share the working project via something like Dropbox.
I’m sure others here can offer better advice on working in Scrivener with a remote writing partner, as I’ve never done it. (I’d probably choose one of the hosted writing systems, to be honest, and one that is specifically designed for collaborative writing. I would be worried about the kinds of file conflicts that can arise when multiple authors are working simultaneously on shared Scrivener documents.)
You mean a project template, right? They seem complicated xD
Well, we’ve never used them since the only customisations we apply come from compiling (I help her create compile systems).
Oops! Yes, project template. But you were asking about document templates, I see. Never mind! 
It’s OK! I can understand how confusing this can be.
The question is still relevant.
If you design document templates, the first thing you’ll then want to do is have them part of a project template.
This way you won’t have to fetch them every time you start a new project.
Project templates are not complicated.
Create a project (from scratch or from a template), set it as you want, then save it as a template. That’s all there is to it.
Myself I have only one template. A monster one, but divided in sections so that I can ditch whatever I don’t need, once I know what I don’t need.
We mostly prefer using the Blank Template since we just plan, set things as we want and compile for polishing. Given that workflow, wouldn’t only using Document Templates make more sense?
No
For every new project you’ll have to create and point to a document templates folder, then go get your document templates from another project and drag them in. A project template would spare you those steps.
Or drag the whole document templates folder (whatever), still having to go in the project settings to set it up.
Doesn’t mean you have to do it right away. But if you do such a few times, you’ll eventually like my advice.
I understand, I’m just paranoid about having a disorganised mess of templates.
As I said : you don’t have to do it right away. But once happy with your doc templates, that would be to consider.
In case you don’t know yet, another thing that you can do with document templates is that you can set folders in your binder to use a specific template when creating a new document, instead of creating a new blank document.
Folder A could create new docs from template X and folder B from template Y. All this with the simple Ctrl-N shortcut.
So, say you have a folder for character sheets, and a character sheet template, you could set that folder to create new documents from your template character sheet by default.
Oh, I see! I somehow missed that!
Such folder⮚default doc template is another thing that a project template makes convenient. No need to set things up each time.
Zow. I really must read the manual from top to bottom. This is cool!
Two things . I have a novel template with three acts, chapters and scenes with built in word targets. So when I start a new novel all the section types are set to compile correctly. I have a folder for scraps for deleted scenes and preset document templates for character cards and locations. I also have a project to keep any of the various templates I create for projects and an editing project with documents about editing and various reg ex formulas I use again and again.
Long winded way to say project templates can be a great time saver and document templates can make sure you use the info that helps YOU create the best characters.
You can create a modified Blank project template that comes with your preferred Document Templates already installed.
