I was using the Edit Scrivenings feature the other day on my entire transcript, and noted that where each chapter began, there was a single blank line before the first scene began on an alternate background. It finally dawned on me that the blank line was where the folder’s text would go, if I had put any there.
I started experimenting with making all of my folders into documents, but that broke the automatic index card/outline view, which confused me after a few months of using Scrivener with it’s default behavior. While I kind of like the idea of putting my chapters’ opening (fictional) quote in as the text of my folders, accessing it with the default Scrivener behavior keeps confusing me, and it takes a lot of mouse movement to just browse that text. And changing the folder to a text document that contains other text documents makes some of Scrivener’s other useful features a bit harder to access as well.
Do you add text to your folders when creating long texts? If so, what do you put there, and how do you keep it visible so that you don’t forget its there until you compile your draft?
Do you abstain from using folders as the containers for a chapter, but instead use documents with sub-documents as your chapter containers? How does that work for you? Any tips/shortcuts for using Scrivener this way?
I use folder text quite a lot, for notes. Since they are set by default to be excluded from the compile function, it’s a handy place to stash chapter or section notes in a place that will pop up when using Edit Scrivenings. Because they are notes, they needn’t be as accessible, but getting to them is pretty easy. It’s also a nice place to write stubs, which can later be “exploded” out into separate documents with Cmd-K. Explore the Cmd-1 and Cmd-2 keys. You’ll find toggling the Corkboard/Outliner entirely off is simple to do, and in fact you can set up Scrivener to not jump to it automatically. This way the organisational features can be accessed when wanted, but the text editor is what always takes precedence. Some prefer that way, others not, but switching back and forth while working is easier than you seem to believe.
Those are great ideas, Amber. Thanks for posting them. I use folder text as a sort of metadata repository for short articles – I copy into folder text the assignment email, which contains the word count, fee, deadline and other pertinent info, so I have it at a glance when I start writing. I could put that info in doc notes or project notes, I suppose, and I’ll probably start doing that when I use folder text in the way amber describes.
My process is like Amber’s. I ditch my to do lists in the folder text (or chapter text for my work flow). If I am writing along and something occurs to me… need the time bomb to tick… new info that will have to be dealt with by another character later… fact to be checked… etc. I just toggle to the appropriate chapter/folder text and drop in a “to do” or a “verify” so I don’t break my stride. Depending on my mood, I highlight the things I finish/verify/do or I delete them. When the text is all highlighted or deleted, then that chapter is completed. At least for that version!!
Apollo16
P.S. It is also a great way to keep track of your editing process. (Especially if you get interrupted a lot like I do.)
