I always thought I was doomed to be a slow writer. I’ve been playing with Scrivener on and off since it became available for Windows, but never really got into it for various reasons. With my latest novel, a YA sci-fi/horror/romance…thing, I wanted to see if I could use Scrivener from beginning to end, and whether it would actually help my writing process.
The answer: a resounding yes. I wrote this sucker faster than anything I’ve ever done, and I credit much of that speed to Scrivener.
Here are some examples of how I used Scrivener to write it.
[size=200]General writing setup[/size]
- Manuscript broken into numbered chapters; each chapter divided into numbered scenes.
- Used placeholder cards for future scenes/scene ideas.
- Wrote in linear order, but referred to future scenes frequently.
- Used collections to save a search for text in [brackets] that needed to be replaced/edited/fact-checked - this made it easy to see everything that needed to be fixed at a glance.
[size=200]Plotting overview setup[/size]
- Used corkboard mode frequently to storyboard - this eliminated the need to write an outline, since it WAS the outline.
- I think better in visual scene descriptions rather than a list of events, so this helped me “see” the story in a cinematic way, getting out of left-brain mode.
[size=200]Inspiration setup[/size]
- Pinterest was perfect for creating an inspirational image board - and you can import a Pinterest board as a dynamic web page in Scrivener, which is FREAKING AWESOME.
- My only complaint: I wish I could save zoom setting could on a per-file basis, with an option to let it default to the pane setting.
- Interaction with dynamic web pages is limited in Scrivener - can’t seem to log in to Pinterest - but if you’re just using it as a visual reference, it’s perfectly adequate and saves you having to switch to a browser window. Staying in Scrivener as much as possible is a huge key to being able to focus, for me.
[size=200]Miscellaneous notes[/size]
- I use Dropbox to sync my Scrivener projects between my desktop and netbook. Zero issues.
- I wish there was a better way of handling pane focus in Scrivener. For a Windows user, it feels…too Mac-ish. Not a problem on my desktop, but when using Scriv on my netbook with a trackpad, sometimes I’d lose track of where cursor focus was, and end up navigating through the binder instead of the open document. Annoying, but manageable.
- As aforementioned, per-file zoom setting save would be sweet.
- Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature is a huge part of working with your agent/editor. I really hope Scrivener can someday support this, because I’d love to cut Word entirely out of the equation.
I seriously did not know I had this kind of writing speed in me, but that’s because I was tethered to the idea of using separate programs to write, keep notes, gather inspirational stuff, etc. Putting it all in one place makes a huge difference.
What kind of turned me off to Scrivener initially was that it seemed too complex. I wanted a simple, distraction-free environment to write. What I found, surprisingly, was not only is it easy to minimize all the clutter and features you don’t want and pare it down to an elegantly clean writing environment–but having all your notes, inspiration, etc. inside the same program you’re writing is a MAJOR factor in simplifying the writing process. It may look cluttered upfront when all that stuff is open, but consider that you don’t need to have a physical notebook, flash cards, scribbled Post-Its, browser tabs, multiple programs, etc. strewn everywhere. And everything in Scrivener is searchable, cross-referenceable, etc.
So, if you’re thinking of trying Scrivener for a project, but are intimidated by its apparent clutteredness and complexity–try it anyway. After getting over the learning curve, I found the writing process beautifully simplified.
I <3 Scrivener.
-Leah