Six months ago I finished a draft but needed to work in Word to distribute it to my readers. I got back their notes and have imported that Word Version back in Scrivener using File/Import. So the new version exists when I open up the project but the older version, the one I exported into Word is still listed as the Manuscript and it contains all my character notes, is subdivided into chapters, etc. How do I bring all of that to bear on the new version, the one I would now like to edit?
I’m not a professional in this matter, but I don’t recommend doing that. If you import a Word document you would be using new Scrivener documents, without comments, metadata, synopses, etc.
Splitting chapters into new documents is cumbersome and you can lose information in comments and footnotes.
Additionally, if you receive responses from multiple readers, you would be duplicating documents. In my opinion, it would be best to read the comments that they have left you and systematically insert them to your current manuscript if necessary.
Regards.
1 Like
You can put the new version in the Manuscript folder easily enough, just by dragging it there. And you can use the Import and Split command to break it into chapters. But there’s no easy way to transfer the metadata associated with the older version.
What to do next depends on you, and on the nature of the comments. If you have a lot of line edits, you’ll probably want to use the new manuscript as your starting point for the next draft. If the comments are mostly general notes, it won’t be too difficult to transfer them to the older version.
One thing to consider is how likely you are to actually need the older notes. Depending on your process, a note you made way back at the beginning of the first draft way be moot or obsolete now. So this could be an opportunity to prune your notes down.
Obviously, making a backup before doing any of this would be a good idea.
Thank you. I do have a backup but thanks for reminding. I will read up on import and split as that is news to me. Under manuscript, the earlier draft is broken into chapters. If I drag, as you suggest, the word file into manuscript and then begin to create (perhaps by import and split) new Chapters to replace the existing one, how do I make sure the new one is so clearly demarcated that I don’t by mistake find myself rewriting the old one. In other words, I don’t need any of the old chapters since that version in Scrivener was so heavily rewritten in Word - does that make sense? Appreciate your thoughts
I would create a new folder in the Binder and drag the old draft there. Then you can do whatever you want in the main Manuscript folder.
1 Like
Here is a post with links to several discussions on round-trip editing.
Apropos of this, I recently helped someone who had both old and new versions in the Manuscript folder. They inadvertently included some old chapters in their Compiled output, leading to much confusion.
1 Like
@kewms - Just to clarify - Do you mean “create a new folder in the binder [outside of the draft/manuscript folder] and drag the old draft there”?
Let me review what I think you are advising. I have an old draft, draft 14 which now appears as a folder under Novel Format. You want me to create a new folder, take the data that is old draft 14 and put it in that folder. Then I would go and Import and Split the Word document bringing it into the binder where it would appear as its own folder but now retaining information such as the chapter breaks. I could then empty what is currently in the manuscript safely because all of that is now in the new Old Draft 14 folder. Then I could copy and paste the draft version that I brought over from Word using Import and Split and would have everything I need existing under manuscript. As you can see I am folding in and answering the question Family PuzzleSolver asked in the affirmative.
Why would you need to use Copy and Paste if you already Imported the Word document?
Yes, outside the Manuscript folder.
More simply said:
Create a new folder in your binder for “Old Draft 14”. (This should be outside your manuscript/draft folder, as in it should be a top level folder even with your manuscript folder.)
Select all binder items from Draft 14 and drag/drop them onto “Old Draft 14” - then check to be sure your manuscript folder is empty and has no subfolders or sub docs.
Click on your (now empty) Manuscript folder, choose “import and split” and select your new word doc (Draft15?)
That’s it!
2 Likes