Good Evening
As Scrivener begins to reveal itSelf to me I am creating a plethora of projects. Can I create as many as I like?
Thank you
Aisling
If you would like to make infinitely many Scrivener projects, the answer is ‘no’. You can only make finitely many Scrivener projects.
If you would like to make more Scrivener projects than fit on your hard drive, the answer is again ‘no’, but otherwise you should be good to go.
–Greg
P.S. When I first started using Scrivener, I created too many projects. I suggest you not go hog wild at the outset putting things in separate projects. Since you have probably been always working with a document-based app like Word, you will have a tendency to start by thinking to create separate Scriv projects like you would before have created separate documents for Word, but this is, I think, a mistake, albeit a natural one to make. Experience with Scrivener will give you a more refined sense of what kinds of projects to create and when things belong in different projects. I have effectively five Scriv projects that I work with all the time. There are two kinds of text work I have to do for my day job, and two Scriv projects house all of those. One of my projects is where all story and project ideas go. Only when one of these begins to develop enough and I take it up as an ongoing project will it get its own Scriv project–and even then, only if it is a substantial (long, complicated) project.
I maintain a “Scrivener Master File” where I store random ideas. Once an idea has gathered enough secondary ideas around it (=hierarchically below it), I create a separate Scrivener project file and move them all there. This way, I only have Scriv files for projects that are “ripe enough”.
(I have to add that meanwhile I use Scrivener mainly for the idea management and development of a story. For the actual writing of the prose I use another word processor.)
Thank you for your help.
I am in learning mode with Scrivener. Many projects seem to want to be contained within the Scrivener world that I’m discovering a step and a breath at a time.
I’ll take it a project at a time. (wry grin)
best
A
Just think in the lines of a SCR file is a PROJECT and not a DOCUMENT and you will do fine.
Lets say you are working on a Novel. That is a PROJECT. Pretty much everything related to that project could fit in that one SCR PROJECT file.
Let say you are a blogger. You could have a month or a whole year as a SCR PROJECT and then folders inside the Project as Months or weeks and documents as days…
If that makes any sense?
Thank you and yes your post definitely makes sense.
I seem to have many projects. It feels great to begin to gather them into Scrivener.
I read about the, to be released, later this year, upgrade. I’m imagining all our old projects will be easily transferred to the new Scrivener? And then we will need to relearn quite a bit?
Is this true?
I’m spending a great deal of time learning Scrivener. Shall I slow down and wait for the new version?
I don’t think so, but I am am now wondering if it is wise to desire to learn many of Scrivener’s fabulous secrets in this version. I am so deeply in the learning and marveling mode now.
Thoughts?
Aisling
KB is very good with ensuring that the new versions will import the old. Once he gets further along he is sure to let folks to some testing in the real world. Once that happens you will start to see more answers to these questions.
I would go ahead and learn SCR. It may be awhile before 2.0 comes out for Beta. When the Public Beta Comes out you would have plenty of time to learn the “new” features and adjust before fully adopting 2.0 (Gone from beta to GM). Also 2.0 from what I hear will have new features and does redo a lot of the menu items locations but overall function of SCR should still be straightforward so the learning curve from 1.X to 2.0 should not be severe but rather enjoyable to say the least.
And 2.0 will open 1.X projects and convert them to 2.0 (Just like 1.11 did with older 1.03 projects) Once they are converted to 2.0 they cannot be opened in 1.X anymore but when the conversion process happens SCR makes a backup before converting. (Same function as 1.11 does with older SCR files).
That is the rumor i heard anyway. 
Hi
Thank you for your response. Hope all is well.
I don’t know what Beta is she types 
What does it mean gone from beta to GM?
I am focused on learning Scrivener a step at a time. I will continue finding my way and trust that I will be able to, somewhat gracefully, translate this learning into whatever is required for the next Scrivener dance.
Thanks again
Aisling and Poe
I would go ahead and learn SCR. It may be awhile before 2.0 comes out for Beta. When the Public Beta Comes out you would have plenty of time to learn the “new” features and adjust before fully adopting 2.0 (Gone from beta to GM). Also 2.0 from what I hear will have new features and does redo a lot of the menu items locations but overall function of SCR should still be straightforward so the learning curve from 1.X to 2.0 should not be severe but rather enjoyable to say the least.
And 2.0 will open 1.X projects and convert them to 2.0 (Just like 1.11 did with older 1.03 projects) Once they are converted to 2.0 they cannot be opened in 1.X anymore but when the conversion process happens SCR makes a backup before converting. (Same function as 1.11 does with older SCR files).
That is the rumor i heard anyway.
GM is an abbreviation for Gold Master, which in the Mac software industry is a nearly archaic term for when an application is ready to be transferred to a master copy and sent to a CD duplication house then jammed into boxes and shipped to stores. Here, it is being used figuratively. Perhaps Gold DMG would be the modern Mac shareware term!
It is also used in the music industry for the same reasons. The origin actually goes back to vinyl but not just as “gold”. There is also a “glass” master (which is still the more common thought). Glass was the medium used to provide the transfer plate for recordings. It is the “mirror” of the grooves in a vinyl record. “Gold” was the color of the plate sent to make the “glass” master. Early on the gold master was gold, but later became an alloy that was much less pricy.
In today’s world the “gold” master is still gold. Most CD presses want an “archive” quality CD which are typically gold in color. Yes, the color matters. I could get into a big long explanation, but no one really cares. Lets just leave it with “gold + 1x write speed = very reliable backup”. Anything else is not as safe.
Hi Aisling,
“beta” software is pre-release versions which typically still have problems that haven’t been found and fixed yet, but are generally usable.
The general groups are:
alpha software - not all features are finished, there is a high probability of bugs in the program
beta software - all features are there, but there is still a fairly high probability of bugs
release (GM/gold master) software - all features are there and there are (should be) very few known bugs
Not everybody uses these names and definitions though. Some release software (and charge for it) that should still be beta.
For the most part, unless you are following the software closely and updating with every new version, you should only use released software.
I understand now, thank you.
Aisling