I’m using Scrivener for outlining my dissertation and already I’ve noticed an addition to the program that could be helpful for this kind of project. I tend to start by making long documents with all of my incidental notes on a given text in them but when it comes time to decide what individual quotes should go where, it is helpful to have a separate scrivening for each quote that I can move around. So my idea is this:
a command (similar to split at selection) that takes whatever is selected and copies it to a new scrivening which already contains a “scivener link” back to the original scrivening (for reference purposes) which remains unaffected by the process (or hey, maybe it leaves a scivener link to the new scrivening in the original so you know which points have “torn out” versions).
(My current workaround is to use a horizontal split, lock the longer set of notes in the top window, make a scrivener link to the original and copy it to the clip board, then make new scrivenings and paste in the link and then drag across the relevant quote, and finally give it a thematic name [rather than source text]. It works but feels like it has some wasted motion in it.)
Anyway, I’m really enjoying using Scrivener so far. My gf got me into but she also uses DevonThink in parallel and that seems unnecessary to me–why shouldn’t I have my “portable quotes” and my “notes by source” in the same prog?
Here are some existing tools that might help you out a bit (not intended to all be used together; just some different approaches that might give you some ideas):
Cmd-L: This will generate a new note, linking the original document to the new note, which I realise is backward from how you want it, but this might speed up the creation process a bit for you. Note that after you do this, you can press Cmd-Z to easily get ride of the automatically created link, without messing with the new note.
Select some text and right-click, choosing Append Selection to Document. This might speed up your transfer process.
Select your paragraph and drag it to the Binder. This will create a new document and automatically fill it with the selected text. Now all you have to do is link it back.
Rather than use in-link Scrivener links, try playing with the References panel in the Inspector.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve only been using Scrivener for 5 days and I’m sure there are plenty of features I have left to discover but these are a good place to start.
Nothing at all, it is just a quick one-keystroke way to make a note and link to it. It’s the same as creating your own Scrivening and then linking it manually.