Firstly, big fan of the software. It does more than a lot of other novel-writing software does and I’m planning on using it for a number of projects. I did scan through a few pages of the ideas forum, but didn’t see anything near what I was looking for.
I figured out what it was that was bugging me - I tend to work on several projects at once, and from what I can see with your software, it tends to be hinged towards one large project with all the associated research material etc contained within the binder.
What I want therefore is a binder binder - using exactly the same functionality as current, but rather than having one draft folder, I would have the option to create several. Identical to the present version, there could be an overall research and trash folder, but also the option to have this replicated again within the drafts:
NOVEL 1
Novel 1 draft
Novel 1 research
Novel 1 trash
NOVEL 2
Novel 2 draft
Novel 2 research
Novel 2 trash
IDEAS (Generic Folder)
General Research
General Trash
The benefit of this, aside from not having to have multiple windows, is that I can work in a much more non-linear way. If I come across some piece of research that isn’t related to the current novels, I can store it in the General research for a later date. Or depending on whether I have novel-specific research or if I’ve found something which could apply to all novels, it can be placed in novel-specific or generic research.
This wouldn’t be an extreme change either - most of this can be achieved already, but the problem is with compiling the draft. This would have to be changed to support compiling from any draft within the binder-binder.
The alternative is to have a Binder which could contain .scriv files. Also good, but potentially more work.
Just a thought, I know it’d help me if scrivener worked like this.
In essence, though not with anything as long as a novel or book, 'cos I’m not writing them, that is what I have been doing already. I can have several different projects related to a given part of my work each in a single project — papers and other collaborative projects with one colleague; editing work for various output forms for the international office in another; course materials for lectures in a third. In any one .scriv, the particular sub-part is a folder immediately under the draft. I have then made sure when I need to compile, that only the files with in that folder are selected.
Actually, I’ve just — i.e. in the last couple of weeks — thought of a way of simplifying it still further in relation to compiling, which I’m trying. I create each project folder on the same outline level as the draft, and then when the time comes to compile, I simply move it to become a child of the draft.
And the research folder has child folders related to each project within a .scriv as necessary.
Yes, as Mark says, you can already do this if you want. I generally recommend keeping everything in separate projects - that’s the underlying idea - as Scrivener isn’t optimised as a database, so generally for a massive store of research you should use something like DevonThink, and then bring over what is necessary for each project.
But that said, you can already do exactly what you want. If you take a look in the Compile Draft sheet, at the top of the “Content” pane there is an option to “Choose folder…” This allows you to choose a subfolder of the Draft folder for compiling. So you would just set it up like so:
Draft
Novel 1
– Subdocs
Novel 2
– Subdocs
And you could divide your Research folder up however you want. Then you just use “Choose folder” to select “Novel 1” or “Novel 2” or whatever for compiling.
Also, remember that you can drag between projects for transferring ideas from one project to another.
Good grief, Keith, there I am, been using Scrivener, sometimes daily, for the last couple of years and I never spotted that … bad Mark! You can tell I haven’t looked at the tutorials in a long time and didn’t do it too thoroughly then!
That can save me a lot of faffing around! Thank you, thank you …
That’s basically how I got my Scrivener Project set up. I did have a few project then I realized that I could set them up as Keith mentioned. I find that I have a chaotic mind, and can only be focused on one subject for so long. So I jump around on projects a lot.
I just discovered that you can set the key words up in the same manner. Big time saver.
