I’m working on some new project templates for 2.0 and I’d like some suggestions on what other templates you would like to see. Some of the project templates that will be included are:
The usual fiction ones, i.e.
Novel (Chapters)
Novel (chapters and Parts)
Short Story
Screenplay
Comic Script
Stage Play (UK)
Stage Play (US)
Also some academic ones:
Research Proposal
Essay (General)
Paper (MLA Format)
Paper (APA Format)
So, now’s your chance to suggest some others. HOWEVER, please follow these guidelines when making a suggestion, otherwise I’m afraid I won’t even be able to consider it:
Provide some links to or e-mail me specifications for the format if it is a standard one or one that is widely used. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to research every format suggested, and I’m no expert on all formats out there, obviously. So it’s a format you find useful, send me some specs. Even better - or additionally - send me a sample document that adheres to the specs.
Describe exactly what you would like to go into the project - any default folders that would be useful for that sort of project, for instance.
So, say you were suggesting standard novel manuscript format (which of course there’s no need to, as it will be in there already). Then you might send me a link to the BBC PDF example and a couple of other samples describing and showing how to set up a MS. And you might also say, “It would be useful to have folders for “Characters” and “Places”, and maybe even a character sheet in there…”
I’ll start by creating the ones that I receive the most easy-to-follow information for. If I receive no suggestions, then I’ll just cobble together the basic formats I think should be in there, so now’s your chance to speak out.
I’d love to see an appellate brief template, but even in looking for one online, it’s obscure. They are created by court rules, and wildly vary by jurisdiction.
If it’s an interesting idea, I can try and make a generic document that could be made into a template.
I hate to be a spoil sport, but Keith asked very clearly for specifics about how that template should be constructed. He’s a sharp guy, but I doubt he has expertise in all the following:
TV/Movie documentaries.
Radio dramas
Tech manuals (a complex and varied field)
Business reports
Engineering specs
Legal briefs (US, UK, federal/state/local)
To which could be added:
Request for Comments
Request for Proposals
Children’s stories
Chick lit
SciFi & Fantasy
Cartoons and graphic novels
etc.
Get specific about what is needed, especially folders, categories, and the like. Even better would be send him a sample in Scrivener 1.5, so he doesn’t have to start from scratch. And if you have friends working in the same field, brainstorm and get their input. Having a good set of templates shipping with Scrivener 2.0 could save users a lot of time.
And remember, the less time Keith has to spend klutzing with these templates, the faster we’ll be able to download the final, complete version of Scrivener 2.0.
I’d like to throw my vote in along with Paolo’s for a documentary/ av script template.
Basically, this is a two-column script in which one column is for the visuals one sees, and the other is for the audio (narration, voice over, etc.). Generally, it’s used for documentaries, commercials, and the like.
Final Draft, annoyingly, makes a separate application for this, and their website has a good reference for what this looks like:
I wouldn’t mind paying for this, but I don’t want yet another application just for this subset of writing. And as I use Scrivener more and more for all of my writing needs, I’d love for this to be included.
Looking forward to 2.0 like a sailor who’s just been granted shore leave…
It seems that Scrivener has found popularity among Mac toting ministers. It’s been a great tool for my sermon development. While the workflow from biblical text to sermon varies, there is a fair amount of agreement about these steps (which I’ve used as a template for my personal workflow for writing sermons):
Readings the Biblical Passage
Initial “Big Idea” of the Passage
Research on the Passage (great place to drop in articles)
The Exegetical Big Idea
Audience Considerations
The Homiletical Big Idea
The Sermon’s Purpose
The Sermon Style (or thought flow)
Outline
Rough Draft (includes meat on the bones of the outline)
I would love to have a template for writing non-fiction books: Chapters, Sub Chapter Headings, Section Headings, quotes, bibliographic data and citations, etc.
I’d like to see a manuscript format, especially for noncreative essay or academic writing. I’d be happy to format one too, once 2.0 is a reality, and make it available to others.
Also, I’m an academic, and I teach the MLA format regularly. With a new new 2009 style now fully implemented, there are a lot of problems making the transition. I’m not sure Scrivener would be the right recipient of such documentation style attention, but since 2.0 will have a page layout view, perhaps so. Anyway, if anything needs proofing regarding the MLA, I’d be glad to do my share.
Can’t wait for 2.0. I’m planning on using it for my next book. I’m just putting the finishing touches on my first book, thanks to Scrivener!
I don’t agree with the implication that, unless you have every last detail worked out, you shouldn’t be cluttering the forum with half-baked ideas. One person’s half-baked idea may remind someone else of the need for a specific kind of template and encourage them to put together an example. I’m assuming that what’s important is that Keith ultimately receive example documents, or at least clear specs, rather than the number of forum messages it took to reach that goal; Keith can just ignore the requests/proposals that never reach concrete form.
If we do manage to create sample documents, should we upload attachments to this thread/send them by email/send them by email but put a note in the forum that we have done so (so that others don’t duplicate the work)/other?
I’m in a Bible As Literature class where part of the final is to present a “sermon” about a particular passage. This outline you’ve offered is a great template to assess what I’ve got underway for it… Thank you. (:
I would like to see some sort of “voiceover script” template for video tutorials.
I script all of my video tutorials before actually creating the screencast and have been using the screenplay template, however, there are too many variables for what I need to accomplish.
The three sections I need are:
The main voiceover script as an outline (the current templates do not meet my needs)
what video effect will happen during a certain section of the voiceover
Separate scenes to arrange long screencasts into manageable chunks.
I am fairly new to Srivener, and am still learning, so if there is something I may have missed, or you have a suggestion; I am all eyes.
SusM - there’s already a template for BBC radio scene style in Scrivener 1.x (which will be in 2.0 as well), based on the exact template you linked to.
Many thanks for all the suggestions so far. As I said in my first post, I’m afraid I’ll only be able to follow up on ones that provide links to specifications or sample documents. The reason I’m asking here like this is because I’m assuming that you guys are the experts in your respective fields of writing, so I’m hoping that you will be able to give me details on what should go into a particular template. I’m afraid that just saying, “I’d like a template for such and such,” while useful to know for the future, won’t help me realise your suggestion in the short time before 2.0 is released, because I have no more idea what would go in such a template than anyone else.
So: Please only post here if you know exactly what should go in such a template and can either describe it in detail, send me a 1.x project as an example, or include links to specifications or sample documents. Feel free to start a separate thread in the Wish List section for more vague “I would like such-and-such-a-template” requests though.
Thanks!
Regarding document scripts and AV scripts, the problem with these is that they require columns, and Scrivener doesn’t do columns. You could use a table for something like this, but it wouldn’t be too pretty, I don’t think. I’ll take a look though.
Bryan, make sure you install the Extras that come with Scrivener to get access to the BBC Radio Scene Style template (see the installation tutorial on literatureandlatte.com/videos if you don’t know what I mean).
ajks - I could just bung my own pathetic scrawlings into a project and that one would be done.
