Right now when I type on the face of a card, it creates a synopsis. Is there a way to change the behavior of a card so that it behaves as document itself?
No.
However, you can use the Documents -> AutoFill -> Append Synopsis to Main Text command to move Synopsis text to the body of the document.
Katherine
This is great thank you.
One other question: is there a word limit to how long a synopis can be?
I’m not sure. I quit counting at 600 words.
In the Outline view, Scrivener will display the full text of the Synopsis. In the Corkboard, the amount actually shown will depend on the card size, but it’s all there if you’re willing to scroll down.
May I ask exactly what you’re trying to do? There may be a better way to accomplish it.
Katherine
Another workaround is to use the Open InCopyholder command. This will leave the corkboard displayed, and open a separate copyholder pane that shows the content of the document. You just click on a card, Open In Copyholder and type into the document.
If you like a little more convenience, I recommend getting Keyboard Maestro for the Mac. It’s a macro app that can automate a lot of processes in Scrivener. For example, I have a macro that copies the title of the card, Opens in Copyholder, and pastes the title in, so the document starts with the title.
You can make that even more efficient as well, by clicking the auto-load button with a Corkboard+Copyholder set up in your editor. This is introduced in Linking Copyholder Content to a Split, at the end of §8.1.5 Using Copyholders, in the user manual. It is also demonstrated in action with the “Dual Navigation” built-in Layout (though in that case, with an outliner linked to a copyholder).
The broader discussion on §12.2.5, Linking Splits Together, goes into more of the specifics.
You might also consider working the other way around. If deploying the “open in copyholder” or just “open in other editor” features, you can write in the editor instead of the index cards. The synopses will then display a certain number of characters/words from the beginning of your document. I know there’s an upper-limit on this, but I don’t know how the size of the index cards will affect it. It is a bit more limited, but if you want to just get a quick idea of what’s in that document from viewing synopses, then that’s an easy way to keep them consistent.