Don’t worry about version control ever again. (We'll talk more about keywords and how to use them later.) Keywords are useful for grouping themes, settings, ideas, or topics. Add and manage keywords to organize and catalog your documents. You have three options for references in Scrivener: Add an internal reference (a note or another document), link to another file on your computer, or link to a web page. Keep track of references for your document or project in this part of the Inspector. For example, I use these notes to jot down a micro-outline for the document which I can refer to while writing. Here, you have as much room as you need to make plain text notes and view them as you write. The scratch pad for your document, sitting just beneath the main Inspector pane. Jot ideas or a description for your document.ĭocument Notes. These are the different tools you’ll find in this pane: This panel is the central nervous system for your documents, giving you access to notes, references, past document versions, and more-all quickly available while you write. The 'Inspector' tools will be in a panel on the far right or can be toggled with the blue button on the top right side of your screen. We'll learn more about the Binder in the How to Organize a Project in Scrivener section below. To add more documents and folders to the Binder, you can either click the + or gear symbols in the toolbar on the bottom of the Binder, or right-click anywhere in the Binder to add a new item. Also note that simply hitting 'Delete' or 'Backspace' on a folder or document will not delete it-you’ll have to right-click and select 'Send to Trash' or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + Delete. Trash is also a folder, and will keep anything you delete until you explicitly empty the Trash in Scrivener. Research is a convenient folder to keep any notes, references, or web pages you need for your project. Each scene would be its own document to make revisions easier (more on that later). Rowling would likely add a folder for each chapter within the 'Draft' folder. For example, if she were to write the next Harry Potter book in Scrivener, J.K. This is the main folder to export at the end of the project, the place where you’ll keep the writing part of your writing. Switch between Document, Outline, and Corkboard modes to refocus your attention during the lifecycle of your project.Įverything in Scrivener is designed to help you compartmentalize and organize your work, breaking down both the writing and editing processes into focused, manageable chunks.ĭepending on whether or not you use a pre-existing template, you’ll have at least three folders in your Binder to begin with: Draft, Research, and Trash.ĭraft is the folder where your main project lives. Edit freely without the hassle of tracking changes-Scrivener lets you quickly save and browse 'Snapshots' of your project history. Imagine the organizational power of Evernote, combined with the powerful simplicity of a Word document, minus the inconveniences of using both apps together.īreak your project into multiple documents to avoid endless scrolling (don't worry, Scrivener will automatically compile them all into one). The main appeal? Its power to organize your writing.Ĭompared to word processors like Word or Google Docs, Scrivener is a whole different ballgame with its focus on managing your writing. Originally designed for novelists, Scrivener has been embraced by all kinds of writers, from students to professional bloggers. How to Format an Article or eBook in Scrivener How to Write Distraction-Free in Scrivener It will instead help you hit the ground running with Scrivener and its core features so you can take your writing from idea to polished draft to published piece in one of the most robust writing apps available today. This article won't give you all the ins and outs of Scrivener’s many features and uses. Not to worry, there are really only three sets of tools you need to understand in order to use Scrivener productively. I personally had several false starts with Scrivener before I finally fell totally in love with it-now I use it for everything. That said, Scrivener can be a little overwhelming when you first get started. Boasting a versatile suite of organizational tools and outlining and storyboarding views, this app streamlines the writing process from idea to published work, and keeps everything organized so you can just write.

Made by writers for writers, Scrivener is designed to be the only app you need open while you write. Research, outlines, notes, drafts, edits, publishing-let alone the actual writing process. Whether writing the next Great American Novel or keeping up with your blog's demand for new content, you have a lot to juggle.

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