Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Scrivener won't tell you how to writeâit simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing. I've been using Scrivener for several years for class papers, research papers, diaries, and creative writing. I upgraded from Scrivener 2 to 3 after installing Mojave. So far I've noticed the UI is much refined, the program is more responsive (no rainbow wheeling), and compilation and file conversion (especially.doc/.docx) much improved.
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ContentsDownload The Book Launch ChecklistEnter your email address and download the complete Book Launch Checklist for free.Blog >Understanding Publishing â Posted on April 26, 2019
Scrivener is a robust â and complex â piece of writing software. Intended as a one-stop solution for writers of all skill levels, Scrivener has a wide range of useful features⦠if you can figure out how to work it.
Pros:
Cons:
For this review, the team at Reedsy has analyzed Scrivener with an aim to provide transparency and context. As a network that has helped authors publish over 10,000 books, we know the different needs authors have and are able to provide context for what features are the most useful, as well as what kind of writers would benefit from them.
? Curious what all the fuss over Scrivener is about? Our review breaks it down.
What is Scrivener?
Scrivener by Literature and Latte is a word processor for Windows and Mac. Offering a variety of organizational features, formatting options, and goal tracking, Scrivener has been expressly designed to help fiction and nonfiction authors, screenwriters, journalists, academics, and more.
One of the issues many writers of long texts face is ease of navigation: assembling all their research and information in a way thatâs easily accessible. Scrivener helps with this, offering writers the tools to organize concepts, notes, research, photos, videos, documents, and more.
Itâs important to note, though, that when you talk about Scrivener there are really two separate writing apps: the Windows version, and the Mac one. Scrivener 3, while expected to release for Windows sometime in 2020, is currently only available on the Mac and is a significantly improved experience over its predecessors. Make sure you take note of which version is available to you when youâre deciding which writing app to use.
For this review, weâll be focusing on Scrivener 3, though some of the features listed below are also present in earlier versions.
Fun fact: What does a scrivener do? Back in the day, a scrivener (or scribe) was someone who could read and write, and made their living writing or copying material on behalf of others.
How much does Scrivener cost?
Scrivener costs $49. However, if you purchased Scrivener 2 on or after August 20, 2017 can upgrade for free (users who purchased Scrivener 1 or 2 before that date can get a 45% discount off the purchase price).
Scrivener also has a 30-day free trial period, though itâs actually 30 days of use â so if you only use the program two times a week, you will have the trial for 15 weeks.
How do I upgrade to Scrivener 3?
If you already have Scrivener 2, you can upgrade via the Literature and Latte site. Click here, then select 'Upgrade from an older version' in the trial window.
The Binder: All your work in one place
At the center of a Scrivener project is the Binder. Touted as an innovative means of keeping all your notes, research, and manuscript files in one place, the Binder is really just a sidebar full of files. While it is incredibly useful to have everything within easy reach, Scrivener didnât exactly invent the idea â sidebars have been used in everything from email to file browsers to, yes, writing apps, for decades now.
Still, Scrivenerâs Binder does the job very well. And since there are so many different types of files associated with a Scrivener project, there needs to be a means of keeping them organized. Files in the Binder can be grouped together in subfolders, labeled with different colors and icons to allow for easy categorization and organization. It even includes a Trash folder, so you donât need to worry about accidentally deleting something.
Corkboard: Get a big-picture view
A classic outlining and editing tool for writers is a simple stack of notecards. By writing down what happens in each scene and spreading the notecards out on the floor (or pinning them to a corkboard) authors have long been able to visualize their project as a whole, moving scenes around until they have a plot that flows smoothly.
Scrivenerâs Corkboard mode takes that idea and runs with it. Each file in your project gets a âcardâ that you can customize with colors and labels, and then rearrange with ease. Like everything else in Scrivener, this feature is endlessly customizable, so each writer can develop a system that truly serves their workflow.
Bookmarks: Quick access to what matters
Software that claims to help you do something â like learning how to write a book â needs to walk a fine line between offering a variety of functions while also having an organized and easy-to-navigate interface. To that end, Scrivener utilizes a Bookmarks system.
It's exactly what it sounds like: you can seamlessly access any project documents that you refer to frequently. But what makes it especially useful is that clicking on a bookmarked document will open it side-by-side with your current document, allowing you to reference or edit it without having to switch back and forth between texts.
Letâs say youâre writing a novel and somewhere along the way you decide to make a big change to a character. If you have character templates or character development documents bookmarked, you can reference them right away and make a note of the change there, without skipping a beat in your writing session.
Templates: Save your settings
Because Scrivener has so many customization options, you may feel overwhelmed by the idea of configuring all those settings, only to do it again the next time you start a new project.
This is where Templates come into play. Scrivener lets you save all your options as a sort of âpresetâ that you can easily select for each new project you write. So if youâve got a specific way you like your Binder set up for a long-standing fantasy series, you can just select the template when you start writing book twelve, and all the customization youâve decided on for the first eleven books is ready and waiting for you.
Of course, if Scrivener wasnât so complex to set up you wouldnât need to save a template. But since it is, itâs great not to have to reconfigure everything each time.
Linguistic Focus mode: Zero in on problem areas
Linguistic Focus is a great tool that can help you identify and iron out your writing tics. Essentially, you can specify types of words or dialogue (direct speech, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, or conjunctions), and Scrivener will highlight that language within your story.
Why is this important? Well, letâs say you want to make sure that your dialogue tags arenât distracting. Or maybe you have the feeling youâre repeating the same adjective throughout your writing. Linguistics Focus will allow you to zero in on these things to make sure your writing is as effective as possible.
So whatâs the bottom line?
Scrivener works best for professional writers who:
Scrivener may not be a good fit if you:
Reedsy rating: 4/5
[Updated: 07/20/2020 UTC]
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A lot of writers struggle to stayorganized, some in more ways than one. Sometimes it can be a struggle toorganize your writing space itself â this is where Scrivenercomes in.
Suppose you have too many pages ofresearch notes set out in front of you. Or you have so many notebooks strewnabout that you canât even find your pen. It could be the sheer amount of thingsaround you that make it difficult to even reach your computer.
Even if your writing space is neat andtidy â you may be struggling to organize your mind. Writing a novel orany kind of book can be daunting and difficult.
Scrivener brings all your research into one place and eliminates the need for endless paper and/or documents. Scrivener is designed for writers specifically.
Here is everything you need to know about it before getting started:
1. Scrivener is Complicated
Scriveneris comprehensive and has everything you will need to finish a book, right fromthe very first word to hitting âsubmitâ for eBook publishing.Unfortunately, having so many features and options means itâs not the mostsimplistic program.
Ifyou have ever used booking writingsoftware, I am sure you know what I am talking about.
Many users have reported that Scrivener for Mac is slightly easier to use and navigate than Scrivener for Windows, but it has a complex interface regardless. The good news is that you donât have to use every feature so it can be simplified if youâd like.
Howeveryou choose to go about using Scrivener, donât let the complex nature of thissoftware turn you off. Once you have it figured out, you will be writing betterthan ever before.
2. Scrivener Requires Learning
Dueto its complicated workings and many, many features, using Scrivener does comewith a learning curve. You may be able to open up something more simplified,like Squibler,for example, and figure things out after clicking around for a little while.This is not the case with Scrivener.
Whileyou can choose to just jump in and start clicking on things if you wish, youwonât get anywhere too fast. There are many resources out there that can helpyou learn how to use Scrivener properly and effectively.
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Ofcourse, everyone learns differently, which is why Scrivener lessons come inmany different formats:
3. Scrivener is Perfect for all Types of Writing
Whilewriting a novel or longer book may seem like the most logical thing to useScrivener for, it is not the only kind of writing that can benefit. If you justfigured out how to write a novel,Scrivener is sure to help you.
Scriveneris just as useful for many types of writing:
Scrivener even comeswith templatesfor all of these writing varieties. Just because youâre not writing somethingwith 30 chapters, doesnât mean Scrivener canât help you get organized.
4. Scrivener is Customizable
Scrivenerhas such an abundance of features designed for every style of writing that youmay not find you want to use everything. If this is the case, you can rearrangeScrivener a little bit and make it more suited to your process.
Youcan customize it from GeneralPreferences easily.
Youcan customize the toolbar itself. Pick and choose which options and tools youwant to have readily available and eliminate the ones you will never use.
Thereis also the option for a secondarysidebar. This is known as the âinspectorâ and can hold a lot ofinformation.
Thereare sections within it that can hold different types of notes for each chapteryou have written. These notes can be detailed or simple and for some, they canbe very helpful. Others may find no need for this secondary source ofinformation, and they can choose to hide it completely.
5. Scrivener Covers Everything
Scrivenernot only helps you organize your writing but it encourages you to engage inevery step of the process that will create a successful book. This eventuallyhelps you write a bookfrom scratch.
Totallywinging it can be fun sometimes, but at some point, you will need to sit downand figure stuff out. Scrivener has a solution for everything you will need todo to write that book.
Research
Scrivenerhas a lot of features in place to help and support your research process. Thesimplest way to set up your research is to add a âresearchâ tab to your projectin the binder.
Scrivener The Go To App For Writers 3 1 5 Minute
Thebinder holds your manuscript and organizes it by chapters and scenes. You caneasily add a section to the binder that is dedicated to research only. Withinthis tab you can keep anything:
Theseare just a few things your research might entail. Scrivener can handle whateveryouâve got. The best part is that you can import existing files if you havestarted your research somewhere else.
Outlining
Whether you like to work off just a basic outline or you like to plan every single piece of your novel, Scrivener has tools for you. I used it even to outline my HR course online.
Everyonehas different styles of working too so Scrivener actually has a few options foroutlining depending on how you like to lay things out.
Thefirst and most visual tool for outlining is the cork board. Thecork board is exactly as it sounds â it is a virtual cork board that trulyresembles the real thing. It allows you to pin note cards onto a board.
Thiscan be used for different things â but one of the most common uses is creatingan outline. The note cards are small so many can fit onto the board one afterthe other.
Unlikereal-life note cards, however, these ones come with a scroll function. Thisallows you to put as much information as you want onto a single card withouttaking up too much space.
Oneway to outline here is to create a note card for each chapter and place them inchronological order on the board. Note cards can be rearranged at any time bysimply dragging and dropping.
Anotheroption is to create a more linear outline on a simple document and place it inyour binder.
Character Sketching
Ifyou know how to write a novel,you will know the importance of characterdevelopment. An important part of writing any story is coming upwith your characters.
Inorder for a novel to be relatable and believable, the characters need to bestrong and dynamic. This will require a little bit of thought andplanning.
Creatingyour characters can also be done on the cork board along with your outline orin a document of its own. You can simply add a âcharactersâ tab to your binderor choose a Scrivener templatethat has a built-in character section.
Locations/Settings
Similarto creating your characters, you want to flesh out your settings and possiblelocations before you start. This is more important in some stories than others.
Somestories can take place in a very generic setting because the location is notrelevant to the plot. Other stories need a lot of detail and accuracy as thelocation is extremely important â historical fiction is a good example of this.
Creatinga tab for setting and location information is easy and effective. The corkboard can be used for this as well.
Brainstorming
Noteveryone brainstorms, but if you do, Scriveneris a great place for it. Easily create a tab in your project binder forbrainstorming and start taking those notes.
Brainstormingcan be anything â anything that even might addto the story, write it down! This can include:
Brainstormeverything onto one document, or break the brainstorming tab into many sectionsand keep it organized â whatever works best for you.
6. Scrivener Will Help You With Publishing
Scriveneris not only designed to help you through every step of writingyour book but it offers some support if you want to go ahead and publishafter youâve completed writing. There are two areas where Scrivener can offerassistance.
Compiling
Onceyou have your manuscriptdone exactly the way you want it, Scrivener helps you compile it properly.
Theprocess can be long and complex but that is because it is comprehensive. Thereare a lot of steps but it allows you full control over your entire manuscript âyou make all the decisions.
Exporting
Onceyour manuscript is compiled exactly to your liking, Scrivener offers a fewoptions for export. You can format it for both Amazon Kindleand AppleiBooks.
Ifthere is another platform you are hoping to publish to, there is also a third,more universal choice. This step will include filling out a few more optionsand selecting some preferences, and then youâll be ready.
Thereis the option to preview the file before you do anything with it so you canensure you are satisfied.
Onceyou are happy with everything, your book is ready to be submitted â it will beformatted correctly for most submission guidelines.
Alternately,you may be interested in going down the path of self-publishing yourbook. This can be a long process, but the formatting youâve done inScrivener will have you off to a good start.
7. Scrivener is Cost-Effective
Scriveneris not available for free, however, it is very budget friendly. A lot of bookwriting software out there are expensive or require a monthly fee tomaintain access. Scrivener is a little more reasonable.
Youcan purchase a single copy of Scrivener for $45 USD. Discounts are available ifyou are looking to purchase the software in bulk. The price per copy ofScrivener goes down the more you want to buy.
Forexample, buying 10 copies gets you about $5 off each copy, but buying 250 ormore cuts the price per copy in half.
Thevolume discounts can be great for schools who want to purchase the software fortheir students to use. Scriveneris extremely useful for writing novelsand other books,but it can increase productivity in essay and report writing as well.
8. What Scrivener Doesnât Do
Scrivener is amazing and helpful in a lot of ways, but it doesnât do everything. Thankfully, there are other great writing software out there that can assist you in the areas where Scrivener may lack.
Scrivener Doesnât Help You Edit
Scrivenerdoesnât do much to help you with the editing process, and you canât publish abook without editing it first.
Ofcourse, you can do your own editing within Scrivener â this is simple.Unfortunately, it does not come with much support. It does include a basicspell check function but thatâs about it.
Thereare many elements of editing that Scrivener will not help you with:
Theseare all things that you can do yourself, and many try, but it is time-consumingand sometimes it helps to have another set of eyes look it over.
Professionaleditors are sometimes necessary, but they are extremely expensive. Fortunately,there are programs out there that can scan your writing for things likereadability and word choice like Grammarly,Hemingway app,and Prowritingaid.
Scrivener The Go To App For Writers 3 1 5 MinutesScrivener Doesnât Post for You
Writingsoftware like Scrivener isnât just for novels and long books. Scrivener can beused by bloggers and online influencers to create their content as well,however, there is no integration with online platforms like WordPress or Medium.
Onceyou have completed your piece of writing, you will have to either copy-paste orimport the file to wherever you would like to post it online.
Thisis not a huge inconvenience and only requires a few extra steps, but it is animportant thing to note if this is the type of writingyou plan to do with Scrivener.
Scrivener The Go To App For Writers 3 1 5thNow Youâre Ready
Scriveneris a powerful tool for writers of all types. It helps you stay organized andgets your job done more quickly and effectively. It guides you through everystep of the writing process.
Scrivener The Go To App For Writers 3 1 5 0
Now that youâve learned about some of Scrivenerâs features and benefits, you are ready to begin. Learning Scrivener is not a fast process, but it is one that will be worth it.
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