Scrivener?

G.P. · May 23, 2011

Found this the other day by accident and thought it looked intriguing. Anybody know of this program or tried it?

Scivener for windows

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows/

Slowlycreepingdeath · Jun 17, 2011

Have used the Mac Version, depending on your writing style I can see great benefits to it. It has great features if you are writing plays or scripts, and for that inner novel that is waiting to come out there are some great features for taking notes.

I found the Word Processing element of it to be a little alien, but this is probably due to the fact that I have been used to MS Word for so long. The Mac version, (until I read this thread I thought that was the only version) Has a 30 day trial, suck it and see as it were!

Nightmelody · Jun 17, 2011

I use Scrivener for all my writing except final editing and formatting--use Word for that. I am writing a series and find it helps me organize all the many details well.

RedStringSoul · Jun 18, 2011

Loooooooooove this software, can't say enough good about it except that the full Windows version keeps getting pushed back. This program kept me on my Mac for far longer than it should have and I missed it horribly when I switched back to Windows in 2009.

I ended up using a bunch of different programs to attempt to replace aspects of it (PageFour, SuperNote, Q10, StoryBlue, Liquid StoryBinder, etc.) but nothing compared to the real deal. I nearly screamed with joy when I found out they were making a Windows version. Seriously.

I'm using the Windows version now for my WIP and the features are very sweet. It seems a bit daunting and takes some getting used to but it works very well for my work style.

fourlittlebees · Jun 18, 2011

Yes. If you do a search on here, you can find the thread where we all acted like crack monkeys with Scrivener as the only fix.

Deleted member 42 · Jun 18, 2011

Scrivener fan here.

plain and simple · Jun 19, 2011

Medievalist said:
Scrivener fan here.

I would really value your reasons for being a fan, Medivalist. Do you mind elaborating?

plain and simple · Jun 19, 2011

I seriously considered using writing software for awhile. And I do have a plan to try it at least once. (I've heard decent things about Dramatica Pro and Scrivener.)

But, I've decided that until I have a completed manuscript, I won't touch software. When my manuscript is complete, I'll plug it into some writing software, like Dramatica Pro to see how it fares. I'm not sure if you can do that with Scrivener or not.

First, I want to test my mettle without it.

fourlittlebees · Jun 19, 2011

plain and simple said:
I seriously considered using writing software for awhile. And I do have a plan to try it at least once. (I've heard decent things about Dramatica Pro and Scrivener.)

But, I've decided that until I have a completed manuscript, I won't touch software. When my manuscript is complete, I'll plug it into some writing software, like Dramatica Pro to see how it fares. I'm not sure if you can do that with Scrivener or not.

First, I want to test my mettle without it.

Start here on this thread:

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6029708&postcount=133

fourlittlebees · Jun 19, 2011

oops... replied to the wrong post.

But I've done it both ways: started in Scrivener and imported into Scrivener.

It's far better starting out in Scrivener. You can write by outline, have chapters as separate documents, move things around, store your research...

For editing, there's not much exciting that it does that word doesn't. It's the development stuff and research storing and outlining and moving around later that are worth their weight in gold.

plain and simple · Jun 19, 2011

Wrong post or not, I appreciate the link. It sounds like a great program for a lot of people. Especially those who lack organizational skills or just want to make the task of organizing easier.

I'm a very detail-oriented and organized person. I have no problem keeping everything together and in order. Still, I'd like to try the program sometime.

Scribhneoir · Jun 19, 2011

plain and simple said:
I When my manuscript is complete, I'll plug it into some writing software, like Dramatica Pro to see how it fares. I'm not sure if you can do that with Scrivener or not.

I own Dramatica and I've been playing around with the Scrivener Windows beta. Just so you know, the purpose of each is different, so a direct comparison isn't really possible.

Dramatica is for story structure. It prompts you with questions that are meant to lead you to a satisfying story. I know a lot of people think that means you do nothing more than fill in the blanks and presto -- a story! But it's far more complex than that and there is a steep learning curve. You get out of it what you put into it. Personally I love the way Dramatica makes me think about my story. Plugging your story into Dramatica to see how it fares could be enlightening.

Scrivener is an organizational tool. It's got lots of nifty ways to organize your notes, research, drafts, etc. Everything is in one place and can be easily accessed and compiled in a number of ways. Plugging your story into Scrivener won't show you how it fares, story-wise, but will make it easy to mix and match and move scenes around.

Both Dramatica and Scrivener are useful in their separate ways. Which to use, if either, depends on what you're looking for.

AlexPiper · Jun 19, 2011

The thing I love most about Scrivener is less the organizational features and more the fact that every scene is a notecard. This is GREAT for outlining or editing.

For outlining, you can create all the cards (with titles/summaries) and organize them into an outline, then just start filling in the scenes attached to each card. For editing, if you discover a scene needs to move, you just drag that card elsewhere. Decide a scene needs to come out? Drag the card out of the Draft folder and into an 'Old Scenes' folder or whatever, thus removing it from the story but not needing to delete it.

Love Scrivener SO MUCH.

plain and simple · Jun 19, 2011

Scribhneoir said:
I own Dramatica and I've been playing around with the Scrivener Windows beta. Just so you know, the purpose of each is different, so a direct comparison isn't really possible.

Got it. Thanks. My mistake. I misunderstood the purpose of Scrivener, then. Thanks for the clarification.

tim290280 · Jun 20, 2011

I have a few concerns about the Windows Scrivener. While I loved using it I had some major issues with the ability to save my work. Basically the Windows beta version was not saving what I had written when I pressed save (or when it did the auto-save). I'd taken a week off to write and only noticed on day 5, so I was 10,000 words short for the week.

If you are using Windows wait until Scrivener has had a couple of iterations before jumping onto it. Otherwise it is a great program for story-boarding, timelineing, character descriptions and placement, etc.

Anne Lyle · Jun 20, 2011

I also have heard from a friend that the Windows version of Scrivener is not up to scratch yet. It's a fairly recent port of the Mac version and not very reliable - my friend reported being unable to open files from a previous version in a later one.

Scrivener 2.0 for Mac is awesome, however, so I hope for Windows users' sake they gets it sorted. The guy who created Scrivener is a Mac-only programmer, so he's had to hand over the Windows port to a third party.

BTW, if you don't want to risk Scrivener for Windows, check out Liquid Story Binder by Black Obelisk Software. It does a lot of the same stuff - organising your files, etc - and is a more mature product.

RyanLKing · Jun 20, 2011

Ok. I can't deny it. I'm a Mac/Scrivener fanboy. But when it comes to Windows, hold off on Scrivener. I've been wanting to like Scrivener for Windows but the beta just doesn't feel as smooth as the original. Plus being as new as it is, it won't have all the features of the Mac version. I have to agree with Anne, LSB is the best way to go if you're using Windows. If you're looking for free, you could also try yWriter. LSB is better but you get what you pay for.

Good luck!

graceangela9 · Jun 22, 2011

G.P. said:
Found this the other day by accident and thought it looked intriguing. Anybody know of this program or tried it?

Scivener for windows

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows/

I think scrivener is better suited for mac operating system instead of using it with PC.[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Scrivener allows you to split up a long text into smaller, more manageable chunks (chapters, scenes, main points - how large or small is up to you) and to edit them independently or together as one long document. Its structural tools include a corkboard and an outliner for rearranging the constituent parts of your draft, so that you can plan your work in advance or get an overview and restructure it after the first pass.[/FONT][/FONT]

DHawthorne · Jul 5, 2011

I'm playing with the Windows beta, and so far think I'm going to stick with it. It's real helpful for organizing thoughts, and keeping a draft in manageable chunks. The beta doesn't really export quite so well yet for submission, or I goofed that part up, but I found exporting it to my word processor to clean up the final output to be relatively painless.

Deleted member 42 · Jul 5, 2011

graceangela9 said:
I think scrivener is better suited for mac operating system instead of using it with PC.

Scrivener allows you to split up a long text into smaller, more manageable chunks (chapters, scenes, main points - how large or small is up to you) and to edit them independently or together as one long document. Its structural tools include a corkboard and an outliner for rearranging the constituent parts of your draft, so that you can plan your work in advance or get an overview and restructure it after the first pass.

I don't usually respond to posts from banned users--but this is just plain idiotic.

Scrivener has been completely re-written for Windows. It works quite well, though it's currently still an advanced beta.

The rest of the quoted post was based on plagiarized Web-scrapping.

We now return you to your conversation.

fourlittlebees · Jul 5, 2011

DH, I manage to botch it every time on export. DEFINITELY check it before you send... I've been known to lose entire chapters on export (thank goodness for sharp betas).

Also, I am PINING for it right now. My laptop is in the shop and I'm stuck with my work laptop which doesn't have Scrivener. Sobbing has ensued. Hopefully, they can fix it quickly, but trying to piece things together in Gdocs for eventual re-importing is a horror show. #firstworldproblem

Tirjasdyn · Jul 5, 2011

graceangela9 said:
I think scrivener is better suited for mac operating system instead of using it with PC.[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Scrivener allows you to split up a long text into smaller, more manageable chunks (chapters, scenes, main points - how large or small is up to you) and to edit them independently or together as one long document. Its structural tools include a corkboard and an outliner for rearranging the constituent parts of your draft, so that you can plan your work in advance or get an overview and restructure it after the first pass.[/FONT][/FONT]

ywriter for windows is similar but does not organize non-program files like LSB does or Scrivener.

Ywriter however breaks the novel up in separate files by chapters and scenes. You can track characters, items and locations by scene and chapter. There are project notes, scene note and a place in each scene for synopsis. Scenes can be viewed on the story board and moved around until you're satisfied. scenes can be dragged and dropped in the main window as well to reorder them.

I also write from an outline and I put that in the scene descriptions .

Sarah Madara · Jul 5, 2011

Scrivener addict here. Every time I try another writing software I either don't see the point, or I do see the point and I go set up Scrivener to do the same thing

Scrivener?

G.P.

Greg

Slowlycreepingdeath

Nightmelody

RedStringSoul

Chaos Wrangler

fourlittlebees

chief sitter on people

Deleted member 42

plain and simple

Taking it all in.

plain and simple

Taking it all in.

fourlittlebees

chief sitter on people

fourlittlebees

chief sitter on people

plain and simple

Taking it all in.

Scribhneoir

Reinventing Myself

AlexPiper

Wayward Wordsmith

plain and simple

Taking it all in.

tim290280

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

RyanLKing

graceangela9

DHawthorne

Deleted member 42

fourlittlebees

chief sitter on people

Tirjasdyn

Outline Maven

Sarah Madara

Freeway stomper extraordinaire