Scrivener: A Recommendation

Authors use a variety of writing tools to draft manuscripts, from computers to microphones to paper. I dictate the bulk of my first drafts into my iPhone, and then I finish them on my MacBook, but everyone is different, and one method doesn’t work for all writers. Even if what you’re currently using is working, I suggest you sample new drafting tools to determine if they are more efficient or effective.

If you work on a computer, I recommend using Scrivener. A majority of writers create in Microsoft Word, but Scrivener is becoming a popular novel drafting tool. I think of Scrivener as Word on steroids, so if you’ve mastered Word, you’ll have an easy transition to Scrivener. The user interfaces have similar appearances, but Scrivener offers dozens of additional features. Scrivener has templates for fiction, non-fiction, and scriptwriting to structure manuscripts in common formats.

When you create a new project, a vertical binder runs along the left side of the screen and serves as a visual representation of the story. Each chapter is a folder that contains text boxes for scenes. I use one scene per chapter, but you can use as many as you’d like. You can easily drag chapters and scenes around in the binder to reorder your manuscript. One cool function is the ability to color-code chapters and scenes, which helps organize multi-POV narratives.

Scrivener also has a corkboard view, which resembles index cards on a bulletin board. You can also see your manuscript in an outline format. The center of the software displays whichever text box you’re currently writing. This looks similar to Word and uses almost identical toolbars.

To the right of your document is the inspector that shows metadata. It has a notes section where you can add a scene synopsis to aid in planning. You can flag scenes that need editing or are complete. Perhaps the best feature is the snapshot function, which lets you save the current version of your scene with a single click. Doing this before editing gives you the option to revert to an earlier version if your edit goes off track. You can also compare versions side by side.

Another benefit to Scrivener’s many functions is in the binder, where authors can create and store character sketches, location descriptions, research, and notes. This puts everything you need in one place for easy access. If you’re curious about Scrivener, you can download it for free for a trial period. Literature and Latte developed the software, and they have numerous tutorial videos on YouTube to help you get started. Give it a shot.

Click here to learn more at Scrivener.app.

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