Scrivener has made my life much easier as I achieve to be a published author. Before, I was lost. I had note cards scattered throughout the house, notebooks (about 50) laying around the house and always screamed when I couldn't find the one I needed at the moment.
I am a free writer, as in I never do an outline per-say. I get my characters, some idea of what I want them to do and write. Usually my characters never do what I thought they would. Scrivener has changed all that ciaos of tracking my characters mind-changing events. Example: I had planned on two certain characters to get together but in the current WIP the girl is liking a different guy than I intended.
Reasons:
1.) Scrivener allows me to import research, photos, MS Word docs. This helps with organizing it all in one place. You don't have to have 50 million screens open and bounce between them.
2.) Cork-board mode is my best friend. Here I can have my note cards and move them around. In Scrivener, every document is attached to a virtual index card onto which you can jot a synopsis; moving the cards on Scrivener’s corkboard rearranges their associated text in your draft. Mark common themes or content using labels, or stack cards, grouping related documents together. I have folders for each wolf pack with all their pack members. I can click on the folder and see everyone's photo I have suggested for them. You can also move you chapters and scenes around to re-order them in corkboard mode. I can just drag the notes cards to re-order them. As mine are in order of rank at the moment. It would be easy and take less than a minute to change that to age. I have the definitions is alphabetical order but had them in order they appeared at first. It took me 3 minutes to move the note cards around.
3.) Ease of moving things around. As I said it's easy to move your notes, research, chapters, scenes and characters in cork-board mode. It is also easy to move them around in the binder. All you have to do is drag what you want moved and move it! It's that simple.
4.) Being able to have photos on your note-cards has me jumping every time I open the screen. Having them to jog my memory as to what someone or some place looks like is easier than opening up my pictures on my computer. They are right there. And the split-screen makes it quick work to look up a fact on a note-card.
5.) I love the fact that I can color code everything in my binders. As you can see below I have changed their look. It makes it easier the click the correct one without reading the names. You can also code your note cards. The coloring can be all of it or just some of it, like I have. Or it can be just the outside border.
6.) It makes it easier for me to start another novel in my series by dragging the info from one project to a new one. I don't have to retype it all in. Everything is there with a click or 2.
7.) I love that it tracks my word counts for each session and the whole document. It keeps me on track with my daily word counts. Below is my current WIP. As you can see it allows you to set the whole document goal and the session goal. AS you progress the bars turn color. When you get really close to your goal it turns green!
8.) The name generator has been a big help. I can set it for regions of the world and click 'generate' and is comes up with a list of names. Settings can be male/female, first/last names, meanings, and you can import others. I usually use this for last names rather than first of middle and I change the spelling if it's for a current character.
9.) The full screen makes it easier for me, personally, to edit. It blocks out all the distractions of windows I might have open.
10.) Compiling into e-pub for makes it easy for me to proof-read it anywhere. I have done it while waiting for the kids to get out of school or at the doctor's office. All I do is upload it to my NOOK.
There are many other things that can be done with the program but I haven't learned everything yet. Learning everything I can do may take years but as I go, I learn a little more and the more I love it. Windows version is a little behind Mac but they are working on it. I have been working on Binders but haven't had a need for them yet. Some use it to track all their blogging, not me; at least not yet.
If you prefer a more traditional planning environment? View and edit the synopses and meta-data of your documents in Scrivener’s powerful outliner. Organize your ideas using as many or few levels as you want and drag and drop to restructure your work. Check word counts, see what’s left to do using the Status column. Scrivener’s outliner is easy on the eyes, too, making it ideal for reading and revising an overview of a section, chapter or even the whole draft.
Others I have talked with say,
' It's a must for me. Keeps everything all in one place.'
' I adore Scrivener - it allows me to visually order scenes & keep everything open. Plus character & research tabs.'
' I have full versions for both PC & Mac! Still hoping for iOS.'
Get a free 30 day use version of Scrivener at
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/index.php
If you're not sure watch the tutorials and get more of an idea of how it can help you with your writing.
*All screenshots are mine. The photos are from Literature&Latte's website.
**This blog is my opinion and mine alone. I am not paid for my views on the product.
