Finding the perfect medium to write your story is crucial to any author. You want your story to be easy to find, the information easy to follow, and above all, as minimal clutter as possible. Because let’s face it, your workspace is a mess when you’re writing.

For the longest time, I rotated between Microsoft Word and Google Docs to write my projects. This method works if you can handle the crazy number of documents you’ll need for your project.

Then I found out about a writing program called Scrivener. 

Today’s post is going to be an introduction to Scrivener. In later posts, I will discuss more details about the writing program, but today will be a discussion of Scrivener and it’s advantages to you, the writer.

This page may contain affiliate links. Click to read full disclaimer. I only promote products I support.

Scrivener is a writing program designed for writers. Fiction writers. Poetry writers. Nonfiction writers. Scriptwriters. Any kind of writing that you can think of, Scrivener is for you.

You may have heard that Scrivener is too complicated to learn but after that small learning curve, you’ll be a Scrivener Pro in no time. Scrivener lets you be the organized writer you’ve always wanted to be.

Now, let’s get down to the pros and cons of the Scrivener program. And I’ll let you decide if it’s worth your investment.

Cost

I’m not a big spender, but I took the plunge and used my NaNoWriMo participant discount code to purchase Scrivener. Its regular price is $49 and it’s a ONE TIME fee. Once you purchase Scrivener, it is for you to use forever.

If you need to test the waters before buying, Scrivener also provides a FREE 30-day (nonconsecutive) free trial. So why not take Scrivener for a trial run?

Templates

As I mentioned before, Scrivener is for any writer. This is proven when you first open the program and find templates for all kinds of writing projects. The template provides the basic structure of whatever project you’re working on. Being that I write fiction novels, templates under the Fiction category work best for my writing needs. However, I use my own created template, which I will discuss in a future post.

Layout

Upon opening your new Scrivener project, you will have two sections on your screen. The binder and the document.

Binder

The binder allows you to see each file that is in your project. No more searching through a folder on your desktop trying to find a piece of character information. Just check under the characters tab and all of your characters are in one place.

Find a bit of research online? Copy and past it under the research tab for future reference. No more endless bookmarks.

The binder also comes with templates that you can use to further develop your project. Such as Character and Setting sheets.

Document

There are three views that you can see your project in. Text View. Corkboard View. Outliner View.

Text View is the only way to write your story. It acts like a word document.

Corkboard View allows you to keep notes about your chapter on that particular chapter. Being that you can create a separate text space for each chapter, you can keep your notes under one chapter without the fear of being confused later on.

Outliner View is best when looking at the overall story. It will show you the basic information that you’ve written for your chapters and it helps you see any structural errors especially if you’re missing a key component to your plotline.

Less Paper

For those that don’t like waste, Scrivener makes it so you don’t have to have piles of paper for every project. Just create a new text file in your document and you’ve saved one more piece of paper.

Are you convinced to buy Scrivener now?

Go ahead and download your own license for Scrivener today!

 

Learning Curve

When you first download Scrivener, you will have to learn the way the writing program works. It takes some time, but there are classes and youtube videos to help you through this curve. My plan is to discuss the inner workings of Scrivener over this next year, so subscribe so you don’t miss out.

Portability

Unlike Google Docs and Microsoft Word, there is no FREE way to bring Scrivener on the go.  Scrivener does have a mobile app for an additional $20 charge, but for IOS users only. So unless you have IOS and want to pay an additional charge, Scrivener isn’t easy to bring on the go as I write this article. I have not tried the app as of yet, but do plan to do so in the future.

I’m still in the process of learning Scrivener because let’s face it, the program is HUGE and even when you think you know it all there is still more to learn. Scrivener has increased my writing productivity so why not try it out for yourself? Share on X

Take the risk and buy Scrivener today.

Are you ready to take the plunge? Are you already a user of Scrivener? What is your biggest worry about using Scrivener? Voice your thoughts and questions down below and I’ll do my best to help you out!

Get Started On Your Scrivener Journey Today

Create Your Own Scrivener Templates

Top 6 Things to Know About Scrivener

 

This page may contain affiliate links. Click to read full disclaimer. I only promote products I support.

 

 

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