Scrivener Novel and Script Writing Software for novelists and writers of fiction and non-fiction. A versatile and easy to use piece of writing software that delivers much more that you would expect!
Every aspiring writer, accomplished author, self-published author, and heck, even aspiring wannabe novelists have turned their thoughts to writing software at some point or other. If this is you, you need to know about a powerful writing tool ...
I’d heard a lot about Scrivener; mostly that it’s a brilliant, flexible package for writers and authors to help manage the creative process from start to finish, keep all notes and research ideas grouped together and let the creative juices start flowing.
So I dived in and gave it a try.
If you’re working on any material, from books to screenplays, and you feel frustrated with Word or whatever software you’re using (maybe OneNote to keep your bits and bobs handy), you have just got to move over to Scrivener.
No matter what writing project you’re in or on, it can be pretty scary to get to grips with all the work that is needed to hold your thoughts and wild imaginings together.
A complete novel or work of non-fiction takes plenty of time and mounds of planning, re-planning, shifting, re-ordering, editing and re-editing, and re-editing yet again before you see anything that can safely face the light of day - let alone be shown to an agent or publisher.
So where do you begin?
You could try the good old-fashioned software widely available on most PCs, or you could go Pro and break your project into manageable chunks.
I wish I’d had this powerful tool when writing both my books - Create a Successful Website and Pimp My Site; my writing life would have been soooooo much easier!
First and foremost, Scrivener gives you freedom to work on your project in segments, with two ways to work or view your work. Say hello to the corkboard and the outline view. Scrivener describes them as a bird's-eye view of your project segments.
Scrivener software helps you get far more organised than any note-taking app - I have used OneNote and have looked briefly at TreePad - but the flexibility of Scrivener gives you far more than just organisation and free flow writing.
The advanced ability to use tools such as the cork board for random ideas, and also to move chapters around, unbinds the chains of regular software and actually does what Red Bull is supposed to do - give you wings!
Talking of software and Word, Scrivener isn’t a word processor per sé; it was designed to let writers tackle larger projects, gathering multiple documents, notes and research materials all in one place, allowing you to rearrange them at will - this is the beauty and freedom!
You can add your own references, notes, keywords and a synopsis – to remember which characters are involved in a particular scene or chapter.
I am still getting to grips with the full power under my fingertips and there is lots more to learn such as labelling Scene, Idea, Character Notes, etc.
IThere are other writing software tools on the market, most of which are expensive and will take time to learn how to use.
Scrivener is easy to use with a few quick tutorials found on YouTube. Planning and research is easy to store and find in Scrivener.
“The writing software to set your writing free, don’t start a story or even a page without Scrivener!”
So, that's it for now ... I'm off - have novels to write!
