A comprehensive project management tool for aspiring writers
Scrivener is the long-awaited Windows version of the popular project management and text editing tool for writers that Mac users have been raving about for years.
Installation
This version of Scrivener is relatively easy to install. A message appears immediately after installing, advising that for best results, new users should watch a 30-40 minute tutorial. This can be downloaded via the “Help” tab. Even without going through the tutorial, upon launching, Scrivener offers users the immediate ability to choose what type of writing project they want to work on. Some options include fiction and nonfiction works, poetry, and scripts.
Features
Each Scrivener document type allows for three unique views: a simple text version, the corkboard, and an outline format.
Scrivener’s text version is exactly how it sounds; free of any extraneous information, you’re left with only the plain text of the document in front of you.
The corkboard view allows users to “pin” and categorize different scenes in their work with labels for chapters, scenarios, and concepts. Scrivener users can also list a status to further describe each document, such as first draft, incomplete, and so on.
Lastly, the outline view provides an organized list of all the documents you’ve saved in a particular project with each title, label, status, and a synopsis of their contents.
Unfortunately, for a user who’s entirely new to Scrivener, learning how to use the program isn’t as intuitive as it could be. The video tutorial undoubtedly makes the learning process easier. Barring that, taking advantage of the interactive tutorial offered with this version is highly recommended.
Overall, Scrivener is an excellent product for users serious about the organization of their writing projects.
