Found an App

She's armed and dangerous

A few weeks ago I finally got my first draft into Scrivener. It’s one of those love it or hate it apps, and it’s really helped me organize my story. I copied all my content over from Google Docs (which was much easier than that I thought since I was already using tabs and headings to organize things) and I won’t be going back.

The interface…isn’t great. If my day-to-day wasn’t in the tech world, I could see how it could be frustrating. I’ve had moments.

But the features that are giving me life:

The Split Screen view

I can put two versions of the story side-by-side and compare and edit them pretty easily. And if I want, I can keep another panel open that shows the story outline. This really helps if I want to change verb tense, point of view or compare new and old versions.

The Snapshot

Speaking of versions ,I can save an old version of a file in the same file. It’s called a snapshot. So if I fall into an editing spiral and it turns into mush, I can look an earlier version and find my way back to somewhere near sanity.

The Folder View

The Windows 95 realness of the folder view is just what I need. Next to the writing area, I can see an overview of Act 1, 2, or 3, my research, character notes, or anything else I want to put in folders just a click away. No more searching through files and Google Docs tabs to decide if a character’s decision follows from their development. No more trying to find old links in my browser when I was looking up Ballroom events and lingo from the 80s. I can jump into my folders without leaving Scrivener and jump right back into the scene. And I didn’t even have to tediously name and organize the folders. There’s plenty of templates out there for whatever kind of story I want to write like this one.

Maybe Scrivener is for you. You can try it for free.

This is an unpaid review by the way.

Hot take: Don’t try to do the tutorial it comes with. There’s lot of great Youtube videos that can teach more in half the time.