Well dear reader I’m about half way through the full pass {link} part of my first pass through the new novel and I’ve learned a couple things about Scrivener that I’m ready to report (for the earlier portions of my adventures in using scrivener try these posts: Almost first thoughts, Scrivener… after NANO thoughts (part one), Scrivener… after NANO thoughts (part two))

Keeping it all together:

The ability to keep notes and reference material, in addition to the actual manuscript, in one place is paying off.

About a week ago, I decided that what I had understood as “Act 3” for this book was happening way too fast, there was more that needed to go in there and I was already hitting my upper word limit (I and my intended publisher feel that a mid-grade fantasy (one for the kids just below the young adult level) can be too long, so there are upper and lower limits on this project). So, with Scrivener I was able to move all the relevant chapters (even the one in “Act 2” that’s only relevant with “Act 3”) into a separate folder that’s still part of the project. They’re still there if I want parts of them, or to refer to them, but they’re not part of the manuscript and I don’t have to worry about them.

On other projects (can you ever have only one?) I’m keeping track of reading lists, research notes and other necessities easily and efficiently, and without having to open other files or programs to get to them.

Scrivener’s keep it all in one place concept is really working for me.

Editing issues:

I haven’t spent a lot of time fooling with formatting in Scrivener yet, nor have I spent a whole lot of time editing directly in Scrivener. As an old-school guy I do a lot of editing on a ‘dead tree’ edition of the manuscript where I can easily X or line through things, write notes on the draft, and still see what’s there. I’ll be commenting more on editing in Scrivener in my next past, when things are a little more ‘work directly on the computer’ friendly.

One thing I’ve really noticed is that transcribing from a compiled (formatted) printed draft to an uncompiled (’wild state’) Scrivener text can be difficult, the paragraphs don’t look the same…

Compiled manuscript format…

‘Raw’ Scrivener view…

So the exact spot I’m looking for can be hard to find.

While this is sometimes frustrating, it also forces me to read what I’m working on and not just skim, and (like any of us) I need to be actively reading at this point in the game.

More to come here, but there are lessons being learned.

 

Correction! Printing problems, they aren’t quite what I thought…

I said previously that I couldn’t figure out how to print just a selection of pages from a scrivener document… Well, the ability is there:

But, since I haven’t figured out how to actually see the compiled file without saving it, and there are no page numbers in the raw Scrivener file, it’s hard to know what pages I’m actually supposed to print. So… different problem, same place in the end. But, I’m learning.

I’ve also learned you need to select and compile the folder and the document to get chapter formatting in your print out.

On the other hand, at this point in time I’ve been moving whole chapters around and other major structural changes. So, the page numbers on the print edition aren’t necessarily reliable right now anyway…

I’m still convinced I like using Scrivener. It really is helping in some ways. But, there is definitely a learning curve!

That’s the latest, dear reader. I’m sure I’ll have more to share somewhere in the next pass.

Until then, good luck in your own writing, and I’ll see you next post.