Draca Wards Saga

Draca Wards Saga

Friday, March 4, 2011

Something new to play with!

I am far away from my computer, writing this from Blogpress on my iPad, trying to get a blog entry done. For now, my Mac is the enemy, keeping me away from social media and e-mail. It is my fault, really. I was browsing around the Internet, looking to see what kind of writing or organizational software is out there that can help me with my latest draft, and out of curiosity I downloaded a trial version of this sinister little program that I can't seem to stop playing with. It is all I want to work on when I log on. It keeps me stuck at my desk for hours on end. It is like a virus that keeps you from accessing other applications and ruins your to-do priorities. The name of this sinister little program? Scrivener 2.0 for Mac.

The makers of this program are from the UK, and I have no idea who they are. Nor are they giving me anything for blogging about their product; I am nowhere near popular enough for them to give me the time of day. So with that being said, I have to tell my fellow writers to at least take a look at this program (please note that it is a Mac program, but there is a Windows beta version as well). Scrivener is not a word processor-although you can use it as such if you wish to- or a publishing application. It is basically a database where you can sort, label, format, compile and store all your documents in one 'binder' so you can organize and assemble a draft of a manuscript, screenplay, or chapbook any way you want to.

It would take too long to list all the features I liked. This is probably old news to my fellow Mac users, but I have never been a fan of writing software. Word and Pages have always worked fine for me. However, now that I am drafting my latest book, I realize that my fantasy series has a pile of characters with full background stories I need to manage. Also, working on a saga with eight major protagonists and with one book alone having four major storylines spanning over three years, I realize I need something to keep everything organized and easy to access. It is difficult and time consuming to browse through folders to find a certain scene I need to review or edit. But the thing that has me wowed is the way the program allows you to store and access graphic and media files to use with your work as well.

The website has video tutorials to help you find your way around, and there is a Windows beta. I am still doing the free trial, and honestly I still am not sure if I will buy it, since it has crashed a few times on me, and it is a bit pricey for me at nearly 50 dollars. Fortunately, I haven't lost anything.

I am currently using Scrivener to organize a new project binder to manage my blog posts. If this works out I am definitely buying it. So to all fellow writers: if you are looking for something to help you with your writing projects, and you have a Mac, you might benefit from this. www.literatureandlatte.com

I don't know how similar the Windows beta is, or how the finished product will be, but if you don't mind beta testing, here is the link: www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivenerforwindows (Make sure you back up your work in the formats you are currently using if you do decide to try it out!)

If you already use Scrivener, or if you have tried it or decide to try it, I would love to know what you think of it.

- Blogpress post from my iPad

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for blogging about this. I use my word program but I keep a tablet w/ five dividers. One, for characters only and their present and back story along with what they look like. Second, word log and a blurb about each chapter I write b/c I get lost when I get into the middle of my story. Third, a log of any story changes to any chapter along with edits. Four, Random thoughts that I may use. Five, any research that would be beneficial to the story. This I do by hand.

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  2. Shelly, I started with a five-subject notebook, and it grew into over a dozen notebooks and journals! I would just keep writing pieces in no order whatsoever. I was so disorganized I had to make most of my work digital. I feel my electronic folders are much more orderly, but it still takes forever to find a particular file. Sometimes I just search through my notebooks, just because it is faster :-) And I really dig the feel of jotting things down on paper. It makes it feel like a labor of love.

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  3. Thanks for the tip. My blog posts are becoming unruly in their folder. This may do the trick to tame them!

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