OUTLINING IN SCRIVENER
View Your Outline At A Glance
Single-click the name of your manuscript.
GROUP MODE allows you to see your outline in two different ways:
MIDDLE OPTION: Allows you to see the outline in a corkboard view, as if you had index cards tacked to it. It shows the chapter cards, followed by scene cards.
FAR RIGHT OPTION: Allows you to see your outline in list form and includes labels and status.
Scrivener Basics
Create Your Outline
This method enables you to work alongside your outline while drafting, without the text skewing your word count.
Highlight the subfolder titled SCENE beneath the CHAPTER.
Activate the INSPECTOR by clicking the blue i on the menu bar.
On the right-side panel, click beneath the space labeled SYNOPSIS.
Free-form type your ideas for this chapter. You can further break down your outline by scene by adding additional scenes to the created chapter.
Still working within the right-side panel, move further down to the section labeled GENERAL.
Click LABEL / EDIT.
Click the + and type OUTLINE.
Click OK.
Under STATUS, choose OUTLINE.
Click OK.
Click LABEL / OUTLINE.
Click STATUS / FIRST DRAFT.
Move further down to the section labeled DOCUMENT NOTES.
Here you can copy and paste images, character info, URLs, research pertinent to this scene, etc.
Move back to the binder (left-side panel).
Double-click SCENE.
Using no more than five words, briefly describe this scene (i.e., “Bob’s backstory”).
To add multiple scenes to a chapter, right-click CHAPTER / ADD / NEW TEXT.
Add as many scenes as needed for each chapter and continue outlining to the end.
When you’re done outlining the chapter and ready to add the next chapter, right-click CHAPTER / ADD / NEW FOLDER.
To add scenes to the chapter you just created, right-click NEW CHAPTER / ADD / NEW TEXT.
For those using the 3-Act-Structure, it’s helpful to name the chapters after the act it represents (i.e., Inciting Incident). This keeps you on track and lets you see at a glance where you’re at in your outline. Later, once you’ve completed your first draft, it’s a good idea to name the chapters what you ultimately want them to be named.
Gathering Research Notes, Character Bios, Images, etc. In One Place
DRAFTING IN SCRIVENER
On the left-side panel, scroll down to RESEARCH.
Right-click / ADD / NEW FOLDER.
Add images, notes, etc.
Right-click / ADD / WEB PAGE.
Here you can copy URLs from websites you will want to keep note of for research.
Right-click / ADD / EXISTING FILES.
Here you can upload existing documents from your computer.
On the left-side panel, scroll down to CHARACTERS.
Right-click CHARACTERS / ADD / NEW TEXT.
Copy or create character profiles that you can easily refer to while outlining/drafting.
For help building character bios, scroll down to TEMPLATE SHEETS.
Click and hold CHARACTER SKETCH and drag it to the CHARACTERS folder.
On the left-side panel, scroll down to PLACES.
Right-click PLACES / ADD / NEW TEXT.
Here is a useful place to add images from Pinterest or other websites that inspire you or are part of your research.
For help building you setting, scroll down to TEMPLATE SHEETS.
Click and hold SETTING SKETCH and drag it to the PLACES folder.
Create Your Manuscript
On the left-side panel, double-click FICTION.
Double-click NOVEL WITH PARTS
Title your project (no pressure, you can change this later)
WHERE: make note of where this is saving, or save it where you wish
Click CREATE
On the left-side panel, right-click the BINDER (it should say “MANUSCRIPT”)
RENAME
Create Your First Chapter
Scrivener starts you out with a chapter and a scene within that chapter
IF YOU ARE A PANTSER:
Do not write at the chapter level. The chapters are essentially folders that your scenes reside within. Highlight SCENE and begin adding text here.
IF YOU ARE A PLOTTER:
Go to the section OUTLINING IN SCRIVENER
Adding A New Scene
Right-click your chapter (folder)
ADD / NEW TEXT
Now you have added a blank sheet of paper to your folder. It is on this blank sheet that you will write the text of your scene .
In the middle section of Scrivener, write your scene. This can be the entire chapter all in one go, or it can end at where you would normally want a page break, but still within the same chapter.
Notice that the scene previously named “Untitled” now reflects the first few words that you wrote in the text box. Let’s change that.
Right-click the scene name / RENAME.
Whatever you name your scenes will not be included in your compiled version. Scene titles are strictly information for you to be able to quickly find a particular scene. Think of scene titles as tabs in a folder. In three to five words, briefly describe what’s in this scene.
Next, let’s add another scene to this same chapter.
Right-click the name of the previous scene (in our example, “Bob’s backstory”)
ADD / NEW TEXT
Continue adding and naming scenes in this way until you’re ready to begin a new chapter.
Moving Chapters Around
Using this method avoids accidentally moving chapters into other chapters, creating subfolders:
Click and drag the selected chapter to the spot where you want it. A red line with a circle will appear to show where it will drop. Move it to the left and the red circle will move as well. Getting the circle all the way left will ensure this chapter does not become a subfolder of the one above it.
Change Corkboard View
Go to:
SCRIVENER (top menu)
PREFERENCES
CORKBOARD
CORKBOARD BACKGROUND
Use the > to choose the look you want
Adding A New Chapter
Right-click the name of your book
ADD / NEW FOLDER
You can name this chapter (folder) anything you want for now. It can be changed later
Since each chapter is really a folder containing scenes, do NOT begin writing at the folder level. Think of this as a physical folder in your hands. You wouldn’t write on the folder itself, but instead you would put things inside of it. In Scrivener, you’ll be writing within scenes, which will be tucked inside of chapters (folders).
Split Screen
Get to the first scene you want to be on-screen
In the upper-right corner of the document window, click the thing that looks like a double-box:
Now scroll within the binder to the other section you want on-screen
Click anywhere within that scene
The first scene you chose will be on the top, the second is on the bottom
To return to the original single view, click the thing that looks like a single box
REVISING IN SCRIVENER
Gathering All Mentions Of A Character / Keyword In One Place (by scene)
Highlight all scenes you want to gather by holding COMMAND and then CLICK
DOCUMENTS / ADD TO COLLECTION / NEW COLLECTION
Type the name of the character you’re creating a collection of
Gathering All Mentions Of A Character (by name search)
Click SEARCH RESULTS (above the BINDER)
Everywhere that character, word, whatever shows up is listed on the left
If needed, you can limit your search results to specific places (notes, text, etc.) by clicking on the magnifying glass in the search window and choosing the appropriate option
If needed, you can COMMAND + CLICK, go to DOCUMENTS / ADD TO COLLECTION / NEW COLLECTION, then type the name or search word to create a collection
Find Collections Previously Created
Click VIEW / COLLECTIONS
View Revision Status Of All Scenes At A Glance
(This is particularly helpful if you tend to jump around your manuscript while editing)
Click on the binder (usually the name of the book)
Click the outliner on the far right of GROUP MODE:
View, Copy, Search Or Edit The Entire Manuscript At Once
Click on the binder (usually the name of the book)
Click the image on the far left
Take A Snapshot Of A Scene Before Revising, Deleting, Etc.
Bring up the scene in question
Make sure the INSPECTOR is active (the blue i)
On the right, click on the CAMERA
Click on the + beneath and slightly to the right
Double-click the TITLE to name this snapshot what you want
Going back to the manuscript, make the changes to the scene you wanted
Click COMPARE
The snapshot you took will now show what changes you made (the changes will be in various colors)
You can now view the original and the changes side-by-side to see which version you like better
To see what you originally snapshotted, click ORIGINAL
To revert the document back to what you originally had, click ROLL BACK
IF YOU ADDED ANY TEXT, ANSWER YES TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF THE CHANGES YOU MADE, OTHERWISE EVERYTHING YOU DID, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL TEXT, WILL BE GONE
COMPILING IN SCRIVENER
Take A Snapshot Of Your Entire Project
(recommended at the completion of each draft)
Open each chapter folder so that the left-side panel shows every chapter and scene
SHIFT + click to highlight every scene
Go to DOCUMENTS / SNAPSHOTS / TAKE TITLED SNAPSHOTS OF SELECTED DOCUMENTS
Name the snapshot )”Third Draft”, “Outline”, etc.)
Now every scene is captured
Add Notes To A Scene For Later Changes
(This is most useful when doing a read-through of your manuscript prior to an edit. This is also useful when drafting during NaNoWriMo without stopping to edit during November. That’s what the other 11 months are for.)
Highlight the word, sentence, paragraph, etc., that you’ll want to make a comment about for later review
Click COMMENT
Within the yellow box that appears in the right-side panel, type your note (i.e., “Add more to the setting”)
As you go through your MS during revisions, whenever you run across highlighted words or segments, click on the highlight and it will automatically bring up the comment associated with it in the right panel
View All Comments At Once
(Useful when you’ve done a read through of your manuscript and are now doing an edit based on your comments)
Click ] FORMAT / COMMENT to bring up a list of all comments in the right-side panel
Once you’ve addressed whatever issue you made the comment about, click the x within the comment box to delete the comment
Saving And Storing Each Draft Of Your Manuscript
Right-click the binder
Click DUPLICATE
Double-click to give it a name (first draft, final draft, etc.)
Drag it to the RESEARCH section below
Compile Prologue / Episode Without A Chapter Number
Click COMPILE
Click TITLE ADJUSTMENTS
Click the wheel next to DO NOT ADD TITLE PREFIX OR SUFFIX TO DOCUMENTS
Check the box next to the prologue