Today I wanted to do something a little different. Instead of a list of tips or a writing run-down, I’m going to do a review of a writing program I mention often: Scrivener.

Scrivener is a program I use as a book author in place of Microsoft Word or other writing programs. While I don’t use it for regular document creation (think, resumes or cover letters) I will never be tempted to go back to a traditional writing program for my books, and I’m going to give you an in-depth look at why.

Strap in and get ready to learn all you need to know to decide if Scrivener is right for you!

Overview:

Scrivener is a writing program created specifically for long-form projects, such as books and screenplays. It’s rife with hidden gems and feature-rich with all you need to make your project come to life. I have used Scrivener for a number of years since I was introduced to it after completing NaNoWriMo. I originally purchased Scrivener 1 for Windows, and I am now using Scrivener 3 for Mac OS, and I would recommend the program whether you use Windows or Mac. This review is going to be specific to Scrivener 3 for Mac OS, but many of the touch-points I’ll be going over apply to the Windows version as well. There is also a mobile version available through the Apple App Store which I currently use in tandem with the Mac version depending on if I need to take my writing mobile, it works on both the iPhone and iPad. 

Pricing:

Scrivener 3 for Mac OS: $49

Scrivener 1 for Windows: $49

Scrivener iOS App: $19.99

Now, I know this price may seem pretty high at first, but the thing to consider is this: compared to Microsoft Word, it’s much cheaper, and it is not a subscription. When you buy the program, it’s yours for life. 

If you are one of those that participates in NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNoWriMo, Scrivener is usually a sponsor, and typically participates in the NaNo Winner Goodies by providing a coupon for a percentage off of the purchase of the program. 

They also offer a very generous 30 day trial, and this trial does not go by calendar days, it goes by days used, so if you write once per week, you will have thirty sessions to decide whether or not you wish to buy the program. 

Features:

Scrivener has too many features to go over all of them in complete detail, but I’m going to touch on a few of my favorites.

1. Templates: Scrivener offers templates for different writing projects, including novels, screenplays, and even self-publishing templates. 

2. Word Processor: As I mentioned, I use this program in place of Microsoft Word for my long-form writing projects. It has a pretty standard word processor, allowing you to cut/copy/paste, manage your text settings, fonts, indentations, and styles, and can be viewed with page breaks or as a continuous scrolling format. It allows for inputting comments and footnotes as well!

3. Organization: Scrivener allows you to organize your long-form project into folders and documents. For example, I use folders to indicate chapters, and the documents within the folders to represent individual scenes. Folders and documents can be labelled with meta-data, which I use to mark character POV and completeness, and can also be tagged with a summary so you can see at a glance what’s what. 

4. Outlining: This program makes outlining easy. By viewing your project in bulletin board view, you can see each chapter and scene represented by index cards. The index cards can be filled out with summaries, tabbed with labels and colors, and marked by completeness (ie: draft, second draft, final). 

5. Manuscript vs Other Folders: Scrivener’s templates build in sections to separate your actual project manuscript from the rest of the stuff you might need for it! The novel template builds in a section for Research, Worldbuilding, and Characters. You can have everything in one place and easily click through to double check details. You can also add in photos and images, and link in references with hyperlinks. When starting a new draft of the same project, you can even hold old drafts of the project in folders that aren’t a part of the actual manuscript by moving them into this separate section!

6. Syncing Across Devices: Barring all other features already mentioned, this feature alone would have spurred my purchase of this program. Scrivener utilizes DropBox to sync projects across different devices, so that you can literally be working on a project on your computer, save it, and pick it up right where you left off the next minute on your mobile device. It syncs automatically before opening and after saving and closing the program without you having to do the work yourself. 

– One caveat of this is that you can end up with wonky different versions if you don’t save and close the document before moving on to the next device. As long as you remember this step, you won’t have any problems! And if this does happen? Scrivener has a built-in folder for Conflicts that saves everything that’s different in one place so you can pick through and make sure you’re pulling the current versions into your project. 

7. Compiling: When you’re done with your project and ready to do what you want to with it, Scrivener makes it easy to compile your mess of folders and docs into one seamless document for print, conversion to Word doc or PDF, and even has templates for self-publishing and screenplay printouts. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty, you can custom-compile, and choose if you want to leave out certain docs or folders, or if you want to pull in the folder titles as headers for the different sections of your project (this helps if, like me, you use the folders to indicate chapters!).

8. Dark Mode: Scrivener 3 for Mac OS introduced dark mode, which is also available on the iOS app (as far as I know, this is not yet available in the Windows version). Dark mode is just that—a darker view that lets you stare at a screen all day without hurting your eyes as much. As someone who suffers from migraines, Dark Mode is a really important feature to me. 

In Conclusion:

I highly recommend Scrivener for any aspiring author, whether you write novels, screenplays, plays, or compilations of short stories or poems. 

Pros:

– Flexibility and customization, utilize templates!

– Organize your work how you want to with binder format.

– View your work and outline in bulletin board format.

– Compile a large project into one document.

– Maintain folders for resources and documents that don’t belong in the manuscript that you still want access to while working.

– Sync across devices!

– Dark mode!

Cons:

– Scrivener is relatively complicated and does have somewhat of a learning curve. They do, however, have a wonderful tutorial you can run through before starting your own project, and a vast help library for your perusal if you ever have more questions. 

– The initial purchase can be bit of an investment, especially if you are buying the program for multiple devices/operating systems, but you may find it well worth it, and can even often get promo codes for a percentage off of your purchase. 

With all that info, I hope you have a better idea of what Scrivener can do for you as a writer. Is it something you’re interested in? Have you tried it before, and if so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments! 

Happy writing!

– Ember