Tuesday, February 3

Distracted by a Program

Where was I Saturday?

Uh... distracted. [looks sheepish]

I first mentioned Scrivener in October 2007. I had really, really wanted to try it then, but I didn't have the correct system.

I was poking around on Cuppa Caff recently, and realized my recent system upgrade meant I now did meet the system requirements. So I downloaded it, and...

Forgot to post on Saturday...

I don't want to do a full review until I've played with it some more--I think I may have found a minor bug--but so far, I'm drooling and eager to use it for all my future writing. I probably will be paying the $40 for the software, and I rarely pay for software. (As in, I find freeware and open source stuff, not pirating!)

One of things I like best about the developer website is his kindly posting of links to other writing software, some of it free. I confess I haven't tried every one of them, but I doubt any of them compare to the nice index card/lined paper shuffling ability and the inherent notes ability of Scrivener. I even imported a picture into one document's notes that reminds me of how I picture my main character when she's an adult.

But what really has me astonished is the compatibility. The program's files are saved so, if your version of the application is corrupted (or your 30-day trial runs out), you can STILL right click and open the package to access all the files in a file format that's universally compatible. (Usually.) Granted, the formatting likely won't be quite the same if you use the annotations and such in Scrivener, but the bulk of the work will still be accessible.

And with my knack for somehow making programs do things they were never supposed to do (in a bad way), I like that accessibility.

at 9:07 AM
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2 comments:

  1. I'm curious. What can Scrivener do that a normal word processing program can't? I've been plugging along happily on WordPerfect for years. (I confess, I've got an anti-MS thing going. Recently being obliged to use Word just reminded me of why that is.)
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  2. Well, it can gather everything into one easy-to-access project. You can list keywords, notes, and URLs, link to other files and URLs, and easily divide things up by labels, keywords, or sections.

    Add that sections can be viewed as index cards and easily shuffled around, collapsed and expanded as needed, and there's a related outline function, everything works in one coherent whole.

    In the research section, you can even import music files and images, or put those things as notes. There's also a dual-file view for you to be looking at some notes while you work on another section, or to cross-reference sections, and and ability to click "back" and "forward" buttons for going through your document.

    Yikes. I should stop so I have some material left for when I review.

    I've used MS Word and TextEdit for years, myself, with separate note files and sometimes folders of material for backup. Having everything in one easy-to-navigate package makes it so much easier!

    The index card function is also a major plus, in my book. That's how I work out my scenes.
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