Scrivener Update Part 2

 

Last week, I gave a rundown of some of the updated features on Scrivener 3. FYI, the NaNoWriMo template totally works! I tried it out with a quick sprint this morning. It added to my word count seamlessly. I tried again later. It asked if I wanted to update my count from 450 to 1200. I said yes, and it told me I added 750 words. So cool.

Onward!

Another new feature is the Style menu. You can now add preset styles to text or create your own. Styles include several handy shortcuts.

• Attribution changes the alignment to the right margin, with an extra space after a carriage return (hitting Enter).
• Block Quote adds to the margin on each side of the text with a left alignment and extra space after and after a carriage return.
• Caption centers the text with no indented margin and extra space after a carriage return (but less than that of Block Quote or Attribution).
• Centered Text is the same as hitting the alignment button for centering.
• Code Block changes the entire block to Consolas font, size 11. It looks very old-school.
• Heading 1 is bold, size 18 and uses Sitka font, no indentation, extra space after a carriage return.
• Heading 2 also uses Sitka, bold, but size 13, no indentation, and extra space after a carriage return (less than Heading 1).
• Title creates a bold, size 28 text block, no margins, and extra space after a carriage return.
• Verse formats text like poetry, but mostly it’s centered with slightly more space between lines.

These styles apply to an entire line of text or the entire paragraph. You can highlight one word of the section, hit your new style, and Scrivener applies to the entire paragraph.

And if those aren’t fantastic enough, you can easily remove the styles. Under the Style menu on the top left, click Show Styles Panel. This gives you a floating menu with all the styles on it. Want to change something back, click on the section and click Remove Style from the bottom of the menu. Poof! It’s gone. You don’t even have to highlight!

There are also character styles: Code Span and Emphasis. Code span gives you Consolas font, size 11. Emphasis is basically italics.

Let’s talk about the publishing aspect of Scrivener. I personally don’t use these features. I like to do final drafts in Word. I can format a book in Word if I need to, but I purchased Vellum to handle the heavy load.

Scrivener has always included conversion of their docs to other formats, including those used for e-publishing. The Compile option on the File menu is so enhanced we might need another post!

Now, when you are ready to put the book together to finalize, publish, or send the editor, you can format your book in many ways. The menu is now a huge pop-up with screen previews. Start at the top with Compile For to choose your format: print, Word docx, epub, mobi, fountain, and more.

On the left, choose formats for the doc. These options will change depending on which Compile for the option you choose (print vs epub vs MultiMarkDown). I went with Print and had choices like outline, manuscript, paperback, and script. The last panel on the right has you choose elements for your compile. Under Print and Manuscript (my choices), I can choose what features to use in the doc by checking off sections. I can add front and back matter with ease. These are just the highlights. The Compile section has so much to offer authors to help make that manuscript perfect.

Last, I wanted to mention the new Bookmark feature. Bookmarks are essential links to places and sites in and out of the doc. If you’re using research and need to refer to previous stories, fanfiction, historical anything, you may need to go back to source data while writing. Bookmarks in Scrivener 3 allow you to put these reference links inside your doc for fast access.

The best way to do a bookmark is to first have the material needed for the bookmark. It could be a section of the Scrivener doc, a web link, another doc. Then click the Inspector (blue circle with an I). The pop-up on the right has several options: Notes, Bookmarks, Metadata, Snapshots, and Footnotes and Comments.

Click the Bookmark menu. The little down arrow lets you choose if the bookmarks are for the doc or the entire project. Then click the three dots (on a Mac, it might be a gear) and choose what type of bookmark: Internal, External, or External File. The Internal Bookmark menu will list places in your doc like characters, places, research. Choose your location and you have a bookmark. For External, you need to find the URL and paste it. For External Files, dig through your cloud or hard drive to find it and click. The bookmarks will appear below the title with icons to differentiate them. Click on them to go directly to the information you need.

Phew. Did I mention there’s more? Scrivener is a great program for authors. It doesn’t matter if you are new or a pro. The app can be used by any level writer.

Enjoy!