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Writing a Novel with Scrivener
The writing and story development program Scrivener is taking the world by storm. Here the bestselling author David Hewson, creator of the successful Nic Costa series, offers a personal, highly-focussed guide to using this powerful application to create a novel, now newly-updated to cover the brand new release version for Windows.
Hewson, a Scrivener user for years who's written five of his popular novels in the app, takes users through the basic processes of structuring a full-length novel, writing and developing the story, then delivering it either as a manuscript for an agent or publisher or as an ebook direct to Kindle or iBook.
Alongside the practical advice, he offers a working novelist's insight into the process of writing popular fiction. And this book is, of course, created entirely within Scrivener itself, from development through to publication on Kindle, a process followed in detail in the book. Please read the reviews to see what users think of this unique book, produced entirely from within Scrivener itself.
PRAISE FOR DAVID HEWSON'S NOVELS
The Fallen Angel, book nine in the Costa series
The Washington Post says, ‘…perhaps his finest novel. It’s hard to see how the author could have made his dark tale more fascinating, entertaining and yet entirely serious than he has.’
The New York Times, ‘Mr. Hewson’s crime novel, the ninth in a series, is like a satisfying “Law & Order” episode set in modern-day Rome… the ending is the rich tiramisu we’ve waited for.’
Bookreporter, ‘I cannot imagine anyone picking up a book authored by David Hewson and not falling in love with the subject matter within the first 50 pages or so. The Fallen Angel, his latest and arguably best work, continues the practice while upping his own ante by a notch or three.’
Jeffery Deaver...
Hewson is a daunting talent — a writer who is a master stylist.
Steve Berry...
David Hewson is one of the finest thriller writers working today. A born stylist.
Lee Child...
(Dante's Numbers)...is easily the best yet in a really terrific series.
Peter James...
Hewson is one of our finest crime writers. Absorbing, intelligent, and with a staggeringly vivid sense of place.
Hewson, a Scrivener user for years who's written five of his popular novels in the app, takes users through the basic processes of structuring a full-length novel, writing and developing the story, then delivering it either as a manuscript for an agent or publisher or as an ebook direct to Kindle or iBook.
Alongside the practical advice, he offers a working novelist's insight into the process of writing popular fiction. And this book is, of course, created entirely within Scrivener itself, from development through to publication on Kindle, a process followed in detail in the book. Please read the reviews to see what users think of this unique book, produced entirely from within Scrivener itself.
PRAISE FOR DAVID HEWSON'S NOVELS
The Fallen Angel, book nine in the Costa series
The Washington Post says, ‘…perhaps his finest novel. It’s hard to see how the author could have made his dark tale more fascinating, entertaining and yet entirely serious than he has.’
The New York Times, ‘Mr. Hewson’s crime novel, the ninth in a series, is like a satisfying “Law & Order” episode set in modern-day Rome… the ending is the rich tiramisu we’ve waited for.’
Bookreporter, ‘I cannot imagine anyone picking up a book authored by David Hewson and not falling in love with the subject matter within the first 50 pages or so. The Fallen Angel, his latest and arguably best work, continues the practice while upping his own ante by a notch or three.’
Jeffery Deaver...
Hewson is a daunting talent — a writer who is a master stylist.
Steve Berry...
David Hewson is one of the finest thriller writers working today. A born stylist.
Lee Child...
(Dante's Numbers)...is easily the best yet in a really terrific series.
Peter James...
Hewson is one of our finest crime writers. Absorbing, intelligent, and with a staggeringly vivid sense of place.
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2011
241 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
David Hewson
108 books522 followersDAVID HEWSON was born in Yorkshire in 1953. His books range from the Nic Costa series set in Italy to adaptations of The Killing in Copenhagen and the Pieter Vos series in Amsterdam.
He's adapted Shakespeare for Audible and in 2018 won the Audie for best original work for Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, narrated by Richard Armitage.
2019 sees the release of a new, full-cast Audible drama set in New York, Last Seen Wearing, and a standalone novel set in the Faroe Islands, Devil's Fjord.
Series:
Nic Costa
Pieter Vos
The Killing
He's adapted Shakespeare for Audible and in 2018 won the Audie for best original work for Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, narrated by Richard Armitage.
2019 sees the release of a new, full-cast Audible drama set in New York, Last Seen Wearing, and a standalone novel set in the Faroe Islands, Devil's Fjord.
Series:
Nic Costa
Pieter Vos
The Killing
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 18, 2013
After having written several books using Word, and before that WordPerfect (and even before that, a typewriter), I was initially reluctant to believe that a writing program like Scrivener had much to offer. In fact, I felt like it might even give me too many shortcuts. Wrong on all counts. After encouragement from a writer friend to give it a try, I spent some time reading reviews and kept running across comments from established novelists to the effect of "never going back, love it, a writer's dream." So I got a copy. Within two days I was a complete convert. For a number of reasons, it makes writing a long work easier . . . in the right kind of ways. It's a great tool.
But this isn't a review of one particular writing program. The reason I was able to start using Scrivener so quickly--and more over, begin enjoying it--was the fact I ran across David Hewson's wonderful tutorial. Concise, friendly, well-organized, it demystified Scrivener for me and had me up and writing almost immediately, with confidence. A job well done--thank you, Mr. Hewson!
But this isn't a review of one particular writing program. The reason I was able to start using Scrivener so quickly--and more over, begin enjoying it--was the fact I ran across David Hewson's wonderful tutorial. Concise, friendly, well-organized, it demystified Scrivener for me and had me up and writing almost immediately, with confidence. A job well done--thank you, Mr. Hewson!
September 13, 2017
This book is like a manual for scrivener program. It comes with a template and cover some novel writing related shortcuts and finishing process. Its language was simple and supported by pictures which will guide through the process of novel writing and formatting your book. This book has many useful tips and it is a great replacement for the original scrivener user manual, specially if you are writing a novel.
May 24, 2011
In this book, David Hewson says the wisest of things: “How do you write a novel? I can’t tell you. Everyone works differently. The secret, if there is such a thing, is to cherry-pick the working habits of others then complement them with your own.”
Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re an author, you should at least give Scrivener a fair try. In my opinion, it is by far and away the best long-form writing tool there is, bar none. I use is every day with my copywriting work and have also written a novel using it, The Well (and am at work on my next). Scrivener is a powerful beast which approaches word processing in a fundamentally different – and fundamentally better – way than linear word processors.
So let’s say you are an author who uses Scrivener, or one who’s considering it: you really should read this book.
Scrivener comes with a lot of excellent help files and even videos. So why on Earth would we need ‘another manual’?
This book is not another manual. It’s despatches from the front line – how someone who writes for a living uses Scrivener to do so. Not only is David a successful author, he’s also a long-time Scrivener user. What he does in this book is to blend together his experiences as a writer with those as a software user. The end result is a highly focused guide to what David has found works best for him, when writing with Scrivener. He makes no bones about the fact that Scrivener may well (and in many cases does) provide other ways of doing some of the same things – but what’s explained here is how one writer as learned a tool and then honed its use into the most efficient for him. He’s also right in saying that since this works for him, much of this will work for most others, too.
I’ve used Scrivener for over two years. I’d call myself very familiar with it. But I found more than half a dozen tips within this book so fundamentally useful to my own writing process that I’ll be using them every day I use Scrivener – and, by using them, saving myself a lot of time and a lot of hassle. If that’s not worth £4.13, I don’t know what is.
When I attended art college, a lot of our time was spent studying the masters. Not to imitate or copy, but to learn from them; to stand on their shoulders. That’s what this book is – learning how to use a great writing tool, from a great writer.
Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re an author, you should at least give Scrivener a fair try. In my opinion, it is by far and away the best long-form writing tool there is, bar none. I use is every day with my copywriting work and have also written a novel using it, The Well (and am at work on my next). Scrivener is a powerful beast which approaches word processing in a fundamentally different – and fundamentally better – way than linear word processors.
So let’s say you are an author who uses Scrivener, or one who’s considering it: you really should read this book.
Scrivener comes with a lot of excellent help files and even videos. So why on Earth would we need ‘another manual’?
This book is not another manual. It’s despatches from the front line – how someone who writes for a living uses Scrivener to do so. Not only is David a successful author, he’s also a long-time Scrivener user. What he does in this book is to blend together his experiences as a writer with those as a software user. The end result is a highly focused guide to what David has found works best for him, when writing with Scrivener. He makes no bones about the fact that Scrivener may well (and in many cases does) provide other ways of doing some of the same things – but what’s explained here is how one writer as learned a tool and then honed its use into the most efficient for him. He’s also right in saying that since this works for him, much of this will work for most others, too.
I’ve used Scrivener for over two years. I’d call myself very familiar with it. But I found more than half a dozen tips within this book so fundamentally useful to my own writing process that I’ll be using them every day I use Scrivener – and, by using them, saving myself a lot of time and a lot of hassle. If that’s not worth £4.13, I don’t know what is.
When I attended art college, a lot of our time was spent studying the masters. Not to imitate or copy, but to learn from them; to stand on their shoulders. That’s what this book is – learning how to use a great writing tool, from a great writer.
March 30, 2014
This slender volume is an excellent introduction to the process of creating a book-length manuscript using an excellent tool that is designed specifically for that purpose. The only thing keeping me from a 5-star rating is that I concur with so much of what Hewson says and how he describes the opportunities and challenges of the writing process that I'm not certain a 5-star would be purely a result of confirmation bias. In particular, Hewson urges on first-time writers an important caution: your technology won't write your manuscript for you, so consider it as simple a tool as possible instead of a black box in which you can lose yourself. To that end, Hewson concentrates on describing the handful of features most writers will use most often and suggests other avenues to learn about topics of more refined interest.
If you're looking for a craft book on how to write a novel, this isn't it. Hewson offers some pithy and valuable tidbits along those lines, but most of it can be summarized this way: Do what works for you. The only way to write a book is to write it, so anything standing between you and your writing -- especially a lot of noodling and inquiry about how to write -- is subtracting from your ability to achieve your goal.
If you're looking for a craft book on how to write a novel, this isn't it. Hewson offers some pithy and valuable tidbits along those lines, but most of it can be summarized this way: Do what works for you. The only way to write a book is to write it, so anything standing between you and your writing -- especially a lot of noodling and inquiry about how to write -- is subtracting from your ability to achieve your goal.
March 24, 2012
I've long resisted the idea of learning a special software tool for writing- after all, my goal is to write stuff, not learn how to use a computer program. But don't most professions require that you learn how to use the software tool of their trade? Why should a writer be exempt from learning to use specialized writing software, why should a writer miss out on the benefits software could add to their process? A program like Scrivener offers so many amazing and powerful tools. In fact, it's so powerful, that learning to use each and every menu item is a daunting job. David Hewson highlights the best features to learn for a novelist using Scrivener. He explains what tools in Scrivener to master based on his own experience as a highly productive, published novelist, and warns when a shiny, cool feature might just take you down the rabbit hole, drawing attention away from the whole point for the novelist using Scrivener- to write a novel!
March 14, 2016
Interesting, learned some things, but he really should have just written a Mac version and a Windows version. i'd say about half of the book only applies to one or the other (lots of "sorry Windows people, this feature is only available on the mac version" in some cases the feature has since been added to the Windows version).
January 18, 2013
Better than reading the manual - easy to understand.
May 13, 2012
This was a quick read because Hewson does exactly what he set out to do and that is explain how someone that wants to use Scivener for creative writing can do so. He sometimes is a bit abrasive by telling the reader not to look at certain aspects because they do not pertain to using the program for creative writing, but I feel like this is essential in this type of book where people may try to become distracted by all the bells and whistles that are available by this program. As someone that wants to start using the program I feel that I have a better grasp on how to use it to my own advantage now that I have given this book a read. It is a great book for someone trying to start out with the program, but also looking at other resources that they may want to utilize for writing. This book shows how you can use this singular program for research, synopsis, and collaborating with others. It is a valuable resource for anyone that wants to have an easy experience with writing. The program itself costs $45 for the mac or $40 for windows. The main reason for this is obvious upon reading this book and that is the limited functions that are available on the windows version where as many others features are available on the Mac version. Hewson also has a section at the end of the book that reminds of all the shortcuts, which makes this book even more valuable for those individuals that want to utilize this program.
January 25, 2013
If you happen to have Scrivener, a sweet piece of writing software, and are a writer of fiction or non-fiction, you will really like this book. David Hewson discusses only the mechanics of the program that a novelist will need. You can make the choice of reading through the entire Scrivener manual and excavate the nuggets of knowledge you’ll need or you can read this book where Hewson has done the work for you.
The one problem with this book I could see is that Scrivener is for both Windows and Mac. The author, for the most part, points out the difference as he goes through the process. One thing you’ll discover right away is the fact that there are more options for Mac users. I guess Scrivener was written first for Mac and then for Windows. I’m hoping newer updates for the program will include some of these features.
If you have Scrivener and want to write a book then this is a book you’ll want to have. It not only walks you through the process of what items you’ll use but also how to extract your book from Scrivener and export it to Word, .mobi for Kindle publishing and for publishing to other eBook formats. I gave the book four stars and I think any author will like it.
The one problem with this book I could see is that Scrivener is for both Windows and Mac. The author, for the most part, points out the difference as he goes through the process. One thing you’ll discover right away is the fact that there are more options for Mac users. I guess Scrivener was written first for Mac and then for Windows. I’m hoping newer updates for the program will include some of these features.
If you have Scrivener and want to write a book then this is a book you’ll want to have. It not only walks you through the process of what items you’ll use but also how to extract your book from Scrivener and export it to Word, .mobi for Kindle publishing and for publishing to other eBook formats. I gave the book four stars and I think any author will like it.
June 10, 2013
Writing a Novel with Scrivener delivers what it promises. Hewson assumes you know how to write a novel. He makes it clear that this book is not about the craft. He also assumes that you have Scrivener on your computer and that you know how to navigate and are familiar with the program to some degree. What he does do is give you the practical tips and insights that will help novelists make the best use of Scrivener.
Because it has an older copyright, I'd like to see Hewson revise the book to include features that are now in the Windows version. If I were reading a print version, I might not expect that. But because it's an eBook (mine is on Kindle), I'd like to see him provide extra value to his readers and send an update to Amazon Kindle Publishing for us. Maybe he'll see this review, and grant us a boon--who knows. He obviously is thinking about us, or he wouldn't have written the book in the first place.
I recommend this to anyone who is just getting started in Scrivener and is writing a novel, short story collection, or other related works of fiction.
Easy to read. Easy to follow. Good use of photo plates--though on Kindle the focus could be better.
Worth your time and money.
Because it has an older copyright, I'd like to see Hewson revise the book to include features that are now in the Windows version. If I were reading a print version, I might not expect that. But because it's an eBook (mine is on Kindle), I'd like to see him provide extra value to his readers and send an update to Amazon Kindle Publishing for us. Maybe he'll see this review, and grant us a boon--who knows. He obviously is thinking about us, or he wouldn't have written the book in the first place.
I recommend this to anyone who is just getting started in Scrivener and is writing a novel, short story collection, or other related works of fiction.
Easy to read. Easy to follow. Good use of photo plates--though on Kindle the focus could be better.
Worth your time and money.
December 5, 2013
An excellent clear guide to using scrivener to write a novel. Scrivener is one of those programmes with so many possibilities that you could spend weeks learning it from top to toe, or you could just take a day or so to grasp its main features and wade in, learning as you go. Most fiction writers will never need the full range of Scrivener's facilities, so the learn-as-you-go method makes sense and this book is a tremendous help.
I've been working in Scrivener for a few months now, ever since my friend Karen Traviss recommended it as a useful tool for writers. It doesn't help the creativity, but it does help you to organise what you write and to revise it and tease out separate threads for revision purposes.
I've grasped enough to use it, but Mr Hewson pointed out some of the features I'd missed and I've already put some of his ideas into use.
If at times this book seems a little Mac-centric, it's because there are features for the Mac version of Scrivener which have not made it as far as the PC platform yet.
I've been working in Scrivener for a few months now, ever since my friend Karen Traviss recommended it as a useful tool for writers. It doesn't help the creativity, but it does help you to organise what you write and to revise it and tease out separate threads for revision purposes.
I've grasped enough to use it, but Mr Hewson pointed out some of the features I'd missed and I've already put some of his ideas into use.
If at times this book seems a little Mac-centric, it's because there are features for the Mac version of Scrivener which have not made it as far as the PC platform yet.
October 18, 2017
I first heard about Scrivener a month or so ago by the Thesis Whisperer who wrote on her blog how useful this software is for writing academic articles. I downloaded the trial version and yesterday upgraded to the regular version. I finished reading Hewson's book in a couple of hours--mostly because I skimmed the latter half of the book because it described how to do things that I don't need to know now. But I found it useful and interesting. Because I've been playing with Scrivener for a few weeks now I had a general idea of how to use the software, but Hewson provides some concrete advice on how to use this software for novel writing. Not what I am into at the moment....but who knows.....
August 15, 2015
I found this book incredibly helpful when I was struggling with the first draft of my debut novel. I had already perused Gwen Hernandez's excellent general introduction to Scrivener and thought that buying Hewson's book might be overkill. Duplication wasn't an issue though – Hewson's book added tons of value for the aspiring novelist. It was clear, well-structured and abundantly illustrated and helped me snap out of a long period of writer's block. I felt so grateful towards the author that I started exploring his novels – even though I normally don't read crime novels...
February 16, 2014
This was an exceptional book written specifically for producing a novel using Scrivener.
It gives specific instructions for both creating a novel for paper publication, but especially for publication as an e-book for any type of e-reader, and especially for the Kindle, allowing for incorporation of unique free software that does a number of things required by Amazon.com.
This is self publishing in the easiest form imaginable.
It gives specific instructions for both creating a novel for paper publication, but especially for publication as an e-book for any type of e-reader, and especially for the Kindle, allowing for incorporation of unique free software that does a number of things required by Amazon.com.
This is self publishing in the easiest form imaginable.
February 27, 2015
This book was a handy overview of the features of Scrivener. I got curious about the product after reading an online review. I found I was able to borrow this book for free in the Kindle Owner's Lending Library, and it gave me just the right taste for the software. Looking forward to playing around with Scrivener, itself.
February 3, 2017
Excellent resource for using scrivener
I am new to Scrivener and I am so far just using this book for basic knowledge about using Scrivener software. It gives a lot of specific examples but at the moment I can't say if they are helpful or not. This book has fulfilled my need for a starting point. I can definitely recommend it on that basis
I am new to Scrivener and I am so far just using this book for basic knowledge about using Scrivener software. It gives a lot of specific examples but at the moment I can't say if they are helpful or not. This book has fulfilled my need for a starting point. I can definitely recommend it on that basis
February 20, 2019
David Hewson’s Writing A Novel With Scrivener is a fairly simple introduction to long form writing (in this case novel writing) using Scrivener.
It’s now a little dated (it was written for the previous version of Scrivener, and also some of the other technological advice has not aged well), but it’s a good introduction and worth reading if considering using the software.
It’s now a little dated (it was written for the previous version of Scrivener, and also some of the other technological advice has not aged well), but it’s a good introduction and worth reading if considering using the software.
August 4, 2013
Definitely a very helpful beginners manual not only giving you an overview of the mechanics of Scrivener, but also how it would be used in real life and the basics of the process of writing a novel itself.
January 6, 2014
Good book showing the basics of Scrivener for specifically, novel writing. There were a few (two or three) topics that for me didn't have enough of an explanation to be clear. That would be my only complaint.
April 4, 2014
Only 3 stars, but worth reading.
Why?
Because it's an interesting and easy read...and it'll put you on the right track quickly.
And because there's nothing in here you won't learn by simply watching the Scrivener video tutorial and skimming through their manual for 10 mins.
Why?
Because it's an interesting and easy read...and it'll put you on the right track quickly.
And because there's nothing in here you won't learn by simply watching the Scrivener video tutorial and skimming through their manual for 10 mins.
January 5, 2016
Love this book as much as I love the Scrivener app. If you're a writer, this is one app worth every penny and more. This book provides a clear path for how-to-write a novel with Scrivener and one I keep at the ready for easy reference.
January 17, 2016
This was a good review for Scrivener. I haven't actually used Scrivener yet, but would like to use it for NaNoWriMo in the future. I probably should've had Scrivener open on my laptop while I went through this book, but I didn't. I'll have to jump in soon.
August 20, 2011
This is a good book if you are just starting it out with Scrivener. The author does a good job getting down to the basics of this software and uses his own experiences as examples.
January 2, 2012
Although much of the information contained in the book is also available in the manual and tutorial, it was helpful to hear from a novelist who has actually used the program.
June 20, 2012
If you use Scrivener to write then this is a great book to help you understand ways to use the software to help you focus on your writing better.
October 8, 2012
Excellent guide to using Scrivener.
May 5, 2019
The book covers what it's intended to, but it's difficult not to be annoyed by the author's asshollery.
June 4, 2013
Much more helpful and focused toward the concerns of fiction writers than L&L's own documentation. Didn't answer everything, but it answered enough.
January 17, 2015
This is a short but efficient guide book to Scrivener. Following up with the tutorial and this book will get you started with the program. It's the basics.
May 6, 2015
Good basic instructions, and what's better, some of the things that were Mac-only when the book was written are now available on the Windows version.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews