Scrivener Absolute Beginner's Guide

by Jennifer Kettell

Far more than a word processor, Scrivener helps you organize and brainstorm even the most complex writing project, bring together your research, and write more efficiently and successfully than ever before. Long available for Mac, there's now a Windows version, too. Thousands of writers and aspiring writers are discovering this powerful, low-cost tool. Now, there's an up-to-the-minute, easy guide to the latest versions of Scrivener for both Mac and Windows: "Scrivener Absolute Beginner's Guide." Written by working novelist and experienced computer book author Jennifer Kettell, this guide doesn't just present features and menus: it presents Scrivener in the context of your creative workflow, so you can make the most of this amazing software. Kettell draws on years of Scrivener experience and private tutoring to help you use Scrivener in both fiction and non-fiction projects, including screenwriting and academic writing. "This book is as authoritative as it gets." Kettell not only wrote it in Scrivener: screen captures show her work in progress, and identify powerful ways to use Scrivener to improve productivity. Her book has been tech edited by the Literature & Latte software team member who serves as main liaison for the Scrivener Windows product to ensure that the Windows version is covered as thoroughly as the Mac version. You'll learn how to: - Integrate Scrivener into your own personal workflow - Get to know Scrivener's interface and customize it to your workstyle - Write, organize, storyboard, plot, and edit your document - Create custom templates to manage manuscripts, brainstorming, and research - Use keywords and metadata to keep track of complex projects - Track your progress and backing up your work - Generate a completed manuscript - Create an e-book from your manuscript - Discover new uses for Scrivener Throughout, Kettell clearly identifies differences between the Mac and Windows versions of Scrivener, so you're never frustrated by searching for a feature that isn't there. "Scrivener Absolute Beginner's Guide" is simple, clear, non-technical, and written from the viewpoint of a professional writer for other writers. It's the Scrivener guide thousands of writers have been waiting for.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

521 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2013

Reviews

[Stven · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wrong title. This book should have been called "How to Do Absolutely Everything It's Possible to Do in Scrivener (including excruciating detail about the minuscule differences between the Mac and the PC versions)." Because an absolute beginner isn't actually interested in doing absolutely everything that Scrivener can possibly do. An absolute beginner would like to get started working with the program -- and this book does not facilitate that process.

[Danelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT!! It's easy to read and understand. If you need help, or just want to use the program to it's full capacity this is the perfect book for you. It's really organized, it gives you info for both the Mac and Windows version, and it's an added bonus that she used Scrivener to write this book. I recommended this to any and everyone!

[Brad Feld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Overview

I've got a mild obsession with Scrivener and have wrestled through using it for two of my books. This book helped me understand some things I've been struggling with and helped me discover a bunch of features I didn't know about.

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific user guide - well indexed. Recommended!

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and engaging guide to Scrivener, that will remain at my desk as an ongoing reference to this useful writing software program.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this app and this is a very helpful, comprehensive guide.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It looks like a great resource for writers who prefer to have everything on the computer. Some stuff seemed intimidating. I am not tech savvy. I can see why a lot of writers use Scrivener.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 2014 edition so some things are out of date now, two years on, but it's mostly a matter of Mac-only options now being part of the Windows program and the iOS version of Scrivener having been released by now. This is thoughtfully organized, with sections that take you naturally how you'd make your way through the program with a new project. I liked that there were pictures of the dialog boxes, so you could see exactly what you were looking for. Differences between the two versions were clearly noticed and tips and hints abounded for optimal real-world usage. Even slightly out of date, I wouldn't mind having a copy as reference, since I'm planning on Scrivener being the home for all my writing projects. What I'd really like, though, is an updated edition, particularly since I'd like to add the iOS version to my repertoire eventually.