Several class ago , I pick out a vital tone at the cock I was using for my business enterprise authorship . Specifically , I asked myself why I was still using Microsoft Word as the one - size - fits - all tool for everything I write . In the class of that questioning , I notice a most unlikely puppet for ripe business authorship : Scrivener ( ) .
in the first place designed for writing fiction , Scrivener provides an integrated researching , organizing , and write environment that makes the operation of moving idea from your genius to your sieve quicker and more efficient . The same feature of speech that make it ideal for writing a novel also work at the office . I now use Scrivener every day for writing proposals , contracts , and legal pleading and brief . Here ’s how .
Research
One challenge with any great authorship project is collecting and traverse research . That ’s one thing that Scrivener make loose : It includes a enquiry ring-binder that can hold school text , PDFs , URL , pictures , video recording , and most other digital media . So any time I fly the coop across a resource that will be helpful for one of my projection , I can just drag - and - drop it into Scrivener .
For example , if I am writing a sound legal brief , I total research to the reaper binder including my cyberspace research , the node ’s internet site , image and PDF ’s pertain case issues , and my schoolbook note . afterwards , when I ’m writing , I can then jump between writing and enquiry views — or split Scrivener ’s blind so both are displayed at once . Everything happens in one app , and the usual detrition you get when always switching between separate apps , screen , and folder is gone .
Organizing
In gain to take in my research , Scrivener stool it easy to organize my committal to writing . If you charter my advice about OPML , Scrivener is a in particular skillful fit for that workflow . I can take the outlines and idea - maps I ’ve built in other apps and spell them into Scrivener . Scrivener then creates a hierarchical exercise set of binder item match each scheme or function , making it easy to jump from the planning to the writing leg .
When I start a written material project , I break my document into its component bit , each of which becomes a binder entry in Scrivener . For model , I may have binder entries for an introduction , explanation of fact , and specific argument . Each one of those accounting entry may moderate further subparts . I create all of these in Scrivener ’s ligature ( or spell them from an OPML single file ) . Once created , I can make further tweaks with some of Scrivener ’s organisational tools .
Scrivener ’s cork board is a great prick for organizing all kinds of documents .
Scrivener’s cork board is a great tool for organizing all kinds of documents.
Remember those promissory note card you used to stick to a wall in school ? Scrivener recreates that experience with its digital cork - display panel . But that table is more than an port gimmick : Moving cards around on it often leads to new insights about my labor . ( If note batting order are too old schoolhouse for you , you could always use outline format rather . )
Scrivener additionally continue a lot of meta - information about your papers . Scrivener can tag a color - coded recording label , progress indicator , date modify , and other bits of useful data for each document constituent . There are also field of operation for a synopsis and note . I can use all or none of these meta - data field , depending on the complexness of my project .
Writing
All of my inquiry and organisation pay off off when I set out writing in Scrivener . For most undertaking , by the time I pop write , I ’ve assembled most of my research and organized the document . If I feel myself getting stick on one part , I can look through my Scrivener ligature and find a composition of the project that I ’m more in the mood to write and get back to type .
Scrivener ’s full - screen fashion
For example , when I write effectual Jockey shorts I often set about with some of the complex contestation that will ultimately be inter in the center of the document . Why not ? I ’ve already bring all of my research assemble , and so I can attack the job steer on . I often use Scrivener ’s full - screen door mode , which hide tempting diversions like Twitter and Mail , when I ’m tackle those tough parts .
Scrivener’s full-screen mode
Once I ’ve take up care of the arguments , I ’ll then go back and fill in the account of fact . That section come earlier in the document than the arguments , but it can make more sense to write it after I know my arguments : By then I live which specific fact are vital and deserve the most aid . Whether it ’s a sound brief or a technical book , the last affair I ever write for a liberal projection is the introduction . It issomuch easier to write a good introductionafteryou’ve crafted your papers .
Mobility
While there is n’t a Scrivener iOS app , Scrivener does support syncing its data point with Simplenote ( ) and Dropbox ( ) . When I wroteiPad at workplace , I used this feature to keep the entire book ’s Scrivener file synchronize to Dropbox . I could then get at the text edition using a Dropbox - friendly text editor to edit and proofread from anywhere .
Although Scrivener can deepen the way you compose , it is not a traditional word processor . It does n’t have most of the advanced layout tool institute in Microsoft Word and Pages . If you need those features , Scrivener makes it easy to compile your finish papers into several formats including Word , RTF , HTML , OpenOffice , Final Draft , and ePub .
What makes Scrivener so useful is the way it replaces traditionalword processorfeatures withwritingtools . I find writing with Scrivener liberating . Even though this pecker was in the beginning created for novelists and scriptwriters , it can cultivate signally well for the respite of us , too .
David Sparks is a commit lawyer , editor program of theMacSparky web log , carbon monoxide - innkeeper of theMac Power Users podcast , and author ofMac at Work(Wiley , 2011 ) andiPad at Work(Wiley , 2011 ) .
