Anyone try Scrivener

DPella · 02-24-2012, 12:43 PM

My wife found what appears to be an all-n-1 WP, formatter & converter named Scrivener that outputs to EPUB & mobi and I think she said KF8 too. Anyone try it yet & whaddaya think?

orlok · 02-24-2012, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPella

My wife found what appears to be an all-n-1 WP, formatter & converter named Scrivener that outputs to EPUB & mobi and I think she said KF8 too. Anyone try it yet & whaddaya think?

Funnily enough I was just on their site an hour ago looking at the product write up and wondering the same thing. No help to you, I know, but I'll add my voice to the request for feedback

.

anamardoll · 02-24-2012, 01:06 PM

I use it. I like it, but with caveats to follow.

I really like it as a writing tool. I never thought I'd give up Word, but once you get used to Scrivener (took me about a week), it's a lovely tool. I like being able to use the corkboard to put notes on a chapter. I like being able to easily insert placeholder chapters in the side-outline tool. I like being able to see the whole novel at a glance.

I like having side areas for character bios. I LOVE being able to highlight something I've just typed about Aimee's Mother's Favorite Pizza Topping and right-click and have an option there that says "Copy To --> Aimee's Parents Bio". Sooooo convenient for a writing tool.

The tool isn't perfect; it still feels rough around the edges when it comes to text formatting and paragraph options, but the development team seems willing to grow.

Now. Exporting. Trickier.

The Scrivener to Word export is clean enough that that is what I sent off to my editor (who works in Word). The Scrivener to ePUB export... is cleanish. I still had to spend several hours tweaking things in Sigil to make it perfect. BUT! That is MUCH LESS time than I would have had to spend if I'd been writing in Word. So my two-cents is that Scrivener --> ePUB --> Sigil --> ePUB is the best process for me.

As for the mobi, I would recommend cleaning things up in Sigil for the ePUB and then using Calibre to convert the ePUB to mobi. As long as you turn the automatic chapter breaks off (that gave me some trouble), the Calibre conversion is remarkably clean when the starting ePUB is spotless. In my experience.

Dr. Drib · 02-24-2012, 01:20 PM

We have some threads on Scrivener you might wish to look through.

Just do a search on......Scrivener.

Don
(Moderator)

orlok · 02-24-2012, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

We have some threads on Scrivener you might wish to look through.

Just do a search on......Scrivener.

Don
(Moderator)

Now why didn't I think of that, instead of jumping on the band-wagon

?

carpetmojo · 02-24-2012, 04:03 PM

'Cos band wagons is fun.... ?

orlok · 02-25-2012, 02:41 PM

I've d/l the 30 day trial, and am going to have a play

.

CWatkinsNash · 02-25-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

I've d/l the 30 day trial, and am going to have a play

.

I did too. Just installed it a few minutes ago.

orlok · 02-25-2012, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I did too. Just installed it a few minutes ago.

Unfortunately, that was the easy bit. Now I've got to think of what to put into it!

CWatkinsNash · 02-25-2012, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

Unfortunately, that was the easy bit. Now I've got to think of what to put into it!

Heh, yes, there's always that. I have an idea. Don't know if it's a good one, or how far I'll get, but it's a start.

anamardoll · 02-25-2012, 05:05 PM

If anyone participated in NaNo, there was a coupon at the end for Scrivener.

GA Russell · 02-25-2012, 07:17 PM

Christa and Orlok, please note that your 30 days are for use, not calendar consecutive days. So in my case I'm getting quite a bit of time for my trial period.

I am learning things slowly, but so far I really like being able to write down my notes into a rearrangeable outline.

orlok · 02-25-2012, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Christa and Orlok, please note that your 30 days are for use, not calendar consecutive days. So in my case I'm getting quite a bit of time for my trial period.

Thanks, that's worth knowing. I was worried I wasn't going to have time to properly evaluate.

CWatkinsNash · 02-25-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Christa and Orlok, please note that your 30 days are for use, not calendar consecutive days. So in my case I'm getting quite a bit of time for my trial period.

I am learning things slowly, but so far I really like being able to write down my notes into a rearrangeable outline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

Thanks, that's worth knowing. I was worried I wasn't going to have time to properly evaluate.

Yes, good info. I haven't even started the program yet.

garygibsonsf · 02-26-2012, 05:22 AM

It's a wonderful program for writing, and I've written several books using it. The full screen option is great as well. It's a program that proves to have more and more hidden depths the more you use it; it appears very simple on the surface, but is very complex the more you dig down and use it. The author David Hewson (I think?) has written an ebook guide to using Scrivener which I understand is very indepth and well-received.

Mob, Epub - I use it to output mobi files for Brain in a Jar Books, and I check them first on Kindle Previewer and then on my Kindle. I'd have to say I find what I get to be perfectly formatted from the get-go, but I guess it depends on what kind of ebook you're outputting.

02-24-2012, 12:43 PM	#1
DPella Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Northern Illinois USA Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch	Anyone try Scrivener My wife found what appears to be an all-n-1 WP, formatter & converter named Scrivener that outputs to EPUB & mobi and I think she said KF8 too. Anyone try it yet & whaddaya think? Last edited by DPella; 02-24-2012 at 01:51 PM. Reason: Fat fingers

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02-24-2012, 01:06 PM	#3
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I use it. I like it, but with caveats to follow. I really like it as a writing tool. I never thought I'd give up Word, but once you get used to Scrivener (took me about a week), it's a lovely tool. I like being able to use the corkboard to put notes on a chapter. I like being able to easily insert placeholder chapters in the side-outline tool. I like being able to see the whole novel at a glance. I like having side areas for character bios. I LOVE being able to highlight something I've just typed about Aimee's Mother's Favorite Pizza Topping and right-click and have an option there that says "Copy To --> Aimee's Parents Bio". Sooooo convenient for a writing tool. The tool isn't perfect; it still feels rough around the edges when it comes to text formatting and paragraph options, but the development team seems willing to grow. Now. Exporting. Trickier. The Scrivener to Word export is clean enough that that is what I sent off to my editor (who works in Word). The Scrivener to ePUB export... is cleanish. I still had to spend several hours tweaking things in Sigil to make it perfect. BUT! That is MUCH LESS time than I would have had to spend if I'd been writing in Word. So my two-cents is that Scrivener --> ePUB --> Sigil --> ePUB is the best process for me. As for the mobi, I would recommend cleaning things up in Sigil for the ePUB and then using Calibre to convert the ePUB to mobi. As long as you turn the automatic chapter breaks off (that gave me some trouble), the Calibre conversion is remarkably clean when the starting ePUB is spotless. In my experience.

02-24-2012, 01:20 PM	#4
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,349 Karma: 59447733 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	We have some threads on Scrivener you might wish to look through. Just do a search on......Scrivener. Don (Moderator)

02-24-2012, 04:03 PM	#6
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 3,117 Karma: 9269999 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony- T3, PRS650, 350, T1/2/3, Paperwhite, Fire 8.9,Samsung Tab S 10.5	'Cos band wagons is fun.... ?

02-25-2012, 02:41 PM	#7
orlok Close to the Edit! Posts: 9,797 Karma: 267994408 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Amazon Fire 8", Kindle 6"	I've d/l the 30 day trial, and am going to have a play .

02-25-2012, 05:05 PM	#11
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	If anyone participated in NaNo, there was a coupon at the end for Scrivener.

02-25-2012, 07:17 PM	#12
GA Russell Argos win Grey Cup! Posts: 7,677 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Christa and Orlok, please note that your 30 days are for use, not calendar consecutive days. So in my case I'm getting quite a bit of time for my trial period. I am learning things slowly, but so far I really like being able to write down my notes into a rearrangeable outline.

02-26-2012, 05:22 AM	#15
garygibsonsf Addict Posts: 321 Karma: 432192 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite	It's a wonderful program for writing, and I've written several books using it. The full screen option is great as well. It's a program that proves to have more and more hidden depths the more you use it; it appears very simple on the surface, but is very complex the more you dig down and use it. The author David Hewson (I think?) has written an ebook guide to using Scrivener which I understand is very indepth and well-received. Mob, Epub - I use it to output mobi files for Brain in a Jar Books, and I check them first on Kindle Previewer and then on my Kindle. I'd have to say I find what I get to be perfectly formatted from the get-go, but I guess it depends on what kind of ebook you're outputting.