Scrivener is my go-to tool for organizing my thoughts into a book.

It took me years of avoidance and experimentation to finally take the plunge and learn how to use its bits and pieces.  I’m so glad I did!

The best thing about Scrivener is its flexibility; it allows me to set up each project to mirror the way my brain works–imagine untangling a skein of wool after Mittens the Kitten gets hold of it and rolling the mess into a nice, tight, useable ball.

I have created a custom Project Template File which I can call up for each new book. The Project File has my own pre-defined folders for each step in my writing process and are displayed in the Binder on the left side of the screen shot of my WIP.

I can add, duplicate, delete any page or folder to the Binder, shift these around, move anywhere, up or down or to the trash.

The body of the screen shot shows the Scene Outline form that I developed over the course of a few projects.  I use the outline to think through the current scene. Set Up, Setting, Characters, the Action Steps, notes. The scene outline for any scene is never set in stone, my persnickety inner-editor is forbidden entry.

The example shows the Scene 5 folder as Thomas @ the Castle, the actual text of the scene is in the file labelled Scene Text 5 – 2020 EDIT; inside the Scene 5 folder are other files, such as the Scene Outline 5, Notes, Castle footprint, Great Hall, etc.  I put anything I might need to quickly get my hands on into the Scene Text Folder.

There are many other folders below the Scenes Notebook in the Binder.  Character Worksheets, Setting Sketches, Arcs, Research, Timelines, etc. But instead of trying to hold all this information in my head, it’s all just a click or two away.

Not only do I use Scrivener for my book writing, but also for organizing Gardening Projects into bite-sized bits, Party Planning, Travel Details ….

Check out Scrivener at Latte and Literature, if you’re interest in untangling your skein of wool!