I’m pretty sure I can frighten more writers with the word “Scrivener,” than by yelling “Boo!” while jumping out from behind a tree dressed as a clown. (Me dressed as a clown, not the tree…)
But working with Scrivener doesn’t have to be scary.
In fact, for those who find all the options in the regular version of Scrivener hair-raising, I thought you might enjoy a quick primer on the newest kid in the Literature & Latte family: the Scrivener for iOS app.
Yes, that’s right, you can now write on the go with only an iPhone or iPad, and sync your work back to Scrivener on your Mac or PC.
(Feel free to shriek with delight or throw fairy dust. I won’t judge.)
The app combines the familiar functionality of iOS with the best of Scrivener’s features. Many of you might even find it more intuitive than the original software, especially once you realize some of the handiest editing features are hiding out on the extended keyboard (see Making Notes below).
What’s Behind the Curtain?
So what did the app inherit from its older siblings? The Binder, Corkboard (iPad only), and Inspector are there. You can set goals and track progress (with a cool new look), add comments and annotations, color code your documents with Labels, add a Status, add document notes, and even compile your work (with limited options). And lots more.
Once you’ve synced your working projects to Dropbox—and have wifi or cell access—you can open a project on your iPhone or iPad and tap out your thoughts.
You can even create a new project right in the app and sync it with your computer later.
Imagine all the places you could write—or jot down sudden bursts of inspiration—without lugging along a laptop!
(Whose ready for NaNoWriMo now, huh?)
Enter the Writing Lair
The Projects screen is where you open or create a new project.
Unlike on the Mac or Windows version, you can only work with one project at a time, but switching between them is as simple as navigating to the Projects pane (tap the back arrow in the upper left corner until you reach the Projects screen, which will close the project you were in) and choosing a new one.
Plotter? Pantser? Everyone Gets a Treat
All the flexibility that makes Scrivener great for pantsers, plotters, and hybrids alike is alive and well in the iOS version.
Plotters: Create your scene documents beforehand either in the Binder or the Corkboard. If you like to plot using index cards, then do the following.
- Select the Draft (aka Manuscript) folder.
- Tap the + in the upper right corner to create a new card. Title it and add a brief synopsis of the scene, if desired.
- Tap Add.
- Repeat as needed.
Once you have the bones of your manuscript laid out, you can add the meat of the story.
Pantsers: Show up on day one, select the Draft folder, create a blank document and start writing until you finish a scene or chapter. Repeat. No spells required.
My Favorite Tricks
Making Notes
When you’re stuck, but need to keep writing, you can leave a note for yourself and move on.
Annotations and comments are available from the predictive text row (see below). Comments are also accessible by tapping the Comment button in the extended keyboard (the row of buttons above the predictive text row).
Importing Files
You can import files—anything accessible from your iOS device—into a project in the iOS version under the same rules as Scrivener for Mac and Windows (no images, PDFs, or other non text-type files in the Draft folder). Here’s how.
- Select the desired folder and tap the Import button at the bottom of the Binder.
- Choose the source for your imported file—yes, you can even choose Camera and take a picture of something!—and select the file you want.
Tracking Progress
Scrivener makes it easy to track your progress, especially in iOS. As with the original, you can set a target for the entire manuscript, as well as one for each writing session, and your targets will carry over to Mac or Windows.
To access project targets, view any text document and tap the word count at the bottom of the screen.
NOTE: If you’ve tapped inside the document and entered edit mode, the word count will be at the top of the screen.
Tap the word “Draft” or “Session” and use the spinner to select your goal.
Avoid the Gremlins
Before you start using the iOS version, I highly recommend you read—or at least skim—through the Tutorial (available under Help on the Projects screen). It will help you immensely, especially the parts about Working with Projects, Syncing, and The Main Interface. Okay, all of it, really.
A few things to keep in mind when using the iOS version.
- If you plan to work on both iOS and a Mac or PC, you need a Dropbox account (other cloud options are apparently in development), and must have Dropbox installed on all the devices you plan to use with Scrivener. Then, move any laptop/desktop projects you want to work on into the correct Dropbox folder before you begin.
- If necessary, sync your projects before you start writing.
- When you finish working on a project on your iOS device, tap the sync button on the Projects screen before trying to open the project on another computer.
Likewise, ensure that a project on your desktop/laptop has synced to Dropbox before trying to open it on your iPad or iPhone. - If you don’t have Internet access, syncing won’t happen!
Have Fun
Whether you’re using Scrivener for iOS to scare up NaNoWriMo words on the go, or just to be untethered from your computer, enjoy the freedom!
Okay, what Scrivener for iOS (or Mac or Windows) questions do you have for me? Don’t be scared, I won’t bite.
About Gwen Hernandez
Gwen Hernandez (she/her) is the author of Scrivener For Dummies, Productivity Tools for Writers, and romantic suspense. She teaches Scrivener to writers all over the world through online classes, in-person workshops, and private sessions. Learn more about Gwen at gwenhernandez.com.
I would love to know how many WU readers find this useful and relevant, and how many do not. I do not. Please understand: I am not trolling; I genuinely wish to know.
I definitely find this relevant. I have Scrivener on my iPhone and LOVE it because it makes my writing even more portable, especially when paired with my foldable Bluetooth keyboard. I didn’t know how to access the project targets feature until this article.
Grace: I love my bluetooth keyboard too. It definitely makes writing on iPad or iPhone a lot more enjoyable. Glad you were able to get something from the post. :-) Happy Halloween!
Definitely. A lot of us aren’t up on the latest tools that make the grunt work of writing so much easier. A tech post once per month or so would be welcome.
Hi, Anna. Not every writer uses Scrivener, but we have a lot who are curious about it. This post is for them. Hopefully, whatever we have up tomorrow will be more suited to you. Have a great day!
Gwen, thanks for your reply. I didn’t mean to knock your post or offend high-tech users, and I do realize that we work in many different ways. Just wanted to satisfy my curiosity. (And for the record, I’m on the verge of getting Scrivener for my PC.)
No problem. Thanks!
I absolutely love my Scrivener for IOS. I have an iPad Pro and an iPhone. I hardly use my Macbook anymore for drafting. An iPad with a bluetooth keyboard is the ultimate in convenience. And after the world’s longest wait for Scrivener to come out with the IOS version, I finally have it all. Yes, Dropbox is a must and pretty easy to sync with.
I didn’t know about the comments because I use the bluetooth keyboard. Do you know if there’s another way to access comments without Apple’s extended keyboard?
Thanks for the post. I hope more writers latch onto this great tool.
That’s great, Ronald! I use a bluetooth keyboard, and the extended keyboard and predictive text row automatically show up at the bottom of my screen when I’m in edit mode on a document (meaning my cursor is in the text).
If it’s not showing there, then I’d check your iPad settings (Settings>General>Keyboard).
If none of that works, most of the keyboard shortcuts are the same as on the Mac version, so Shift+Command+* will add a comment. Your cursor must be touching a word for Comments to be accessible. HTH!
Thanks! After waiting so long for Scrivener to come to iOS, I’m ready to take my WIP mobile on my iPad for NaNoWriMo. I use that event to boost extra word count each November. Yesterday I backed everything up, moved the Scrivener file into the Dropbox=>Apps=>Scrivener folder, then tested that sync works. (No need to use the old sync to external folder, which was confusing at first!)
Creating scenes, comments, word count targets, and sync–your article has me off and running with Scrivener for iOS with perfect timing!
Glad to hear it, Alana! NaNo is such a great way to get in more words and form a daily habit even if you don’t “win.” Good luck!
Thank So much, Gwen! Matt was hanging out for Scr IOS, and now…I think I could go with an iPad,,, I already have the GoldTouch that I use 24/7
Absolutely, Lizzi! Working on the iPad has been great. It’s hard to beat for writing on the go when you don’t have a lot of space. Plus, I love being able to jot down notes on my phone directly into my Scrivener project. No more scraps of paper or emails to myself. ;-)
So exciting. I am a new convert to Scrivener (love it and I still only know a fraction of what I can do with it) AND I just bought an iPad Pro, brand spanking new, in fact I haven’t even opened it yet. I guess I know what I’ll do tonight while I mind my front door for trick or treaters. This might be better than chocolate..well, maybe not chocolate.
You’ll love it, Stephanie. Be sure to get a case with a bluetooth keyboard (or a stand alone keyboard). And be warned that the large screen eats through the battery after about 3 or 4 hours of use. Make sure you get Dropbox set up first. Easy after that, though I still get a “not synced” warning all the time after I’ve just synced it. Haven’t lost anything, so all must be well.
Ronald: When you get that “not synced” warning, I’m wondering if maybe the first sync didn’t work. Meaning that it didn’t finish uploading/downloading due to wifi interruption or something like that. If you keep getting it, though, you might shoot an email to L&L to let them know about it. :-)
Awesome, Stephanie! That sounds like a fun way to pass the time between requests for chocolate. Or, um, eating it. ;-) Like you, I use my MacBook for heavy writing, but being able to travel with my iPad (and a hard case with bluetooth keyboard) has been fabulous. Have fun tonight!
Thanks for the advice. I can’t imagine I’d be working on my iPad much longer than an hour or two anyway. I have a macbook for serious “writing on location.”
This was great–thanks, Gwen! I haven’t decided whether to go the iOS route yet (would need to upgrade my iPad first), but this helps me consider the pros and cons. :-) Love the clear explanations and images here.
And now I am chuckling at myself, because I hadn’t realized until I read your column that I hadn’t upgraded my Mac version of Scrivener in ages…oops. Fixed now!
Thanks, Alisha! The iOS version is not for everyone–and I still lean most heavily on my Mac for writing–but I love having it when I travel.
Glad you got your Mac version upgraded. :-) Happy Halloween!
I tend to do most initial drafting long-hand, which is part of why it took me a while to realize my Scrivener was out of date. Still, it’s a great program–I really like it when I get to the typing-in stage! Happy Halloween!
I debated about getting the IOS version (no iPad and iPhone is an older model that can’t be updated) but then I found a great deal on a 4th generation iPad so I went ahead and bought it. I like it, but I still rely on my MacBook Pro’s version. Since I am going to UnCon, most of my technology will be going with me and I see myself using SIOS to take notes.
Good idea on the iPad, Rebeca! I mostly write on my Mac too, but I love the freedom of not having to lug my laptop on trips where I don’t need it for a presentation. Enjoy Uncon!!
I find myself turning to my phone more and more, so this is exciting news. Scrivener makes my writing life so much easier, though I have to admit that after several years I still haven’t explored more than a fraction of its functionality. Thank you, Gwen!
Me too, Barbara! And I love that I can just open my project and make a note, rather than sending myself an email or making a note somewhere else and forgetting about it. :-)
Good ideas. But I’m looking for a way to keep my iPhone in a separate sync with my PC laptop without using Dropbox, as I don’t want to risk that which is the main iPad/Mac link. Any ideas?
Thanks, Nic. The two ideas that come to mind are:
1. You could create a second Dropbox account (but check with the terms of service to make sure that’s okay) under a different email address, and use that one on the iPhone and PC.
2. You can install iTunes for Windows on your PC and transfer the files using iTunes. There are instructions on how to do that in the iOS Tutorial under the Working with Projects section.
Hope that helps!
Thanks Gwen. I will check those out. Really helpful.
Thanks for this helpful post! I’ve been using Scrivener for a few years on my PC and recently bought IOS Scrivener for my new iPad mini. I do have a wonderful bluetooth keyboard. I’m so delighted at the interface and portability and ability to sync between my devices (using Dropbox)! Technology is my friend. However, my keyboard doesn’t show the extended keyboard that you’ve depicted. I access comments by pressing on a word in the text, then hitting Select on the popup bar (so it selects a word), then scrolling to the right on that popup bar and picking Comments.
One problem I’m having – on the IOS version, I cut some notes from the text and pasted them into the inspector so they won’t show up as part of the manuscript. However, when I go back to the laptop version, these still show as part of the text and are not in the inspector (even though I’ve synced to Dropbox, and the laptop is showing that I’m using the current file). Any ideas as to what’s going on or how to fix? Thank you!
Hi, P.D. Once you get used to the iOS version, it’s so handy, right? I’m glad you found the other way to add comments. You can do quite a few cool things from that selection menu. :-) To view the extended keyboard, there should be a button at the far right of the predictive text row (the row that shows word suggestions along the top of the keyboard, on the screen) that looks like 4 small squares with an up arrow (carat) beneath them. If you tap that, the extended keyboard should appear. Tap it again to hide the extended keyboard.
Did you paste your notes into the Notes section of the Inspector? If so, that would insert them into the Document Notes section of the document. That means you can only see the notes when that document is being viewed in the Editor. Also, check that what you see in the Inspector on your PC isn’t Project Notes. If it is, click the header that says Project Notes to get a menu, and choose Document Notes.
This is awesome Gwen, Halloween and Scrivener together, two of my favourite things!
I have a couple of questions if you’d be so kind?
1 – Have you ever come across http://scrivenerville.com/? It has a bunch of coupons and discounts and templates. If you like Scrivener it might have something cool on offer for you and your audience.
2 – Have you ever used Vellum? I’ve heard some writers who self-publish saying they are switching to Vellum for part of their publication process. Have you got a take on this?
Thanks for the awesome review!
Thanks, James! I have come across Scrivenerville.com, but it’s been a while. I’ll take another look.
I have not used Vellum myself, but I know a lot of writers who do. If I weren’t as comfortable with Scrivener’s compile process as I am, or didn’t feel like I was getting everything I needed out of it, I would probably use something like Vellum, LegendMaker, or Jutoh for the formatting process. They have some features that Scrivener currently doesn’t, might be easier to master, and I think they can be a great way to finish your project.
I’d still, of course, use Scrivener to write and revise because that’s where it excels. :-)
Happy writing!