shopify analytics ecommerce tracking
Walsh and Bolton Twitter Unconference Advertise Facebook Book Zazzle Search

Finding Projects in Scrivener 3

By 8 Comments

title image

Over about 15 years years of teaching others to how use various software and computer systems, I’ve noticed there is much confusion around files. Confusion about where they’re located, how to find them, how to rename or move them.

Not having those skills is usually what people really mean when they tell me they’re “not very good at computers.” I get it! There’s a lot to know. Which is why I always recommend learning the basics of your computer’s file system—both Apple and Microsoft have free tutorials in their Support sections—but no matter your level of comfort with computers, Scrivener 3 has some features that make it easier than ever to find your files.

Understanding Scrivener Project File Basics

Let’s take a quick detour for a couple of key points to understand about Scrivener project files before we get into the features.

Files are Separate from Their Programs

A project file is not stored inside Scrivener. It is created by, viewed in, and edited with Scrivener, but is not part of Scrivener. You could delete Scrivener from your computer and still have all of your Scrivener projects. (You just wouldn’t be able to open them on that computer.)

This behavior is actually true for almost any type of computer file (e.g., Word documents, pictures), not just Scrivener projects. It allows you to send a file to someone else, open it on a different computer, and move it around.

Where Projects are Located is Your Choice

When you create a Scrivener project, it’s saved to the location of your choice on the same screen where you give the file a name. Many people skip the location part of this step, and click Create without paying attention to the default location. Then, they have no idea where the project file is stored.

Sometimes, they do pay attention, but they can’t figure out how to change the location to the place they want. If that’s you, I recommend visiting the appropriate tutorial above. ;-)

Now, on to the fun stuff!

Locating Scrivener Project Files

Finding the Current Project

When you close Scrivener, any projects you had open will automatically open next time you use Scrivener. That’s super handy, but also means you may have no idea where the project is located when it comes time to rename, move, delete, etc.

If you have a project open and you’d like to know where it’s stored on your computer (or any drive accessible by your computer, e.g., Dropbox, flash drive, external hard drive), go to File>Show Project in Finder. A Finder window opens with the current project selected.

Finder window

From here, you can rename the file, or just take note of where it is. If you want to move it, I recommend closing Scrivener first.

NOTE: [Read more…]

6

Scrivener Quick Tips: A Roundup of Handy Features

By 17 Comments

Whether your home office has been invaded and you have little time to write, or you suddenly find yourself with nothing but writing time, I’ve pulled together a motley collection of handy features that every Scrivener user should know about. NOTE: When the process differs between versions, I’m using S1, S2, and S3, to denote Scrivener versions 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Quickly Moving Documents Between Projects Want to add a file to a project that already exists in another project? … [Read more...]

Using Bookmarks in Scrivener 3 for Quick Access to Supporting Materials

By 9 Comments

The ability to import research, images, and web pages into Scrivener is one of its best features, but sometimes creating a bookmark—a link to the file or location—might be a better option. (NOTE: Bookmarks were called references prior to Scrivener 3.) When might you want to use a bookmark instead of importing a file or web page? - When you always want the most up-to-date version. When you import a file, Scrivener creates a copy of it, thus freezing it in its current incarnation. … [Read more...]

Creating Collections in Scrivener 3

By

Looking for a way to view or store a group of your documents in a Scrivener project without losing their order in the Binder? If so, read on to learn about collections. Introducing Collections In Scrivener, a collection is a subset of your project’s documents that share the criteria of your choosing. For example, you might have a collection composed of all documents that haven’t yet been started, or all those where a specific character is mentioned (helpful for creating a series bible on a … [Read more...]

Using Styles in Scrivener 3

By

You would not want me to advise you on what to wear, but if you want to design a good-looking DOCX, PDF, or EPUB, I'm your girl. And if you've ever wished Scrivener had Microsoft Word-like styles, get ready to rejoice, because Scrivener 3 has replaced the old Presets function—which offered formatting shortcuts without any memory—with Styles. *cue balloons and confetti* Okay, great, but what exactly are styles? Introducing Styles Styles are memorized font and/or paragraph settings … [Read more...]

Compiling a DOCX in Scrivener 3

By

Beyond a basic orientation to the software, what’s the number one thing people want help with in Scrivener? Compile. No contest. In April, I introduced Scrivener 3’s new approach to compiling (exporting) with a post about section types. Section types are foundational to the new compile feature, so if you need to bone up on the topic, I recommend you start there and then come back. (Or at least check it out later.) Ready? In this second installment on compiling, I’m going to help you … [Read more...]

Scrivener 3’s New Approach to Compile

By

In an attempt to make compiling (combining and exporting) your work in Scrivener 3 easier, you can now choose the final appearance of your manuscript based on a visual representation. Whether you’re producing an ebook for an online retailer or sending out the first 50 pages of your manuscript to an agent, chances are you’ll have several sections that are formatted differently. For example, your title page, scene text, and back matter. To successfully format your work, you’ll need to … [Read more...]

New Year, New Scrivener

By

Did you hear? Scrivener 3 for Mac released in November (Windows is in beta now and due out later this year), and the upgrade brings some cool new features. Below are some of the tools (available for both Mac and PC) that I found most exciting while parsing through the changes for a free mini-course I created to help Scrivener 2 users transition to the new version. Writing History You’ve always been able to track your word count and progress in Scrivener, but if you wanted to keep a log … [Read more...]