
Introducing Scrivener 3 - Sujan
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/introducing-scrivener-3
======
rayalez
For screenwriting I highly recommend checking out emacs fountain mode [1]
(plus imenu-list and Olivetti minor modes). In combination with org-mode it is
the most powerful writing/outlining tool you can imagine.

Also, if you haven't tried them, I highly recommend checking out WorkFlowy
[2], Gingko [3], or Nulis [4] (disclaimer - nulis is my own project).
Outlining and organizing projects as a tree structure is insanely powerful and
convenient.

The idea of organizing a script/novel as a tree structure rather than a flat
outline allows you to "zoom into" as many levels as you want, and conveniently
focus on any part of your work. I recommend using separate branches for
worldbuilding, characters, notes, and plot outline, summarize the high level
ideas quickly, and expand on them by adding more levels.

Writing the actual draft though is much more convenient in emacs +
fountain/markdown + org/imenu.

To take it to a crazy level of awesomeness consider storing your files in git,
or at least dropbox, to have a history of revisions.

\---

[1] [https://github.com/rnkn/fountain-mode](https://github.com/rnkn/fountain-
mode)

[2] [https://workflowy.com](https://workflowy.com)

[3] [https://gingkoapp.com](https://gingkoapp.com)

[4]
[https://github.com/raymestalez/nulis](https://github.com/raymestalez/nulis)

Also, emacs/fountain screenshot:

[https://i.imgur.com/AJpUNsz.png](https://i.imgur.com/AJpUNsz.png)

Looks awesome, truly a pleasure to use.

~~~
sambe
I always thought that a major reason to use Scrivener was to do with studios
being very fussy about standardised formats and layouts - something that may
take quite a bit of time to setup in other editors. You also don't want to do
it through trial and error if they are going to discard on first failure. Is
this not true? If true, how do you ensure your Emacs output matches
requirements?

------
zhubert
Good work on the new release. As a long time Scrivener 2 user, I'm happy to
see this.

However, I wanted a simpler and subjectively nicer looking tool for
distraction-free writing and thus made my own. It's free, has a few social
features built-in, tracks writing progress/goals/distractions, and can make
good looking books.

Also, adding features to Singular Writer has been really easy, as evidenced by
it being in existence for a few months. For the Windows crowd, we've had
feature parity from day one.

Check it out if you want to write more [with friends].

[http://www.singularwriterapp.com/](http://www.singularwriterapp.com/)

~~~
kemayo
Curious whether you have any plans for an iOS app accompanying this? My
partner uses Scrivener for writing currently, but does a lot of it on their
iPad, so Scrivener's app + Dropbox sync is a fairly important thing for them.

(Scrivener's Dropbox sync being _frequently buggy_ may help explain why I'm
asking about this for them...)

~~~
coldtea
> _(Scrivener 's Dropbox sync being frequently buggy may help explain why I'm
> asking about this for them...)_

Hmm, never had an issue with Scrivener/Dropbox sync.

Mind you, I open Scrivener only 3-4 times a week and close it after I'm done
with a document. I also don't use it frequently from my other machines
(iMac/iPad), so it mainly syncs what I save on the main driver.

~~~
kemayo
Yeah, they have a workflow that's very switching-dependent. Go out and work
with the iPad all day, then switch and edit on a laptop at home.

They also like working at some coffee shops with not-ideal WiFi, which may
help to expose bad sync cases. (I think it's fine for the sync to fail
sometimes, but they've lost work before to this, which seems unacceptable.)

------
technofiend
Before anyone says wouldn't it be great if there was a Linux version,
Literature and Latte had one for more than a year. They discontinued it after
less than 10 licenses sold.

Perhaps that was because of the separate code base for each platform which
meant in the previous versions the UI and feature set varied. L & L claim the
Windows and MacOS versions will have the same UI but the fact version 3.x
wasn't released for both are once is enough to tell me the code bases have
most likely not converged.

~~~
pseingatl
As far as I know, they never sold licenses for the Linux version. It was
always in beta. In the forums, people offered to buy licenses--perhaps users
of the Linux version bought a Mac or Windows license and told L&L, but I don't
remember the Linux version ever being for sale.

~~~
technofiend
Yeah see my other reply: they asked for donations but never received more than
half a dozen over two years. I misremembered their _selling_ it for linux. It
was free and donation appreciated but not required.

------
selud
I only used Scrivener for my master thesis a few years ago but keep
recommending it to everyone who is about to write a longer text. It's a great
tool and helped me a lot to overcome writing procrastination. Very happy to
see it's actively developed.

~~~
grandalf
I'm curious what features you found/find most helpful.

~~~
selud
The nested cards are definitely a great tool to create the structure. Even
after the initial outline, I came back to them every now and then to re-
evaluate the logic flow or to place new sub-topics that came up.

The biggest win for me was how Scrivener supports an iterative workflow. I
started with keywords on the cards for what a chapter should be about, wrote a
few sentences describing the keywords inside the document, added context so
the sentences became paragraphs, fleshed it out and polished it. During this
process I used colour labels in the outline view[1] to keep track of the state
of a chapter.

All this took away the pressure to write a long, good and coherent text. I
only had to increment little by little to which my brain had far less
resistance. If I was stuck on a chapter or couldn't motivate myself to keep
working on it, I switched to another one and do a little work here, a little
work there.

Also the usual Latex applied as well: I only focussed on the content and
didn't format anything properly and left placeholders for images. I used Pages
(the old version with two sided layout) for the final assembly where I only
had to worry about layout and not on the content.

[1]: [http://www.techtoolsforwriters.com/using-labels-in-
scrivener...](http://www.techtoolsforwriters.com/using-labels-in-scrivener/)

------
JoshMnem
Linux users might be interested in this Emacs/Vim alternative:
[https://vimvalley.com/replacing-scrivener-with-emacs-and-
vim...](https://vimvalley.com/replacing-scrivener-with-emacs-and-vim/)

------
paultopia
Scrivener is my emergency application: when I've written a total mess (and
everything I ever write goes through that stage), I dump it into Scrivener,
chop it to bits, and rebuild. This is an insta-upgrade.

------
AdeptusAquinas
I will be glad to see the 64 bit version on Windows. The current version seems
quite sluggish compared to say, Word 2016. I've used it for 80k sized
manuscripts and it starts to chug mid way through.

Also some better support for things like Git would be nice. It works
currently, but is a bit of a hassle. Integrated commit/push etc would be
awesome (like VS Code's model)

Other than that, great tool. I like being able to keep all my planning in the
same place as the draft, and being able to switch between a synopsis for the
scene and my actual writing.

------
tjic
I've been using emacs for about 27 years, and even wrote two novels ( e.g.
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JPPMS6](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JPPMS6) )
in it. Author friends tell me that I've really really REALLY got to try
Scrivener, but I know from previous attempts at using other tools that nothing
but emacs feels right to me.

I should give it a try, I suppose...but it's going to be really weird.

~~~
stuntkite
It's an amazing tool. I've been using it for screenwriting and worldbuilding
for years. It's just a really clever take on a writing tool. I'm sure your
Emacs kit fits your needs, but I'd bet even trying Scrivener, you might get
some ideas to enhance your Emacs flow.

~~~
tjic
I fear that trying Scrivener might launch me into a five year quest to
duplicate some of its features in elisp! :)

~~~
jacobush
Send me an email from Scrivener when you are done...

~~~
stuntkite
Checkmate Scrivener!

~~~
jacobush
"Every program attempts to expand until it can read mail" \-- Jamie Zawinsky

------
bennesvig
I couldn't have written two books without Scrivener. Now I use it for a
Commonplace Book.

------
hitekker
It's a terrible shame that Scrivener 3 drops support for El Capitan. I want to
try but upgrading my entire OS would be quite a hassle.

~~~
jamesgeck0
Might as well start thinking about upgrading anyway. If the past is an
indicator, Apple will likely stop releasing security updates for El Capitan in
a bit less than a year.

~~~
ako
Still happily running an iMac 24" from 2008 (harddrive replaced with an SSd).
Apple considers this hardware too old for macOs Sierra.

Probably will need to upgrade it to Windows 10 to keep it up to date.

------
abtinf
Anyone used scrivener and found it a useful tool for general note taking, a
personal wiki, or getting things done?

From the website, it looks like many of their features would be useful as a
general work support tool, despite the emphasis on writing.

~~~
innocentoldguy
I highly recommend Scrivener for any project that has words. It is a great
project management tool for taking and organizing notes, research projects,
wiki writing, blog writing, journals, college papers, novels, GTD lists, etc.
Personally, I think the most useful features cork board, the research folder,
tags, and the formatter, but there are many other tools in Scrivener that make
managing projects easy, regardless of size.

Scrivener also supports plugins, so 3rd-party companies can make templates and
other tools for it. For example, if you like Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake
Method of writing, you can get a Scrivener template that uses the Snowflake
Method to help structure/outline your writing.

Finally, Literature & Latte is a great company to work with. They are
responsive to questions and issues, and seem to really care about their
customers.

------
pfooti
i love scrivener, but i'm not a novel-writer. i use it to run role-playing
campaigns. it's is more-or-less perfect for that kind of work. I can add
images and PDFs under the research / resources section (i tend to mine
existing and published content for a bit here and there), I can tag different
cards with PCs and NPCs that are present / relevant, it is really a great
organizing tool for that.

------
nsriv
For those interested in a Windows Beta, check here:
[https://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&...](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=40621)

------
bewe42
Even more amazing is a little tool called Scapple from the same author. I use
it to brainstorm and collect thoughts. Absolutely love it and I read that they
plan to update it as well. Can't wait.

~~~
phodo
I was about to ask about this tool. Looks amazing. How have you found it to
alternatives (e.g. onenote / evernote, mindmap tools, etc.)?

~~~
bewe42
It's not an alternative to a note-taking app. Scapple helps me to clear my
thought process like no other tool. It works for me because it's so simple and
limited. That's why I'm actually ambivalent about an upgrade and fear it might
get too many new features and loses it's appeal, though as I understand the
author he's fully aware of this. There are just a few things I miss

------
mattlondon
Introducing...V3 of what, exactly? Hmm - am I blind, or does that page have
zero explanation of what Scrivener 3 actually _is_? RSS Reader? Ebook reader?
The list of improvements could apply to just so many random things.

I am sure it is great and all, and that there is more details elsewhere on the
site, but you lost me after a scroll or two trying to work out what this
product is, and if it something that I might want to buy. Confused, tab
closed, bye, sorry.

</constructive-criticism>

~~~
egypturnash
Yeah, that's definitely a page written for people who already know what
Scrivener is and will have their ears perk up at the mention of the long-
awaited V2.

Scrivener is a word processor specialized for long-form writing.

It lets you easily write a big piece of text in smaller chunks (chapters,
paragraphs, whatever works for you), keep reference material handy, and
compile it into the kinds of formats a professional writer is likely to need
for passing their text on to the next stage in the publishing process.

Broadly, you can think of it as "an IDE for people who write prose, not code".

------
oaeide
Maybe change this part of the website: "We don’t have an ETA yet, other than
that Scrivener 3 for Windows will be available some time in 2018."

~~~
lstamour
The version for Windows will appear next year. The codebase isn’t shared as
far as I know. They’ve announced if you buy Scrivener 1 for Windows today,
you’ll get a free upgrade to Scrivener 3. (Check the blog post for details.)

------
crooked-v
I'm sad they still don't have any real support for plain text or Markdown
editing.

~~~
innocentoldguy
Scrivener isn't a word processor or editor as much as it is a project
management tool for writing. The point is that you just focus on your writing
as you use the tool and then compile it to whatever format you want, including
plain text and MultiMarkdown. While Scrivener does support some level of
formatting in the editor, that's mostly for convenience as you work with it,
as far as I can tell. The final format of the output of the project occurs
when you compile it.

I hope that helps.

~~~
crooked-v
Even having the possibility of all the crap that goes along with copy-pasting
and broken formatting is a negative for me, not to mention the wasted hotkeys.

------
_Codemonkeyism
Love Scrivener, will upgrade, some problems because I use it on Windows and OS
X synced with OneDrive.

Current workflow Scrivener -> markdown -> markdown-styles -> HTML -> DocRaptor
-> PDF.

------
avtar
Does anyone know who created their video?

[https://vimeo.com/235737232](https://vimeo.com/235737232)

------
walterbell
Can the iOS version import/export files for Windows/Mac without going through
cloud storage like Dropbox?

~~~
f_allwein
No - as far as I understand, this only works though iCloud. Works well in my
experience though.

~~~
walterbell
Even with iOS11 support for file management? That's unfortunate. Some
documents are not allowed to be hosted in cloud storage.

------
claudiojulio
Android please.

------
ChicagoDave
Sorry folks, but Fade In Pro is the best:

[https://www.fadeinpro.com/](https://www.fadeinpro.com/)

Rian Johnson wrote The Last Jedi using Fade In Pro. Gary Whitta wrote Rogue
One using Fade In Pro.

(drops the mic)

~~~
teilo
Fade In Pro is for screenplays. Scrivener is for general writing with a focus
on books. Different tools for different jobs.

~~~
ChicagoDave
It's still mentioned as screen play software, so there is overlap if that's
what people are doing.

