Scrivener For Dummies

Determining Your Writing Style

Whether you sit down in front of a blank piece of paper with only the spark of an idea or you create an 80-page outline complete with a storyboard and photos of all your characters before you write, Scrivener accommodates you.

The aforementioned people who write by the seat of their pants — so-called pantsers — might start writing, get to the logical end of the scene, and then start a new document for another scene, whether next in order or not.

Plotters, on the other hand — those who live and die by the outline — might start their process in the Corkboard (Chapter 8) or Outliner (Chapter 9), creating a title and brief synopsis for each scene, moving the scenes around until the order is just right, and then, after setting the storyline, begin filling in the actual text of the story.

Perhaps, like me, you’re somewhere in between. It might even change from one manuscript or type of project to the next. The real beauty here is that you don’t have to stick with one style. Pantsing your way through and got stuck? Try playing with your scenes in the Corkboard. Had a perfect outline, but your characters protested your “all is lost” moment in the plot? Try opening a blank document and free-writing your way through it.

There’s no right or wrong style, only your style. And no matter what style works for you, Scrivener has your back.