I decided that it’s time to start writing a book. I’ve had so many ideas for years, but I never had the guts to write anything. This week everything changed. I was thinking of the best word processor to aid me on this venture, and I decided to have Scrivener coming along for the ride.

Scrivener is a Mac-only application that is tailored towards Writers. It combines a robust word processor with a smart project management system that helps you build your book from start to finish. You can section your story the way that you want. For me, I have started doing it in chapters. Scrivener has a neat functionality that displays your chapters/sections into a corkboard (shown above). You are able to shuffle them around, which also changes the way your draft is organized.

Another thing that I absolutely love is how easy it is to do research alongside your writing. This is great for Writers writing a nonfiction or historical piece. You are able to drag and drop images, links, tidbits of texts, etc. There is a research area that allows you to group the research into different areas.

A book outline is always something that Writers should start off with, and Scrivener has a way for you to create one.  The “Outliner” functionality allows you to organize by color coding your writing by chapters, concepts, and/or whatever way you want.  Additionally, it has a status section, so you can track if it has been completed and in which revision.

After you are happy with your book, you can combine the pieces to create one book.

Good luck on writing your book, and if you have a Mac, give Scrivener a try.

Check out their video tutorials: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/videos/index.html

Written by: Shevonne on August 7, 2009.
Last revised by: Shevonne on December 28, 2009.

Tags: book, book organization, MacOs, organize your book, Scrivener, Word processor, write book, writers, Writers Resources, Writing, writing a book