Writing a book, white paper, or sales copy? Consider using Scrivener, a word processor and project management tool.

Originally created for writing fiction, Scrivener works great with all kinds of writing — from novels to blog posts, from screenplays to speeches. It allows you to move ideas from your head to your screen faster, more efficiently.

Research Any Type of Writing Project

For instance, say you have a big writing project and face the challenge of collecting and tracking research.

Scrivener includes a research binder that holds text, PDFs, URLs, pictures, video, napkin doodles, mindmaps, and most other digital media. So whenever you find a helpful resource, simply drag-and-drop it into Scrivener.

When you’re writing, you can jump between writing and research views. Or, split Scrivener’s screen so your text and research document are displayed next to each other.

Organize Thoughts, Notes, and Much More

Scrivener also makes it easier to organize your writing.

Ever stick note cards to a corkboard? You can do the same with Scrivener’s digital corkboard.

Every document is attached to a virtual index card, allowing you to jot a synopsis. This makes it easy to rearrange sections and chapters while letting you see everything at once.

Barefoot Writer Steve Coombes, who purchased Scrivener a few months ago, uses the program to help him outline and organize his writing faster.

“I’ve already moved my special report and book writing into it, and I’m also looking into using it for my long-form sales letters and the monthly newsletter I’m Managing Editor for,” he says.

Write … And Keep at it

Ready to write? Go into Scrivener’s composition mode. It gives you a single column of text — and nothing else.

Want to check on your word count or need a useful tool? Mouse over the bottom of the screen.

Scrivener’s “snapshot” feature allows you to return to an earlier version of your text. So before editing a block of text, just take a snapshot of it. You can go back to the original version for reference, or restore it if you prefer the older version.

Export to Your Platform of Choice

Scrivener allows you to export to nearly any format. You can export your blog posts to HTML … export your e-books to Word so you can collaborate with others … or export directly to PDF, Kindle, ePub, or iBooks Author.

Check Out the 30-Day Free Trial

To order, visit https://www.LiteratureAndLatte.com/scrivener.php. You can download the software to a PC or Mac for a 30-day free trial (30 days of actual use, not 30 days from install).

The software license is $40, but you can find discounts of 20% or more if you Google “Scrivener coupon code.”  

Scrivener does a lot for you, so it may seem a bit overwhelming at first. It also uses several icons and symbols that take getting used to.

But don’t fret. Scrivener offers video tutorials to make learning fast and easy. Or, you can buy any one of several Scrivener instructional books listed on the site as a handy resource, such as Scrivener Absolute Beginner’s Guide and Scrivener for Dummies.