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Scrivener (Affiliate Link) is the first word processor built for authors. And for black friday you can save 25% with coupon code BLACKFRIDAY2025,

Here is what AI Thomas has to say about Scrivener based on my 500+ episodes:

Scrivener is a popular writing software designed specifically for authors, unlike general-purpose word processors like Microsoft Word. It offers robust organizational tools and features that can significantly enhance your writing process.

Why Scrivener is a Good Purchase

  1. Designed for Authors: Scrivener is built to cater to how authors think and organize their work, allowing you to break down your manuscript into smaller, manageable sections like folders, chapters, and scenes. This "building a book" approach is more flexible than working with one long document.

  2. Organizational Tools: It helps you organize all your research, notes, ideas, and character information within a single project, preventing clutter and making it easy to access everything you need. You can even build a "Wiki" for your story world.

  3. Flexibility in Storytelling: Scrivener's building block approach allows you to easily rearrange chapters or scenes, which is ideal when your ideas don't flow in linear order or you discover a better placement for a story element.

  4. Productivity Features:

    • Focus Mode: This feature hides all distractions, allowing you to concentrate solely on your manuscript, recreating a typewriter-like experience.

    • Target Feature: You can set writing goals for your overall manuscript or individual chapters, and Scrivener will track your progress, helping you meet deadlines.

    • Linguistic Focus: This tool helps you identify and reduce overused words, adverbs, or analyze dialogue patterns, improving the quality of your writing.

    • Snapshots: Scrivener automatically saves multiple versions of your work, allowing you to revert to previous versions if needed, providing peace of mind against accidental data loss.

  5. Cost-Effective: Scrivener is a one-time purchase. Compared to the recurring cost of some general word processors like Microsoft Word, it can be a more economical choice in the long run.

  6. Dictation Integration: Scrivener integrates with your computer's built-in dictation software (Mac and Windows), allowing you to convert speech to text directly into your manuscript. This can significantly increase your writing speed.

What to Look Out For

  1. Learning Curve: Scrivener has a steep learning curve due to its extensive features and less intuitive interface compared to simpler word processors. Many courses exist to help users learn it effectively, and investing in training can save you hundreds of hours of frustration.

  2. Version Disparity (PC vs. Mac): Historically, PC users have received older versions (e.g., version 2.0) while Mac users had access to newer versions (e.g., version 3.0), leading to frustration over bugs and missing features for PC users.

  3. Limited Formatting: While Scrivener has formatting capabilities and can compile books for print or digital distribution, these options are often limited and can be difficult to use. Many authors find it necessary to export their manuscript to a dedicated formatting tool like Vellum or Atticus for a more professional-looking book.

  4. Collaboration Challenges: Scrivener does not have built-in collaboration features like Google Docs. Authors often export to Word to work with editors, which can lead to version control issues and formatting messes when transferring files back and forth.

How Scrivener Compares with Atticus

Atticus is a newer word processor designed specifically for authors, aiming to combine the best features of Scrivener and Vellum. Here's a comparison:

  • Platform Compatibility: A major advantage of Atticus is its cross-platform compatibility, running on PC, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook, whereas Vellum is Mac-only. Scrivener is available on both Mac and PC, but with historical version disparities.

  • Pricing: Atticus is generally cheaper than Vellum. Scrivener is typically a one-time purchase, often around $50, making it very affordable.

  • Core Functionality:

    • Atticus: Designed as a multi-tool to handle writing, collaboration, and formatting all in one program. Its formatting capabilities are being actively developed to surpass Vellum, and it has stronger writing capabilities. Collaboration features are still in progress but are planned to offer granular control over permissions.

    • Scrivener: Excels as a writing and organizational tool. Its formatting capabilities are limited, and many authors pair it with Vellum or Atticus for that purpose.

  • Development and Updates: Atticus receives continuous, automatic updates with new features without requiring re-downloads. They maintain a public roadmap for upcoming features. Scrivener's updates are less frequent, especially for PC versions.

  • Specific Features:

    • Formatting Templates: Atticus offers more templates and a custom chapter theme builder, an improvement upon Vellum's ease and flow.

    • Narration: Atticus is working on integrating free dictation software and supporting Dragon dictation.

    • Plotting Integration: Atticus is developing integrations with tools like Plottr to import plotting notes directly into chapters.

    • Cloud Saving & Offline Use: Atticus automatically saves work to the cloud and allows offline writing if you've previously logged in.

    • Focus Mode: While Scrivener has a well-known focus mode, Atticus has announced this feature is "on its way".

  • Overall Approach: Atticus aims to be a comprehensive, all-in-one software for authors, eliminating the need to jump between multiple programs for writing, editing, and formatting. Scrivener is a powerful writing tool, but often requires other software for a complete publishing workflow.

Ultimately, both Scrivener and Atticus offer significant advantages over general word processors for authors. Scrivener is a proven organizational and writing powerhouse, while Atticus is an ambitious, evolving tool aiming to be the single solution for all author needs.

Tips

  • Embrace the Learning Curve: If you choose Scrivener, dedicate time to learning its features. There are many tutorials and courses available that can accelerate your proficiency.

  • Back Up Your Work: Regardless of the software you use, always have an automatic, cloud-based backup system in place to protect your manuscript.

  • Consider Your Workflow: If you prefer an all-in-one solution that integrates writing, collaboration, and formatting, Atticus may be a better long-term fit as its features develop. If you primarily need powerful writing and organizational tools and are comfortable using separate software for formatting, Scrivener is an excellent choice.

  • Trial Periods: Scrivener offers a 30-day trial based on actual writing days, allowing you to thoroughly test it. Check if Atticus has a similar trial.

Pitfalls

  • Sticking with General Word Processors: Using tools like Microsoft Word for large documents like novels can become a major obstacle to publication due to their limitations for authors.

  • Ignoring Updates: For Scrivener, older versions may have bugs that newer Mac versions don't, so be aware of potential disparities. For Atticus, while updates are automatic, keep an eye on their roadmap to see when key features you need will be released.

  • Solely Relying on One Tool for Everything (if it's not designed for it): While Atticus aims to be an all-in-one, other tools like Scrivener are primarily writing tools and their formatting capabilities may be insufficient for a professional final product.

Patron Toolbox Tools to Help

What My Guests Had to Say

Dave Chesson: "Microsoft Word was built to let you write anything. It has cool functionality, and many people are used to using it. We’ve used it for years, but it was not designed to handle large documents such as novels, nonfiction books, or screenplays. You could create those works in Microsoft Word, but it was not designed for them." He also states that Atticus aims to be "Vellum with more features, a stronger writing capability. Atticus works on all computers and is $100 cheaper than Vellum." (Everything Authors Need to Know About Writing in Atticus).

David Lee Martin: "Scrivener works on a much more granular basis than Microsoft Word. Instead of having one long document, Scrivener allows you to break everything down into folders, chapters, and sections within chapters. I like to think that Scrivener helps me build a book rather than simply write a book." (How to Get the Most Out of Scrivener).

James Blatch: "I use Vellum, which is Mac-only software. It’s a lovely bit of software, and it’s easy to use. The designers are ex-Pixar people. Vellum makes typesetting a very pleasurable part of the process for me. If you don’t have a Mac, you can format inside Draft2Digital, which is a free online service. You can also format inside of Reedsy and Atticus." (How to Successfully Self Publish Your Book in 2023 with James Blatch).

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