How I Set Up My Scrivener Binder for My Novels | 2021

OPEN ME!: A few years ago I did a Scrivener video for how I set up my Scrivener binder for my PhD work. Now I thought it was time to show you how I set up my Scrivener binder for my novels. With The Bookshop of Possibilities done and published, it was time to set up my binder for Book 2 of the Independent Hearts series and I thought I'd film it. I hope you enjoy! :) xx
Previous Scrivener video: • How I Set Up Scrivener...
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[@cayreet5992]

What I do for series is to keep all manuscripts in the same Scrivener project. Like this, all notes, research, characters, places, etc. are always there. I do a folder with the book title for every book in the series and drop the whole manuscript in there. Like that, I can reference everything. It pays to remember that Scrivener projects aren't just one file and you don't have to worry too much about size.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I've heard other authors do that, it's such a good idea!

[@OldRod99]

Do you have any slowdowns in Scrivener trying to navigate between sections in such a large file? I remember back in earlier versions of Windows Scrivener, I tried this and it seemed to bog things down. I haven't tried it in version 3 yet.

[@cayreet5992]

@@OldRod99 Not at all. It takes a little longer to load and to backup (perhaps half a minute or less), but apart from that, I can navigate the files well. It might be because I put those not part of the book I'm working on in their extra folders outside of the manuscript one and I only expand those when I need a look. The mere presence doesn't cause any lag and I can easily switch between them. It might be more a problem with the computer than with the program, though - my computer is pretty new because my old one died on me last year. A computer with little RAM (I use my for computer games, too, so I have more RAM in it) might take a bit longer - or not. I can't compare to older versions, I started with 3.

[@OldRod99]

@@cayreet5992 Great to know, thanks!

[@Buffy8Fan]

@@AndreaJSeverson 14:30 How do I make it "look pretty" when I don't have the Scrivener dropdown menu on my Scrivener?

[@CollectRecords732]

Thanks for making this video so easy to follow! I just downloaded Scrivener this morning (after writing in Word for years) and this was a big help to watch. I also thought the “using multiple folders” thing they recommend wasn’t for me, so I was glad to see you opted to just create chapters, which is what also made sense to me. 🙌🏼

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad it was helpful. And yes, I really don't like using folders in the manuscript section, it makes things much more complicated.

[@RitaMantone]

You really helped me to understand Scrivener, best one I watched so far. Thanks Andrea!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Oh I'm so glad! Thank you so much!

[@amo8773]

Thank you so much for this. I'm literally watching as I pause and set up my novel step by step. I would have fumbled around forever otherwise!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching. :)

[@DABrownWriter]

Great video! I use one of the 1st versions of Scrivener, so it's bare bones, but works for me. After watching your video, I think it's time for an upgrade, though.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching! I do like version I have, Scrivener 3. I'm not sure if there's a newer version than 3 and I'd be cautious with a newer version because companies seem to be putting AI in everything, but I highly rate version 3. :)

[@jennifertrieckel3329]

Loved this! I am new to Scrivener and you showed so many cool things. Thank you so much!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

You are so welcome!

[@britishcrimewriter-LeeWood]

The most helpful and easy to follow video on Scrivener I have ever seen. I had stopped using it but this has caused me to think again. So much valuable information with tons of hints and tips. Just subscribed to your channel.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

So glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! Thanks for subscribing. There will be more book/writing content coming in the new year. :)

[@ThedelvalleFam]

You are so GREAT! Thank you for this wonderful video. I appreciate the time and effort you took on creating such a wonderful video that fully explains the process quick, easy and I was able to follow along with you. Thanks again!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thank you for watching! I'm glad it was helpful. :)

[@katpaints]

I needed this! I haven't used Scrivener for a year or two because of health problems, but I am getting back into it! I found out a few things that are different in my Windows 3 version of Scrivener and thought I would share. Until tonight, I had completely forgotten about adding backgrounds so I dug in... and really messed things up. I had added and removed backgrounds, checked and unchecked boxes and it was still awful. Graphics I thought I had removed were in a shadow on Composition Mode. I finally went through the entire list of color options, set them to original and it was fixed. I have the Windows 3 version and the ability to do the pretty things is found under File, and Options is at the bottom of that list. The Themes are located at the bottom left part of that screen. Importing individual designs is on the Appearance tab under the Colors tab. It might take a bit to get back in the rhythm of remembering where things are again. The other thing is that the Copy to is under the main Documents tab at the top of the screen on the Windows version, not the right-clicking menu. It seems that they have squeezed everything that Apple versions have onto the Windows versions, but you might have to look for them. Now to get things collected and get on with my project. It's based on family history that I've been uncovering since 1999.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for sharing some of these differences for Windows! Glad the video helped you get back into Scrivener. Good luck working on your project!

[@judiseverson]

I love the themes setup. All the great ideas you showed will be a big help! 😀❤️

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching! I hope it helps. :)

[@donnaskelcy]

Wow! Excellent Video! Good Job in explaining and showing some really important features.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching Donna, I'm glad it was helpful. :)

[@t-helen-price]

I just subbed to you :) This video inspired me to re-try Scrivener for my manuscripts ^_^ And your personality is goals!! Definitely kept my attention :)

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. I love Scrivener. I think people get overwhelmed by how much it can do, but you really can start with just the most basic features and slowly learn it. I've been using it for years and still learn new things about it. :)

[@lindaholbrook7447]

Awesome video Andrea! I just found you and I look forward to seeing your others...

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching Linda!

[@carlacraft2987]

Awesome tutorial! You're so personable and I hope that you enjoy the journey in your writing ventures! God Bless You! 😀

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thank you Carla! I'm glad it helped you!

[@carlacraft2987]

@@AndreaJSeverson Oh, I forgot to ask. How did you get the lines in the "notes" section like it's a lined notepad. Thanks again!

[@Tbroo-o8z]

Thnx for your Vlog Scrivener is such a powerful App.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Scrivener is amazing. Thanks for watching!

[@AutumnFay]

Marvelous!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thank you for watching! Hope it was helpful.

[@AliaJohns-m3g]

Love this video. I appreciate you!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@tamzinlena]

Wondering whether to get Scriviner for my Dissertation... xx

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I would recommend it, I think it's worth every penny.

[@PagesAndPolish]

So much great info here!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks Shannon!

[@ozzie8821]

Thank You!!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching!

[@SHONNER]

I'm just now starting to use Scrivener after buying it a few years ago. Took forever to figure out compiling, and how it changes the formats of everything because of the page formats being saved as. I should probably make a video to show how my setup is, once my book if near complete. It's more of a game book. Not a novel.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching! I format in another program so I mostly use Scrivener for outlining, drafting, and editing. :)

[@SHONNER]

@@AndreaJSeverson I figured out how to do all the formatting I need just using Scrivener. Just a lot of trial and error until my parts, chapters, sections, TOC, etc pages had the right fonts, styles, sizes, page breaks, justifications. All kinds of stuff I didn't know could be changed until I learned about the Compile Format Designer. There's hardly any videos about it. I may still use OpenOffice for fancying-up the borders of my pages with trim art.

[@annettelasar9347]

Why don't you use the App Aeon Timeline 3 which you can sync with Scrivener? And if you write several volumes of a series why don't you organize all of them in one project? Then you would not have to copy your characters into the next project.

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I hadn't heard of Aeon Timeline. It looks interesting! And this video is a little old at this point, my process is always changing. I've thought of putting everything in one project but I like having each one separate, it just works for me. But I know people who do that, so whatever works for you. :)

[@dawnp.3264]

Very helpful! Thanks so much!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

You're welcome! I'm so glad it was helpful!

[@heartmommyinpa]

I’m sure you caught it by now, but Chapter is spelled wrong for Chapter 2. Thanks for this outline

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Oh yes, I caught that eventually lol.

[@tampagirl7533]

When I tried to save as a template, it gives me "This project is too large to make into template". do you know why?

[@AndreaJSeverson]

I don't know. I guess it depends on how much content you've put into the template. I know some people put previous novels from a series into their Scrivener file for a new book, so if you've got a ton of stuff in there it might be too big to make a template. You might want to reach out to Literature and Latte's tech support and ask them, they'll be able to help trouble shoot better than I can. :)

[@rubinnn]

Helpful. thanks!!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Thanks for watching!

[@jodiannkarambela4946]

Hi Andrea! Love the video and that you went through your set up of the binder. Is there a way to make this a permanent template for future projects? I'm new to your channel, I apologize if it's in a video and I missed it. Looking forward to the outline video you mentioned. Thanks!

[@AndreaJSeverson]

Hi Jodi! Thanks for watching! I believe there is a way to make a permanent template. I probably should do that but I always start from scratch lol. But when you click on "File" at the top of the screen, there's an option to "Save as template". So you can play around with that and see what it looks like. The outlining video will be coming soon!

[@kathryn.fletcher]

Have you done the outline scrivener video yet?

[@AndreaJSeverson]

No not yet! But I can bump that up on the filming list if you were waiting for it.

[@matilda2900]

@@AndreaJSeverson i would love to see it! Is it already up or will i have to be patient 😆

[@lindaholbrook7447]

I use Scrivener but am intimidated by it. You make it seem much more friendly. You should do classes. Of course my age is against me, it's sometimes hard to teach old dogs new tricks , if you know what I mean... LOL

[@AndreaJSeverson]

You just have to be patient and play around with it. There's so much it can do but it can be overwhelming when you're first getting started. Glad my video helped!