You’ll find below the method and tools I used to write my novels.
This method works for me, but not necessarily for others. I am not suggesting that my method is better than anyone else’s, or that it should be followed to the letter. As I explained in my previous post, I remain convinced that we each have our own method and that it is this method that we need to improve.
Scrivener has been my writing software of choice for 13 years. I started with Version 1 in 2013 and have been using it ever since.
For me, Scrivener has everything an author could want.
It is a software created by authors for authors, so it does everything I need it to do.
It’s a robust programme that doesn’t slow down when you start to have a certain number of words and doesn’t crash unexpectedly either. I don’t think I’ve ever lost a text because Scrivener closed unexpectedly in 13 years.
It’s a flexible software that lets me write the way I want to. As I explained here, I don’t write in a linear fashion. I jump from chapter 1 to chapter 20 and then back to chapter 5. As a result, I need software that lets me create my chapters and scenes the way I want and move them around as I please.
I don’t use all of Scrivener’s features, but I do use a number of them that help me write, manage, and organise my manuscript. I love the fact that you can set goals, create snapshots so you don’t lose a scene or chapter, change status labels and tags as you see fit, and have a summary of your chapter in the same window.
I love the fact that I can create my own version of the Scrivener Novel template with the folders I use most often when writing. As a result, I waste less time when I start a novel because my template is already ready!
In addition to Scrivener, I open two other documents on my computer when I write. Everything else (email, internet, and phone) is closed.
As I just said, I don’t write in a linear fashion. Therefore, I need to keep a clear record of what I write so that I know where I am when I open my manuscript the next day.
Until recently, I only used the “Summary” tab in Scrivener, but this method didn’t give me an overview. The Outline view allows me to do this, but it requires switching between screens, which I find inconvenient.
So I took up Gillian M Author’s idea of dividing an Excel spreadsheet into 40 chapters with the characters and a summary of each scene.
I adapted it to suit my needs, and it works like a charm for me, because I can have this Excel spreadsheet next to my Scrivener project and choose what I’m going to write that day based on my inspiration.
Since I don’t really construct the plot before writing, I fill in the sheet as I go along. Sometimes it’s before I write, and sometimes it’s after, if inspiration suddenly strikes me. I then put the same summary in the “Summary” tab in Scrivener.
I haven’t done it yet, but I think I’m going to create specific statuses in Scrivener and colors on my Excel sheet to keep track of where each scene is at (finished, in progress, etc.).
The idea of using Trello to keep track of the changes I make as I write (I never edit as I write, otherwise I don’t get anywhere) came from Jessica Brody at Writing Mastery Academy.
Trello is an app that lets you create boards with cards. There are several types of boards, but I use a basic board with columns (main character names, changes, act 1, act 2, act 3, ideas).
Every time I make a change to my manuscript (I change the name of a secondary character, for example), I write it down in Trello in the “Changes” tab.
If it’s a specific change that appears in a specific act, I enter the information in the act in question.
That’s how I write my novels. Do you use any of these software programs/apps? Do you have any others?
In part 2, next week, I’ll show you what I do and what I use after each writing session.
