Feedback Wanted: How do you structure your Scriv projects?

[KB]

Sorry, I realise I've been wittering on here. Does this help at all?

Yes, lots, thanks!

(I tend to write notes inside folder text, which then doesn't get compiled in the final document, but might be compiled in an intermediate, draft text. It also, before 2.0, used to be the place to add chapter headers and subtitles, but there are different ways of doing that these days.)

[dahurn]

I haven't done a book or essay with parts *and* chapters yet. But I am writing one with chapters and appendices (which function like chapters). Each chapter is a folder (no writing in it, that's too confusing), and within that I add texts which function as parts of the chapter. These texts may end up as sub-titled sections within the chapter, or they may eventually just be compiled to flow as one.

For an essay, each text will end up as a subtitled section within the essay, i.e. Title page, Abstract, X, Y, Z, Conclusion, Bibliography.

[pigfender]

Let me clarify...

In that case, don't forget the "ice cream. 55 flavors" level.

At any rates, I'm just interested in the way users structure their texts - I'm not asking for feedback on Compile in general or for suggestions about changing it.

Is that how feedback works? I'll use that in my next performance appraisal.

[LLBnyc]

Novels start as a long list of individual idea text files that I play with on corkboard (like a next-level mind map). This turns into chapts (folders) and scenes (text files). Critical to my writing process are my "old" folders, which are duplicates of working folders that are made prior to a major rethinking; having this local backup frees me to rip things apart and experiment. I also keep "outtake" folders with files that hold bits I like that are currently out of the mix but which I'm holding in reserve in case a spot opens up.

[kurts54321]

One thing I found annoying about the current presets (Windows version, anyway) is when doing an E-book wit Kindle (.mobi) output there wasn't any provision for indicating which file is the cover. I had to go into Custom to set that file.

If you could have that option appear when the above combination is selected it would simplify things for new users.

[AmberV]

If you could have that option appear when the above combination is selected it would simplify things for new users.

Yes, the "Summary" view that Keith referred to is what would provide a very simple way to set up compile. If you follow the template structure (or do so in your own blank starts because you like how those work), then compiling has about a half-dozen settings in summary mode, selected based upon the output format. So when you choose an e-book format, the Cover picture selection menu is provided, and when you select Final Draft other options appropriate to that selection are presented, etc. Then if you want to get into the full detail (what the blue arrow is right now), you'd click an "All Options" tab and have at it. So something like this would let you adjust the compile settings based on how you structure your work, without having to go into the full options and figure out how the Formatting pane works.

[Marta]

I noticed this was a MAC forum, so don't know if my answers apply-- I'm on PC

I mostly work with screenplays.

I have three main folders named ACT I, ACT II, ACT III
Under each of these I have each scene as a different text file.

[Bonnie]

I tale what I like out of various files and make my own.

[nom]

I use the basic Folders-for-Chapters set-up, with documents (and sub-documents, nested as deeply as needed) for sections within that. In short, if it represents a visible difference in the final document, I'll use a folder (because I can set-up different compile settings for folders and documents); but if it's for my own reference to track ideas, I'll use a document.

Checking my thesis (the only book-length text I've completed) I used a folder for each chapter and then nested documents within them. I initially used sub-folders for sections within each chapter, but later simplified this as I moved back and forth with my reviewers (if not for this step, I would have maintained this structure to the end). Now that I know more about how to use Scriv, I would keep a more formal structure of folders for anything that requires a heading in the final text (e.g. chapters, sections within chapters) and documents for everything else.

In my thesis, I did include text in the folders but in a Scriv 1 kind of way. i.e. Chapter numbers and titles (on separate lines) so I could format them exactly the way I wanted on compile.

[TinkBD]

I took a Short Story Template and used it as the basis to create a template for writing series.

It becomes a complete series Bible and holds all of the books and drafts, all of the information regarding Characters and world, as well as all publishing details and marketing information.

Each book/novella/novel is a folder and each scene/chapter is a text file within that folder. So... a thirty chapter novel had 30 text files

I have also created templates for the novel structure to save time... elements such as plot threads and plot point are color coded.

There is a folder holding all of the Character files/one per character

If it would be easier to understand, I would be happy to send you an empty project

I LOVE Scrivener and it saves me hours of time...

Tink

[temporalranger]

I use the folders-for-chapters (or short stories), sub-documents for writing for the majority of my fiction.

For Uni I use a slightly different structure, with all my notes stored in one project. I have folders for each class, then sub-folders for each week of the semester, which contain a document for each lecture/tutorial that takes place that week - basically a parallel to the Parts/Chapters format, now I look at it. All my readings are included in the research folder and linked to and from the appropriate lectures/tutorials.

For essays, I tend to use a flat list of documents - I'm still undergraduate, so essays are still pretty simple straighforward things. I'll work out which points I want to make, assign each to a new document + one each for introduction, conclusion and bibliography, then work out how to divy up the assigned word count between each point (roughly) and assign those as the document targets. I've been thinking about just combining all my essays into a single .scriv project using the folder/document method, but keeping them separate reduces distraction and procrastination.

[matsgz]

I added "Other" to my choices, as I, when writing screenplays, make extensive use of custom-meta data for outlining etc (one category called "two sentences", summarising the scene/beat and explaining its relevance for the story/plot; another "treatment", with a free, "novelistic", summary of the scene/beat).

When I write screenplays in Scrivener, I often have a strict folder hierarchy even past the scene level. I'll sometimes have a folder representing a scene, and several text documents representing functional parts of a scene (what writers call "beats.")... This allows me to address the scene in a structural/functional way, and later rewrite it into some nice pages.

Scrivener is the only current screenwriting tool that allows me this kind of organizational granularity.

Yay, Scrivener!

Second that Yay!

Cheers,
Mats

[Marta]

I took a Short Story Template and used it as the basis to create a template for writing series.

It becomes a complete series Bible and holds all of the books and drafts, all of the information regarding Characters and world, as well as all publishing details and marketing information.

Each book/novella/novel is a folder and each scene/chapter is a text file within that folder. So... a thirty chapter novel had 30 text files

I have also created templates for the novel structure to save time... elements such as plot threads and plot point are color coded.

There is a folder holding all of the Character files/one per character

If it would be easier to understand, I would be happy to send you an empty project

I LOVE Scrivener and it saves me hours of time...

Tink

When you say a writing series, what do you mean? A series of short stories, or a TV series.
I'd be interested if you could explain more fully. Sounds innovative.
Thanks,

[michaelbywater]

I was going to say this

I added "Other" to my choices, as I, when writing screenplays, make extensive use of custom-meta data for outlining etc

but then mats said it.

(one category called "two sentences", summarising the scene/beat and explaining its relevance for the story/plot;

I do that.

another "treatment", with a free, "novelistic", summary of the scene/beat).

I do that but in the Synopsis pane

When I write screenplays in Scrivener, I often have a strict folder hierarchy even past the scene level. I'll sometimes have a folder representing a scene, and several text documents representing functional parts of a scene (what writers call "beats.")... This allows me to address the scene in a structural/functional way, and later rewrite it into some nice pages.

Sometime I do that, but only if I'm stuck or lost or it's not working; it's a remedial, not a planning, tool for me. (If I were a better writer and/or a better man, I'd do it like popcornflix here & save everyone a lot of trouble including myself but I'm not & I've learned nothing.)

Scrivener is the only current screenwriting tool that allows me this kind of organizational granularity.

Yay, Scrivener!

Second that Yay!

Cheers,
Mats

Third it!

[egouvernaire]

I am using empty folders for Parts and Chapters - and i insert between them all texts documents for each scenes. I am using / testing this structure to avoid folders, sub folders, sub sub folders etc. it's is faster to navigate from a text to another, and like that, i don't have to open / close any folder + I am using specific colors for Parts, Chapters and text to have a clear overview of the structure.

The idea of doing that for me is to have a kind of "Time Line" in the Binder, and be able to read the "Text document / Scene title" at any time.