I’m a real Newbie when it comes to using Scrivener in general and Scrivener’s templates specifically. My question revolves around how to use the built-in templates. Say I wanted to start a short story. Do I simply open up the Short Story template and type into that template, typing over the explanations of the template that are there - or is there some other better way of doing it. By doing that, wouldn’t you be losing the original template. Forgive me asking what must seem like a stupid question. It seems to me that I’ve actually run across a pretty good explanation of how to do this somewhere in the voluminous quantity of documentation that has been provided for people like me, but I’ll be darned if I can find it - now that I need it.
Just as in Word or Pages or any other program that uses templates, when you create a project from a template, the project is a copy built from that template - so any changes have no effect on the original template. In general each template has some instructions in a document at the top of the binder, which will tell you how they were designed to be used. In the case of the short story template, for instance, you need to enter your own details into the title page section and then write each scene in a different text document in the Draft folder.
All the best,
Keith
I constantly use my own templates that I’ve made; what I do is open a new blank standard document, then before I write anything, I’ll fiddle around with the colors for labels, I’ll add a bunch of new Status items like “Needs Edit” etc., duplicate the Chapter folder into 12 folders (that’s usually how many I end up with), each one with its own little hidden title and subtitle information behind the corkboard, and fill in my name and contact information on a Title Page document, set Typewriter scrolling, set up Full Screen mode to look like I want… basically, I set up the document to be just exactly the way I like ALL of my story documents to be… then save that blank as a Template, and I never have to set all that stuff up again! Which is, I believe, the original intent of the Template thing to begin with…
That it is indeed. While the provided templates are great for giving ideas to new users. I doubt anyone will be 100% comfortable in them once they have grown accustomed to the application and built their own way of thinking with it. Even if one does prefer one of the starter templates, there are surely little things about them they’d like different when starting out a new project. Making modifications and saving your own starting point is easy to do with templates.
Reviving an old topic here, I know, but I’m wondering if people share templates at all? I have the distinct feeling that I read something about somewhere that you can share/download templates, but for the life of me I can’t remember where it was. I know I can create my own, but I guess I’m just sort of interested to see what other people have done, since I’m still a newbie and with the craziness of Nanowrimo I haven’t had as much time to just sit and play with things.
Am I making things up, or is there such a place?