With NaNoWriMo well under way, I thought it would be a good time to touch base on productivity tools to improve writing and help keep us all on track for November and beyond. I am not new to the software Scrivener, but it has been a while since I’ve had a conversation with anyone on their favorite writing tools. For me, this one is essential.
Now just to be clear, I am not an affiliate or anything, just a writer who likes to shout from the rooftops how much I love this software. One part typewriter, another part corkboard and scrapbook, Scrivener combines all the necessary organizationl tools to streamline your thoughts in one place with a compositional tool to boot.
A few years ago, when I first stumbled upon Scrivener, I would have post its, journals, Evernote, and Microsoft Word, all open simultaneously trying to piece together my story; it didn’t work out so well. Now, with this software, I was able to combine it all in one place (saved in story specific files), keep track of all drafts, and even use ‘snapshots’ to compare these drafts side by side in order to revise and identify plot holes that needed fixing without having to carry around notes that I could potentially lose (it has a corresponding iOS app so I literally have all of my work with me at all times).
If you haven’t tried it, I suggest taking a look at it. I’m pretty sure there is a free trial for the software before purchasing it to see if it is right for you– check it out here
Do you have any other tools or tactics you’ve tried that you stand by? I’d love to hear them! Happy Writing and if you are doing NaNo- You Can Do It 😊
Chris Kauzlarich 
Right? Having everything in one place is just amazing. The only downside I’ve found is that when you’re working with an editor and need to use the same file/format between their system and yours. Track Changes and exporting various formats get a little iffy then.
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That’s a solid point- thanks for pointing that out! I normally compile the file and export to Word to send but that isn’t always the most convenient. Have you found a better way?
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I export it as Word once I’m done, then when I work with my editor it’s all Pages/Word from then on out, because Track Changes won’t play well with Scrivener. That’s the only way I can get around it, lol.
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