Fall online Scrivener courses now open for registration

Fall is coming soon, which means it’s time for another Scrivener course (or two). Based on student feedback, I’ve decided to make some changes.

1. I am splitting my original four-week, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink course into two different classes. That means less time commitment per course, and less money to spend if you’re not ready to move into–or only need–intermediate and advanced concepts.

(If you’re waiting for a Compile class, don’t worry. The next one starts December 8th.)

2. We’re getting a new classroom environment, one that I hope will provide some of the benefits of the previous platform, but without the technical problems.

The new classroom is set up like a web forum. Not as pretty, but it allows for organizing Q&A by topic, and makes the content searchable. A big plus for those who can’t remember where they saw a post.

To learn more–and/or to register–keep reading! Or, for more detailed information on all of my upcoming courses, visit the course page on my website.

Want to be the first to know when my next course opens? Join my newsletter.

Happy writing!

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Scrivener I: The Basics and Beyond
Date: September 8-24, 2014
Price: $25

This class will teach you how to customize your Scrivener projects for the way you write. You’ll also learn simple but powerful tools for organizing, visualizing, revising, and sharing your work.

This workshop is for anyone with a beginning to intermediate level of experience with Scrivener.

Prerequisites: Download/install Scrivener on your computer (the free trial is fine).

Topics include:
– Creating a New Project/Scrivener Overview
– Working with documents and folders: moving, renaming, splitting and merging, grouping
– Adding synopses and viewing them in the Corkboard
– Using and customizing the label and status fields and color coding your documents
– Working with document and project notes
– Creating references to research material, notes, and pictures
– Using split screen and full screen composition modes- Creating backups and getting help
– Understanding the basics of compiling (exporting) your work to other formats

Format: The course is conducted in a virtual classroom, which allows me to post daily lessons in DOC and PDF for students to download, and provides a forum for asking/answering questions. The course also includes a weekly video screencast where I answer student questions through an on-screen demonstration.

Click the appropriate button below to register.
 

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Scrivener II: Intermediate and Advanced Concepts
Date: October 14-30, 2014
Price: $25

This course will take your Scrivener knowledge to the next level. It’s intended for those who already have a solid foundation in Scrivener.

Prerequisites: Scrivener I, or a good understanding of the topics covered in Scrivener I (see course description above), and Scrivener installed on your computer.

Topics include:
– Using advanced search and replace functions
– Creating saved searches and collections
– Tracking progress and viewing project statistics, including word frequency
– Using annotations, comments and footnotes
– Working with the Corkboard & Outliner (advanced concepts)
– Using snapshots to save older versions of your work
– Creating custom project templates
– Compiling (exporting) your work to other formats, printing synopses, index cards, and outlines

Format: The course is conducted in a virtual classroom, which allows me to post daily lessons in DOC and PDF for students to download, and provides a forum for asking/answering questions. The course also includes a weekly video screencast where I answer student questions through an on-screen demonstration.
 

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Scrivener for Windows gets an awesome update (1.7.1)

Scrivener for Windows might be the baby of the Scrivener family, but it’s catching up to its big brother quickly (and, happily, making my book even more useful to Windows users). The May 27^th update to 1.7.1 is huge. It brings to Windows some of the key features for which many users have been waiting, even if they didn’t know it. 😉

Here are just a few of the additions I think will make PC people very, very happy.

Creating a Table of Contents
Creating your own TOC used to be a pain. Now it’s a cinch. Just select the items you want to include in the contents list (using Ctrl+click or Shift+click). To create a TOC with page numbers (say for a POD book or Word doc), go to Edit—>Copy Special—>Copy Documents as ToC. Create a blank document and paste the list.

To create your own ebook TOC (maybe more or less detailed than the one that’s created automatically), use Copy Documents as Scrivener Links instead.

Preserving Formatting
If you have a section of text with special formatting that you don’t want to lose when you compile, you can preserve it. Scrivener will protect the font, alignment, font size, spacing, everything. Just select the desired text and go to Format—>Formatting—>Preserve Formatting.

Using Format Presets
Want to apply a group of font and/or paragraph settings to select sections of text over and over? You can create and apply presets. This works nicely in conjunction with Preserve Formatting to apply style and preservation to things like quotes, representations of letters, text messages, or emails, or subheadings that you’ve embedded directly into the text.

Presets are found under Format—>Formatting. See this post for more on how presets and preserved formatting work.

To add the Preset Selector button to your format bar, go to Tools—>Customize Toolbars. Select the Format Toolbar in the box at the top right. In the left column, select Preset Selector (should be near the top) and click the right arrow button at the center to move it to the right column. Use the up/down arrows to adjust its position, if desired.

Customizing Icons
You can now customize the icon for any object in your Binder. Just right-click the item and choose Change Icon.

Adding a Full Screen Background Image
In the past it was difficult to add an image to the full screen backdrop, and if you did, it affected all projects. Now you can quickly select a backdrop image, and choose a different one for each project. Go to View—>Full Screen Backdrop. You can then select an image from the list (culled from those in your Binder, if any), or click Choose to select an image from any drive attached to your computer. Click here to learn more.

Creating Multiple Project Notes
If you’re like me, you can think of several uses for the Project Notes section. No need to choose, or clutter up the space. You can now create multiple project notes and toggle between them by clicking on the Notes header. To create a new project note, click the Notes header in the Inspector and choose Manage Project Notes. In the Project Notes Window, click the [+] button to add a new note. Click the X on a note’s tab to delete it.

Creating Documents from a Template
Do you have a form you like to use over and over? For example, a character information sheet. Now you can create document templates and then create new documents using the template. This way you won’t overwrite your original, and creating a new one is a snap. The Novel template comes preloaded with Character and Setting Sketch templates, but you can create your own.

Compiling Your Work
There have been several much-needed updates to the Compile function. Here’s a quick list.
– You now have the ability to create one or more front matter folders outside of the Draft that can be added in when compiling. You can have one for your ebooks, another for your print version, and still another for your submissions to editors/agents.
– Windows has finally eliminated the need to click an extra button (Modify) to access the formatting editor on the Formatting tab of Compile. (Guess I should update some of my posts…)
– The compile preview should provide more accurate results since it’s now based on PDF output.
– There are more options under Transformations tab, like Remove Highlighting and Remove Text Color.

And there’s much more (e.g. adding custom meta-data, additional placeholder tags). For the complete list, click here.

For more help with Scrivener, check out my online courses or my book, Scrivener For Dummies. Happy writing!

Scrivener Class Registration is open

Registration for the September Scrivener for Mac and Scrivener for Windows classes is now open!

Click here for more information. If you’re ready to sign up, click here.

Happy Father’s Day!

Scrivener for Windows online class

Exciting news: This fall I’ll be offering a Scrivener for Windows class!

As a thoroughly converted Mac user, I didn’t think I’d buy a PC again anytime soon, but the popularity of my Mac class with Windows users convinced me to rethink my plans. So last weekend I took the plunge back into the world of Windows and bought a not-so-shiny, really quite ugly, but well priced PC laptop.

And, of course, Scrivener for Windows.

Which means that in September I’ll be offering two Scrivener classes–most likely simultaneously–one for Mac, and one for Windows.

As always, the latest information will be available on the Scrivener Online Classes page on this site.

Registration goes live in June!