Using Scrivener For Family History Writing Projects

Writing your family history is a big project, and you need to have the best tools for the job.

There are so many documents to gather, chapters to write, and footnotes to organize… wouldn’t it be great to have ONE tool that could help you do all of those things?

That tool exists. It’s called Scrivener.

What is Scrivener?

Simply put, Scrivener is software for writers.

Originally created for novelists and scriptwriters, Scrivener is a robust, content-generation tool that lets you focus on your writing while giving you complete control of your project.

Many genealogical and historical writers have already embraced Scrivener as their go-to writing software because it helps them write, outline, view their research, take notes, and organize everything in one, simple space.

Whether you’re a solo writer or part of a genealogical society’s team, Scrivener is a project management tool for any publishing project, big or small.

How I Use Scrivener for Family History Writing

It is no exaggeration to say that I use Scrivener for ALL of my writing projects. In fact, I seldom open my word processing software anymore, except when someone sends me a Word file or when I need to convert a file to send to someone else.

My go-to Scrivener file is called “Primary,” and it is set up for the majority of my writing projects and organized by folders for blog posts, video scripts, lectures and presentations, Toastmasters speeches, and writing for other publications. When I need to find something I’ve written, it is almost always right there within my Primary Scrivener file, so no time is wasted searching for files.

For larger writing projects, such as client reports and that book I’ll probably never finish, I create separate Scrivener files.

When I finish writing, I typically export the file to Rich Text Format (.rtf), which is readable by most types of word processing software.

Blog posts, on the other hand, get compiled (a form of export) to MultiMarkdown > Web Page (.html) and then pasted into the HTML editor of WordPress. This is far from a perfect system, and there’s a bit of cleanup required after pasting, but it is no worse than pasting from word processing software. In fact, the MMD export keeps quite a bit of HTML formatting, so there’s actually less work involved than pasting from MS Word. But if you’ve got a better system, I’d love to hear it!

The Main Components of Scrivener

I’m not going to lie. There’s a bit of a learning curve to using Scrivener. I’ve been using it for many years, and I probably learn something new every day.

There are plenty of places to learn how to use Scrivener (see the Resources section below), but I’m going to give you a brief tour of the main components.

The Editor

The Editor is the white space in the middle of the screen where you do the bulk of your writing.

Across the top of the Editor is the Format Bar with buttons for changing fonts, adding tables, bullet points, and anything related to formatting your text.

At the bottom of the Editor, you can keep track of progress toward your word count goal by clicking the “target” icon and selecting a number. Text in the Editor too small? Increase or decrease the size by clicking the Text Scale arrows.

The Binder

If you’ve ever found yourself shuffling through papers and folders or searching your hard drive for a particular file in the middle of writing, then you know what a colossal time-suck that can be… not to mention a distraction to your writing flow. Scrivener puts an end to the search with the Binder.

As the name implies, the Binder is where all of the research and files that are relevant to your writing are stored.

Located to the left of the Editor, a typical Binder may have some or all of the following folders:

• Drafts – Where your current writing is kept. Large documents can be divided into smaller chunks of text (chapters, sections), and reordered by dragging and dropping. This folder may be labeled Manuscript or another name, depending upon which template you’ve selected.
• Research – Any items you need to refer to while you write can be stored in your Research folder. Keep your notes, ideas, PDF files, images, videos, web pages… everything you need for your project will be close at hand by storing them in this folder. To add items, simply hit File > Import, or drag and drop your files right into the research folder.
• Trash – Whatever you no longer need can be moved to the Trash and will stay in there until you choose to empty it. A word of advice: don’t empty the trash until you are absolutely certain you will not need the draft you threw out!

It is worth noting that I am currently using the Windows beta of Scrivener version 3, which has an updated interface and several different features from version 1 (version 3 has been available for macOS for quite a while).

The Main Toolbar

Above the Format Bar is the Main Toolbar. Using the buttons on the left, you can view – or not view – the contents of your Binder, add a collection, add new text, folders, and keywords, or compile your draft when you finish writing.

Click the Full-Screen Mode button to hide all of Scrivener’s components except for the Editor, giving you a distraction-free workspace in which to write. Drag your cursor to the bottom for a pop-up menu when you need it or hit Escape to get out of this mode.

In the center of the Main Toolbar are the buttons for two handy tools for organizing your writing:

• The Corkboard – Like the bulletin board on your wall, the Corkboard provides a visual overview of your project. Each document in your project can be viewed as an index card on the Corkboard. To add a new card or folder to your Corkboard, hit the plus sign at the bottom of the screen, or the green circle icon at the top. Rearranging the cards will rearrange the order of documents in your folder.
• The Outliner – For those who prefer a more traditional format, the Outliner displays the same information as the Corkboard, but in an outline format. Rearrange sections in the Outliner by dragging and dropping. You can customize the Outliner to include word and character counts, and to show progress towards those goals.

Also in the Main Toolbar is a search box, allowing you to search your entire Scrivener project or just specific parts of it. Searches are customizable by keyword, label, status, and meta-data, and you can choose to include or exclude any part of your project.

The Inspector

To the right of the Editor is the Inspector. You can turn it on or off by clicking the Inspector icon (a little “I”) on the far right of the Main Toolbar. This opens the Inspector panel, where you can view your document’s synopsis, meta-data and keywords, notes, comments, and footnotes.

Compile and Publish

When you’re ready to put your final draft together, Scrivener offers several options for compiling the document. Export to a word processor for editing, to an e-book format for self-publishing, or as I mentioned earlier, to MMD for publishing to your website.

Just click “File > Compile,” and choose from the available formats. The contents of your folder will be combined into a single document according to your specifications.

If you only want to compile specific parts of your document, select the box next to the desired section(s).

How to Start Writing

When you open your Scrivener software, you will be prompted to create a new project.

Templates – including fiction, non-fiction, scriptwriting, and more – are available to help you get started, but the Blank template is probably the most versatile for genealogical writing purposes.

Give your project a name and click “Create.” Saving your Scrivener project to a Dropbox folder will allow you to access your projects from other devices.

If you have already started writing a document in a word processing program, you can bring it into Scrivener by using “File > Import,” or by copying and pasting the text into a new draft file.

Keep your existing document structure by placing a hashtag (#) at the beginning of each chapter or section, and selecting “File > Import and Split.” This will divide each section into a separate text document for easy manipulation later.

Next, you can set up your Binder by renaming, dragging, and dropping folders and files to suit your needs. Change the icons to pretty things up.

And now… you write!

8 Reasons Scrivener is Better Than Word Processing Software

Word processing software has evolved quite a bit over the years, but let’s be honest: is it really working for your family history writing? And if there’s something better out there, why not give it a try?

Here are a few reasons why I think Scrivener is better than word processing software.

1. The Corkboard

As I mentioned above, the Corkboard gives you a visual overview of the structure of your writing project.

And for those of you who are visual learners and planners like I am, this is a blessing.

Organize and brainstorm the chapters of your family history by adding index cards with a synopsis, and then arrange and rearrange them until they make the most sense for your project.

Move cards to different folders, color code them, add a label and status, and more.

The Corkboard helps you SEE your writing.

2. Easily Manage Footnotes

Let’s face it: genealogical writing almost always includes footnotes or endnotes. Or both.

With most types of word processing software, managing footnotes is cumbersome, at best, and frustrating, at worst.

In Scrivener, footnotes can be viewed in either the typical inline manner from within your document or in the Inspector panel. Since the Inspector panel sits to the right of the Editor, you can easily scroll through your footnotes without losing your place in your document.

3. Split Screen View

The Editor can be split in two, either vertically or horizontally, making it easy to view different sections of a long document at the same time or to view your text on one screen and your research notes on another.

This feature is particularly useful for genealogists.

For example, I often use Scrivener for transcribing documents. To do this, I import the document to be transcribed into my research folder and then display the document on one screen and the typed transcription on the other.

Need some inspiration while you write? Open a photo of Great-Grandpa Frank on one screen while you write about him on the next screen.

If you’re trying to sort out an ancestor’s FAN club, add a census image, a map, or another file on one screen while you organize them in a table on the other screen.

Anything that can be imported into Scrivener can be displayed in Split Screen view as you write.

4. Snapshots

Have you ever written a few pages in your word processing software, decided you didn’t like a few paragraphs, and then deleted them?

Sadly, after you hit Save, those deleted paragraphs are gone forever.

Like a photograph, a Scrivener snapshot is a preserved “moment in time” of your writing. Clicking the little camera icon in the Inspector will save your document exactly as it was at that moment. If you decide that those deleted paragraphs were actually pretty good, you can easily go back and retrieve them.

You can even compare snapshots to see the differences between them.

If you decide to scrap all of the changes since you took a snapshot, click the Roll Back button to bring that version back. But be sure to take a snapshot before you roll back… just in case you change your mind again.

5. AutoSave

I’m what you would call a serial saver. I’ve hit Ctrl + S so many times while I’m writing that I probably do it in my sleep.

What brought on this behavior is losing countless hours of work when a file crashes or becomes corrupted. I’m sure you know that feeling in the pit of your stomach when your computer freezes before you’ve had a chance to save.

Thankfully, Scrivener automatically saves your work every time there are 2 seconds of inactivity.

So if you need to answer a phone call, or your kid can’t figure out how to log into her virtual classroom, you can safely jump up from the computer knowing that Scrivener will save your project for you.

You can still hit Ctrl + S all you want (and I often do). But you don’t have to.

6. Quick Brain Dumps

Ever get a good idea while you’re in the middle of writing something else?

Or have you written a few really good paragraphs, only to decide that they aren’t a good fit for your current writing?

You won’t lose those good ideas in Scrivener.

Just add a new text file to your Binder, copy and paste those paragraphs or write a few notes about your idea, and then go back to what you were doing.

Done and saved for later.

7. Typewriter Scrolling

Typewriters weren’t all bad. And one thing that typewriters had over word processors was the ability to keep what you’re writing right in front of you at all times.

With word processors, you type and type until you get to the bottom of the page… and then you stay at the bottom of the page until you hit Enter a few times to get back to the middle.

That’s a neck cramp waiting to happen, as well as a pain in the neck.

Scrivener will keep your cursor right where you want it if you enable Typewriter Scrolling.

To do this, go to View > Text Editing > Typewriter Scrolling. Or just hit Ctrl+G.

8. The App

Yes, there’s an app for Scrivener. But only for iOS.

Scrivener users clamored for a mobile app for YEARS before one was finally released. Many of us were so desperate that we resorted to third-party apps in order to access our Scrivener writing while on the go.

The Scrivener app isn’t fancy, and it doesn’t come with a bunch of bells and whistles. But it’s definitely good enough for writing on the go.

Where to Buy Scrivener

Scrivener is available for purchase from Literature and Latte. Both the Windows and macOS versions are available.

The companion app for iOS devices is available from the Apple App Store.

Download a free 30-day trial to see if Scrivener is for you!

System Requirements

Windows: Requires Windows 8+, minimum display resolution 1024 x 768 px
macOS: Requires macOS 10.12+
iOS: Requires iOS 11+

Resources

Here are a few resources to help you with the Scrivener learning curve:

• Scrivener User’s Manual
• Literature and Latte’s YouTube Channel
• Literature and Latte’s Vimeo Channel
• Scrivener videos at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
• Scrivener for Genealogists Facebook Group
• Scrivener for the Family Historian: Become a Productive, Organized, and Published Family History Writer by Lynn Palermo

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