The Fountain Pen Blog

Here goes nothing! It’s day 1 of NaNoWriMo and I’m getting started…in a few minutes.

I’ve seen a lot of posts recommending Scrivener as a great tool for writing long form works. The novel I’m working on this month is going to involve a lot of flashbacks, so I thought this project and this particular NaNoWriMo would be a perfect time to give it a try, especially since they offer a 30 day free trial. (Perfect! November has 30 days!) I’m trying to be frugal right now (it’s nearly student loan payback time) but it can’t hurt to give a free trial a spin. I’ll be back soon with my first reaction to Scrivener. Here are some things I’ll come back and discuss:

Learning Curve

As a millennial, I’m pretty confident in my ability to adjust to new programs and devices. I can generally figure out the basics of any program pretty quickly, assuming it’s organized logically and user-friendly. With that in mind, how easy is it for me to learn to use? Is it pretty straightforward? Are its various tools and features located in obvious places, or difficult to find?

Features/Compare and Contrast with Microsoft Word

What features does it have that make it different from Microsoft Word?

Usefulness

Once I figure out how it works, is it convenient to use? Does it speed up parts of the writing process, or do things about it slow progress?

Final Impression

Is it a luxury, a valuable tool, extraneous, fabulous? We’ll see. I may give brief updates about it as I go, then give a final review at the end of the month, assuming I like it and don’t quit using it before then.

Anyone use Scrivener and never go back? Try it and hate it? Feel free to leave a comment.

May the force be with you, my fellow NaNoWriMo participants!