MS Word runs very slowly on Mac machines. Jannert is on a Mac like me. Many members don't understand why I think MS Word is so atrocious and its because they use it on a PC, written in its native language. There, I am sure it runs like a dream. MS Word on a PC MS Word on a Mac:
Sorry, I got a bit lost with all the screen grab talk, but in case someone's still trying to figure it out... to make a PDF in Word, you select 'Export' rather than 'Save As'. Strange but true.
I'm not disagreeing with you, (I know you have recently converted) but I do want to take this opportunity to point something out. Scrivener is often described as being a package of "frills" and "bells and whistles" compared to MS Word. I don't get this at all. Maybe it's just because the average user of MS Word has grown blind to the heavy bar of "whistles and bells" up at the top of MS Word, that bar full of things they never, ever, ever, touch or use. I present to you all seven (7), count them ladies and gentlemen, seven bars' worth of bells and whistles. Why does no one ever make reference to these bells and whistles, for which one forked out a heavy sum, and then are nothing but hogged up drive space? How is this not a shit-ton of bells and whistles, I ask? (Again, this from a Mac machine. Since Word is PC native, I'm sure there are even MORE bells and whistles in the PC version)
Actually, I did sorta go through the tutorial, but again, it just didn't offer enough that's different from Pages to make me want to shift over—and I really do NOT want the automatic save option. I do most of my editing on a printed-out page, because I don't like reading from a screen. So my notes are actually scribbled into the margins of my printout. Once I've added them to my new version, I throw away the printout and make a new one. I have a printout that's up to date at all times, and this would be the case whether I was using Pages OR Scrivener. Partly because I prefer to sit on my bed and read from a 'real' page ...I catch a lot more that way ...and also just in case my computer takes a dive, and takes all my work with it. I have each project stored in a main folder with the name of my book as a title. Inside that folder I have several sub folders, including a Research folder, a Timeline folder, a Notes folder which contains thoughts I have for the book and a few other folders for other things. Alongside these folders is my actual story, which is divided into three separate folders, labeled Part One, Part Two and Part Three, for ease of access. Inside each Part I have a separate folder for each chapter. Inside that chapter folder is the newest document version of that chapter ...dated. I have a sub folder inside that chapter folder for all previous document versions, which I keep every time I update or edit. I also have a separate sub folder for 'discards' where I put any large bits I've removed, so I don't have to go hunting through previous chapter versions if I decide to restore them. This sounds complicated, but it's not. I can quickly and easily access any part I want, add to my research, make notes, alter or consult my timeline etc. Because it's all contained inside one main named folder, I can copy and update easily, any time I want. Oh, and Pages only cost £35. However, if I didn't have Pages (which is the update from ClarisWorks and AppleWorks) I would certainly buy Scrivener. It certainly looks like good value for money.
MSWord does have a ton of features I'll never use. Scrivener is simpler, in terms of options. If you really want a stripped-down writing environment, download FocusWriter. It's a free program.
That's kind of understandable, I guess running MSWord on a mac is like running iTunes on a blackberry phone. It can probably be done but shouldn't. The last time I used a mac was twenty years ago when they were little boxes with, I think, black and white screens. I've seen them in shops but they don't really appeal to me, even though I love my iPhone and ipad. Price probably has something to do with it too, my current laptop was less than £300 and does everything I need it to do.
I have the folders the same as you, @jannert , it really does make it easier as everything to do with each book, is in that file.
Yes, the bars are all there, I have them on mine but what you have to remember, is that MSWord is part of the office suite which means you need to be able to do everything that would be wanted or needed document wise, in an office setting. Saying that, I do use a fair few during my writing including text styles and fonts, page layouts, headers and footers, proofing/language/editing tools and symbols. I think by doing it this way, they have allowed for more bells and whistles to be included without the need for using space. This is what the page looks like on my version: Navigation and Thesaurus optional, obviously.
I loathe MS Word. I grew up on Wordperfect that was easy to use. Then I had to switch to Word for policy writing because all my clients use it. Bleeeaaachh! Now I use it but steer clear from formatting.
Now that's me being tongue in cheek. The deal is, I was raised in a family of accountants. Both my parents and my brother are CPA's. I'm the lone, rebel, bohemian interpreter. I was taught to make frugal purchases that fit me as a consumer. The day my mom saw me with my brand new iPad she laughed and told me she had never seen me make a stupider purchase. Not because the devise was stupid, but because she new me and new I would play with it for a month and then never use it again. She was right, and for the cost... it was an expensive month of play! MS Word makes me feel like I was forced to buy that World of Smarties package just to get the one channel, and that sits poorly with me.
If anybody is interested, here's my starter page in Pages. The bells and whistles are mostly hidden under "Inspector"....
Actually, full screen mode doesn't even have the top bar When you do display the menu, it is minimal, and the options in the program are limited. It's nice. You can even use an image as the background if you want to (which I do not).
Scrivener has a similar feature and I think so does MS Word, no? This is Scrivener's. The page can be widened for ease of reading. This is its default size and color on my screen. I don't ever really use this mode.
I originally started with MSWorks then switched onto Word as more people were using that rather than Works.
@Wreybies yes, you can go into full screen mode in those as well, but all of the features and options in the program are underneath. The main thing about focus writer is that it is extremely minimalist, for people who really want to get away from options they don't use. The download size is a little under half of that of Scrivener, which is pretty minimal as it is. Actually, if you really want to be minimal, I've also used PyRoom, which you can run in Linux and Mac, and I think the download size of the program is less than 1 MB PyRoom is also different in that you literally cannot minimize the program, so you can't go browse the web or something unless you exit out of your writing entirely.
Totally get what you are saying. (had my ipad two years - use it everyday) but compared to other word processors, it's what I feel comfortable with. I know change is good and technology is moving all the time but ... I've downloaded the scrivener free trial so we will see what happens over the next few months with it.
I don't think I could work with that, I need the thesaurus and dictionary! LOL But if distractions are a pain in your ass, FocusWriter looks fab!
@cutecat22 I used Scrivener quite a bit, but every so often I'll launch FocusWriter and just type away in that
Remember, it's only free for the one month. When you give it a whirl feel free to ask me anything. I know @Steerpike is also a user, as is @GingerCoffee and @minstrel. I'll give you your first helping hand now! Where you start is important to getting the most of out of the features. When you're done with the tutorial (assuming you take it) have a look at each of the templates. They offer different levels of organization depending on what you want. All of these features are always available regardless of which template you pick, but if you pick a super simple template and then decide you need something a little more nuanced, it may not be super intuitive as to how to backtrack and add that higher level of organization. So open them all, look at the binders, see what they do.
It will be non-fiction and I will need to be able to add bullet points and lots of pictures so it will be a bit like desk-top publishing. Thanks for this though, no doubt I will be coming back to you with a bunch of really daft questions.
Actually 30 working days. So if you are not using it, shut it down and it won't log the time against the 30 day credit.
There are no such thing as daft questions, just daft end results for not having asked questions needing asked. Anyway, blam! Here are the non-fiction templates. All the things you mention are things on the actual pages, and yes, it will do all those things. Since Scrivener's real strength is organization, make sure you're looking at the binders for each of the templates. That's where you'll see strong differences in how the program either waits on you hand and foot, or steps back and let's you do all of it.
