Holly Wright has always worked with Microsoft Word. As the founder of For The Brokenhearted Ministries, she writes Bible studies, speeches, outlines, and lessons.
But when she began the journey toward publishing her first book, Wright wanted more. She wanted a writing program that offered more organizational tools and features than in Microsoft Word.
She discovered there are many options out there for writers. There’s Google Docs, Final Draft, Zoho Writer, Script Studio, Storyist, and more.
Wright found her answer in Scrivener—and became an instant fan.
Scrivener is a word-processing program and outliner designed for writers of all kinds. It’s a go-to app that organizes concepts, research, documents, notes, and metadata. Scrivener allows easy access and reference for nonfiction authors, attorneys, journalists, screenwriters, and more.
We asked Wright to tell us five things about her new favorite book writing software.
#1 “It’s comfortable.”
Scrivener has the appearance of Microsoft Word, so it feels familiar.
I’ll admit, the endless features seemed overwhelming at first glance. But I took a deep breath and decided to download the program. A step-by-step tutorial walked me through Scrivener at my own pace. I also turned to YouTube videos to answer specific questions. I chose the tools I needed, and everything else stayed out of my way.
It cost me an hour and a half of my time, but I found a true treasure.
#2 “It lets me skip around.”
Scrivener lets me see my whole manuscript at one time.
It’s important because I don’t write in chapter order. I tend to bounce around as ideas and inspiration randomly flow. I don’t want to be forced to scroll through my entire manuscript trying to locate specific parts.
On my Scrivener home page, I’m given a “corkboard.” Each “sticky note” on my corkboard represents a chapter from my book. When I click on a sticky note, the chapter opens. I can immediately begin writing and editing, or I can drag and drop the chapter to a new position. No cutting and pasting required!
An overview of my whole book is always just a click away.
#3 “It provides templates.”
Scrivener had a template ready for my nonfiction book. It includes standard elements like a title page, copyright page, dedication page, table of contents, foreword, and endnotes. There are also templates for fiction books and scripts as well as custom templates.
The template is helpful for me as a first-time author because I can put focus all my focus into writing. I don’t have to waste time figuring out the parts of my manuscript. Scrivener provides the organization and structure.
#4 “It’s great for research.”
Scrivener allows me to save and organize all my research.
This is critical because my manuscript is not just my words. It’s a compilation of many people’s stories of miraculous signs and wonders. I’m gathering testimonies on topics like forgiveness, near-death experiences, angelic encounters, and healing that baffles the medical community. My notes on each testimonial are easy to find.
#5 “It keeps me accountable.”
Scrivener lets me set word count goals.
I can set goals by time. Sometimes I target word counts for each writing session or each day, week, or month. I can also set goal by section. Sometimes I strive for a word count for each chapter within the manuscript.
Either way, it tracks my progress and offers detailed statistics on how well I’m meeting my goals.
Wright says there are so many tools offered in Scrivener that she has only scratched the surface. But her decision to take a leap into Scrivener is already paying off. She’s mastered the basics – and she’s well on her way to publishing her first book!
Holly Wright is an inspirational and passionate speaker, writer, and teacher who leads in the body of Christ with contagious enthusiasm. She is the founder of For The Brokenhearted Ministries, which serves as a hospital for the broken. It’s a place where people come to receive prayer, deliverance, healing and hope. To submit your miraculous story to Wright’s forthcoming book or to schedule a speaking engagement for your next workshop, conference, or retreat, visit www.forthebrokenhearted.org.
Ella Ritchie is the founder of Stellar Communications Houston, a nonfiction book publishing and marketing team for self-published authors, business leaders, families, and nonprofits. For more tips, subscribe to the blog.