Need to Know: Scrivener 101

If you are new to Scrivener, take a look at this page first. This mini-tutorial covers the basics of using the program's interface. Going forward, I will assume you know how to navigate and do these tasks.

The Interface

Opening window: Depending on your settings, Scrivener may open with a New Projects window, or automatically reopen your last Project.

This can be changed by:

Going to the top Menu Bar, click File

At the bottom of the File menu, click Settings.

In the Options window, you start with the General tab open and Start Up selected. Click the box labeled Reopen projects that were open on quit to switch your setting.

In the main tutorials, I will assume you start with the New Projects window on start.

The Binder: You know how to create and organize folders and documents

Right-click to choose what to create or use the green + sign above the Binder.

Double-click titles in the Binder or the document to rename titles.

Drag-and-drop folders and documents to organize your project.

Group View: In the center-right of the top Toolbar are three buttons. One has a paper icon, one has a grid, and one has blue lines. This is where you can switch between Scrivener key modes:

Document: where you can see where you type the main document.

Corkboard: This is where your Binder items appear as note cards on a corkboard (or customized background).

Outline: This is where you can view your Binder in a traditional outline format.

The only basic I will cover is how to use templates. I will cover this because it is integral to the other tutorials. They are a thematic set, so I will keep them all in one place.

If you feel like you need a better understanding of the conceptual basics, check out Become A Writer Today's Scrivener Guide. If you want the technical basics, go to the ultimate source, Scrivener's home site, Literature & Latte.

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