Update! Scrivener 3

Scrivener has a new update just
in time for National Write A Novel Month. I, of course, grabbed it as soon as I
could and started playing. The cost is $49 for either the PC or Mac version. If
you are upgrading, you can get a 45% discount on the new software (about $22).
There is also an iOS version for iPads and iPhones, which is $20 from the Apple
store.

The site has a list of updated items,
and you can read their boring post if you want here
(Windows version). Or you can read my fun post from an actual writer who
uses the app almost every day.

The price. Now I’m a skinflint with paying
for writing stuff. I test many apps. Being indie, the cost of publishing is so
much more than I make from selling books. (Someday, it will change. Buy my
books. Just kidding.) I use Scrivener, not only to draft all my novels but also
for these two lovely blogs you all read with breathless anticipation. So for
me, $22 was not cost-prohibitive. It’s not a subscription or a tiered plan. One
payment and the software is mine forever. And I can use it on multiple machines.

Some impressions. I’ve been using the software
for about a month now. I’ve only used it for the blogs, but already I feel good
about it. It sounds silly, but some upgrades have left a warm spot in my heart.
(No, not heartburn, seriously.) Two things I noticed right away. The Binder
font is bigger. Yay for old eyes! It’s a small thing, but I don’t need my
glasses to see my files. Also, there’s a new default font called Sitka Text.
It’s lovely, calming, Times Roman-y, but more casual. These are silly elements
to focus on, but they mean something to me as a writer and frequent user.

Anyway…

Here are some other great features in Scrivener 3 you might love
too. Under the Edit menu are a few new items, including Writer Tools. Under
this menu, there are links to research resources such as a dictionary,
thesaurus, Google research, Wikipedia, and Brain Quotes. Highlight your text,
click the reference link, and you are off in a browser!

Under that same Writer Tools
option, there’s a name
generator for characters. You can select male/female/either, special surnames,
initials for given names, and more. And this is right in the app. No need to
use all those reference sites I gave you (though those were more for book
titles).

Under the Project menu, there
is now Writing History, perfect for those who want to keep themselves accountable.
You can track what days you write, how much you write, your average, and your word
count. Perfect for NaNoWriMo, but wait, there’s more.

Scrivener is always a sponsor
of NaNo. There is a special discount for the app for November and a new
template with a 50k project target. To get the template, follow this link (at the bottom of
the page) to download the file and extract it. Then go to Scrivener, click
File, New Project, then Options on that window. Under Options, choose Import
Template. Find where you saved your template (probably Downloads) and click
Open. Scrivener will add the template to the fiction folder.

And even more! When using the
template, the project targets are now 50k with a word count per day listed and a
deadline of Nov. 30. You can see your whole NaNo stat list right in the doc!
Now under Projects is a new option on this template: Update NaNoWriMo word
count. Once you make a project on the NaNo site, give Scrivener your login and
password, and it will update your word count at NaNo. I’m so excited. Can you tell?

I’ve gone on and on about NaNoWriMo and only included a few
updates. There’s more. Next week, we’ll talk about the new compile option,
Dialog Focus, and more.