^TL;DR: _Mouse. ^Folds. _{Ergonomically.}

📸 This is the big picture? Using your trackpad on-the-go is gradually destroying your wrist. Trust me. You deserve better.

😉 Here’s why it matters? You don’t just tap and scroll. You highlight, drag, and select for hours. The Result? A one-way ticket to 😥 Pain Town 😥 The Population? Your carpal tunnel.

⚒️ My fix? The Logitech Mobi Fold.1 It’s a travel mouse that folds flat, fits in your pocket, offers solid ergonomics, and may be the real holy grail of computer mice.

Here are the details that reaaaalllly matter:

• this mouse lessens forearm strain by 22% compared to trackpads (Logitech’s words, not mine, but I’ll take it)2

• it folds shut to power off 👉 Unfolds to power on 👉 LESS dead batteries 🪫

• it has USB-C charging 🔋 Bluetooth ↔️ Multi-device switching (it’s the One MOUSE to RULE them ALL 💍).

The REAL bottom line: Look, it's not an Logitech MX Master. But it might actually be better. I never want to lug my MX Master around, its ergonomic shape makes it awkward to carry. The Mobi Fold on the other hand is compact enough to throw in a bag, yet still ergonomic enough to not destroy my hand. Perfect for remote and on-the-go work!

You’re still here? Congrats! You’re a part of the shrinking reading minority. Let’s get into it shall we👇

After 3+ hours of writing and editing, my wrist actively sends me passive-aggressive SMS text messages telling me to just QUIT already! 🤬

Does that stop me? Never. Does it stop you? I doubt it! You’re not going to quit. Pain is just weakness leaving the body right? 😅

But I think Dani Rojas said it best in Ted Lasso.

“Football is LIFE!”

Just replace football ⚽️ with writing ✍️.

WE DON’T STOP, because WRITING IS LIFE! That said, we I think we can all agree that we’d prefer to write painlessly. 😌 (And I mean body pain not existential crisis pain that fuels the muse and fills our writing with astonishing passion. Bring that pain on!)

Honestly, I love my trackpad. It’s perfect for quick scrolls and essential for zooooooms 💨 (particularly in Scapple), but using it for hours on end always lands me in the land of wrist pain!

The Mobi Fold is my solution. What will you do?

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Stop Clawing at Your Laptop Like a Raccoon

Trackpads are ideal for quick tasks. So what’s the issue? It’s long-term use! The angle of your wrist plus the incessant repetitive, unnatural motions on a trackpad equals a source of genuine physical pain.

Interestingly, Logitech’s mad scientists claims the Mobi Fold lessens forearm muscle strain by 22% compared to trackpads. Sure, it’s their own lab, so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s not like they’re Aperture Science, founded by CEO Cave Johnson that later invented an the Artificial Intelligence GLaDOS which ultimately tried to kill me several times with neurotoxins whilst using a portal gun…

Probably lost you there? didn’t I… 🫠

But seriously, anyone with wrist pain wants less wrist pain. I think this qualifies…

A Mouse That Folds? Sounds Stupid.

Unfortunately, foldable gadgets have a reputation, And it’s not a good one.

Flip phones. Foldable screens. That one lawn chair that collapsed mid-barbecue. The graveyard of hinged things is long and tragic.

But FOLDABLE is making a COMEBACK!

Clearly the Mobi Fold didn't get the memo. When folded, it's slim and disappears into your pocket. When unfolded, it doesn't just lay there like a defeated piece of origami, it rises into a contoured shape that actually cradles your hand. Ergonomics intact. Dignity intact (probably). It’s a mouse you’ll want to use, not a portable one you tolerate.

Oh, and the folding mechanism? That's also the power switch!! Unfold to turn on. Fold to turn off. No "why is this thing dead again?" moments after it rattled around your bag all day. Just FOLD ON. FOLD OFF. FOLD ON. FOLD OFF. It’s the way Mr. Miyagi intended.

The Mouse Your MacBook Neo Deserves (Really).

Perhaps you bought the MacBook Neo because you're smart with money. It’s lightweight. It’s powerful. It didn't cost you a kidney. Good call.

So why not put some of that saved money to good use? The Mobi Fold was engineered for your exact situation. Slim enough to disappear into whatever minimalist bag you're carrying. Light enough that you won't notice it until you desperately need it. And when you do need it? It unfolds, connects via Bluetooth, and gets to work without complaint. (Unlike my children who love to complain every time they need something. I mean what I am! Their Father???? Wait…🤔)

In more good new, the Mobi Fold charges via USB-C!!! Why? Because it’s not a monster. Get out of here LightNinG PorT ⚡️ and MicrO-USB 🔬!

But here’s where it gets genuinely unreasonable. You buy one mouse and can pair it up to 3 devices.

MacBook Neo 💻 👉 Paired ✅

iPad 📱 👉 Paired ✅

PC 🖥️ 👉 Paired ✅

Switch between all three with a single click. No re-pairing. No pain. Just seamless, multi-device control that convinces you have your life together. (Just believe! One day it might be true).

Here’s MY VerDicT 😉 Just Buy It 🤬

📋 THE JUST BUY IT CHECKLIST 📋

You’re a writer. ✅

You work on a laptop. ✅

You use the trackpad for long writing/editing sessions ✅

You wants a portable mouse that doesn’t feel like a cheap compromise.✅

VERDICT? 🥹

The Logitech Mobi Fold is for you (probably)

Keep in mind, this isn’t an affiliate post. I don’t get a kickback. I just genuinely believe this just might be an awesome portable mouse for writers. It’s the ergonomic, precise, and ridiculously convenient tool I’ve been waiting for.

Let’s stop torturing our wrists. And give it a try. We deserve it. And don’t forget to do the poll. You’re going to help me choose the color. I promise I’ll honor your decision (well, probably 😉)

AND pleaaaase let me know how it works out for you 👇

😍 LOVE IT?

🤬 HATE IT?

Leave a comment

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^TL;DR: _{The grid.} ^{The book.} _Go.

Why PLOT GRIDs matter: Your corkboard, index cards, and red yarn are doing exactly one thing: not writing your book. They look and feel productive. They are not productive. A Scrivener plot grid will do what your conspiracy wall never could do. What is that? Get the thing to a final draft.

The 3 things you must know:

1. Build your metadata columns. Track only what you keep losing (i.e POV, setting, subplot threads, plot beats). Not all 47 fields. Just the ones that stop your specific brand of creative chaos.

2. Set up your Outliner. Project Settings > Custom Metadata. Build your fields. Configure your columns. Stop touching it after that.

3. Use the grid to make hard decisions. Subplot column is a wasteland for six chapters? You abandoned a storyline. Three scenes happening simultaneously in different locations? Your timeline is drunk. The grid’s entire job is to expose weakness. Let it do its job.

Here’s THE BOTTOM LINE: The grid won’t write your book. Nobody said it would. What it will do is stop you from losing your subplot under a coffee mug, derailing your timeline, or ghosting your own protagonist for 80 pages.

Close the tabs. Write the book. We’re done here.

Unless you want to go deeper? Then by all means keep reading ⬇️

A plot grid is useless if your core structure is a dumpster fire. Your binder needs to mirror the vertical axis of your plotting grid. So if you haven’t figured that bit out yet. Do it now!

Here is a step-by-step blueprint to engineer your Scrivener Outliner so you can actually finish a solid draft that readers will love.

Subscribe now

1. The Plot Grid Setup: Engineering Your Metadata

A traditional plot grid uses columns and rows to track the moving parts (metrics) of your story. In Scrivener, we replicate this using metadata in the outliner.

Before You Build: Track What You Keep Losing

Your plot grid is your custom dashboard for targeting weaknesses in your novel.

A few smart questions to ask before creating metadata fields:

• What do I repeatedly forget while drafting?

• What do I struggle to see when I zoom out?

• What usually breaks during revision?

• What information would help me spot and fix story problems faster?

Focus your effort on tracking the things your brain keeps dropping!

⬇️ EXAMPLES ⬇️

👉 Constantly losing control of character movement? ➡️ Track POV character and setting.

👉 Subplots vanish for 80 pages? ➡️ track your subplot threads.

👉 Timeline turns into soup ➡️ track timeline.

👉 Middle acts sag like wet cardboard ➡️ track plot points or beats for each chapter and scene.

🚨Pitfall: Less = more! A plot grid should not become a museum of useless columns.

Scrivener is the perfect environment for testing things out. That’s why I love it!

• Start tracking FOUR new metrics to see what’s working for you, then Add or subtract from those metrics as needed.

• Also - evaluate story at the scene level, not just the chapter level.

  • Why? Because your grid can and should track more than just the larger plot. Weaknesses appear in your novel at all levels, and plot grid will reveal them to you.

👇Looking for ideas for metrics to evaluate your novel? Below is a link to a list of metadata I’ve used in my own projects.

2. Building the Grid

Look, I can’t cover every single metric in a single article. That would be insane. Instead, I’ll give you a quick-and-dirty overview of how to create metadata and use it effectively in Scrivener’s outliner.

Step 1: Create your Custom Metadata fields

1. Open your Scrivener project and go to Project > Project Settings.

   

2. Select the Custom Metadata tab.

Read more

Below is a list of metadata I’ve used in my own projects.

⚠️ This not an complete list.

👉 It’s also not a prescription for tracking elements in your novel.

Instead, consider these metrics as experiments! 🧪

• POV Character: Whose head are we in? Don’t mess this up.

• Scene Type: Is your character doing something (Action) or thinking about what they just did (Reaction)?

• Story Event: What actually happens? If nothing changes, cut the scene.

  • Plot Beat: (i.e Opening Image, Theme Stated, Catalyst, etc… )

  • Plot Point: (Hero’s Journey, Three-Act Structure, or any other plot structure you prefer…)

• Polarity: Does it end better (+/-) or worse (-/+) than it started? Or is it a trick? (Ironic)

• Turning Point: The exact moment everything goes sideways.

• Beginning Hook: The reason your reader doesn’t just close the book.

• Middle Build: A series of unfortunate events that make things worse.

• Ending Payoff: The “oh, snap” moment that closes the loop.

• Progressive Complication: How can you make your hero’s life progressively more miserable?

• Crisis: The impossible choice. Best bad option or sacrifice an irreconcilable good?

• Climax: The character’s answer to the crisis. No take-backs.

• Resolution: The immediate aftermath. Here’s the new reality. Deal with it.

• Obligatory Scene / Convention: What readers paid to read. Don’t cheap out.

• Global Value / Core Conflict: Who’s winning the war? Good or Evil? Life or Death?

• Invisible Layer: The juicy stuff nobody says out loud. Subtext.

• Percentage (%): Is your midpoint actually in the middle? Math is hard, but not this hard.

• Setting: Where and when. Don’t make your characters float in a void.

• Editing / Revision Status: “Vomit Draft,” “Needs CPR,” or “Basically Shakespeare.” Be honest.

• Due Date: A self-imposed source of existential dread.

• Collaborators: Who gets the blame when this scene fails?

• Value Shift: What changed? If the answer is “nothing,” you failed. Try again.

🚨 REMEMBER 🚨 You do not need all of these.

That way lies madness.

Pick the smallest set of fields that helps you diagnose story weaknesses. A solid starting setup might look something like this:

• Labels

  • POV Character

• Custom Metadata

  • Setting

  • Plot Beat

  • Subplot Threads

These metrics help spot weaknesses in:

1. Character Arcs 🧙🏻‍♂️

2. Settings 🌎

3. Structural Beats at all levels (scene, chapter, and part) 🔨

Now, I know you’re probably going to ignore this advice and add them all anyway, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Go ahead. Just REMEMBER to ADD or REMOVE COLUMNS in your outliner to match your current focus.

🚨You should not have everything open at once.

💻 And please, please delete any metrics you aren’t using.

Why? Because if you don’t you’re needlessly cluttering your workspace. Don’t complicate your life for no other reason than appearance of productivity.

You didn’t run out of ideas. You ran out of structure. You built a beautiful car with no chassis.

The Plot Grid is the fix. It’s a scene-by-scene tracking system that exposes every decision you make, for better or worse. Think of it as a spreadsheet for your novel’s soul, forcing you to confront the cold, hard data of your story. Whose head are you in? What did this scene cost your characters? Did you completely forget that thrillers need a ticking clock? The grid knows.

So what is a Plot Grid? It’s essentially a spreadsheet that forces you to ask tough questions about your book. If the answers are clear, you’re on the right track. If you’re missing elements or are unsure about anything, the grid helps you find and fix the problems.

Take a look:

Sure, you could use a piece of paper or even regular spreadsheet (i.e. Excel, Google Sheets, etc…), but if you use Scrivener, there’s a much better way. We’ll get to that next week.

For now, let’s talk about how this grid can reveal your novel’s deepest, darkest secrets.

Scene Fundamentals: The Stuff You Thought You Knew

It best places to start with a plot grid is answering these three basic questions.

1. Who is your POV Character? 🧝🏾‍♀️

Who is telling this part of the story? This isn’t just a stylistic flourish; it’s a structural weapon.

Your POV character is supposed to be the main character. When you have twelve of them, things get complicated. Suddenly, you’re tracking a dozen different character arcs, and the ugly truths start to surface. For instance, you forgot your deuteragonist existed for the entire second half of the book. Whoops. Or that one random scene from the perspective of a sentient teacup completely derailed your plot. The Grid won’t tell you exactly how you screwed up, but it will point and laugh at the scene of the crime.

2. What is the Scene’s Setting? 🌎

Setting is not just a pretty backdrop. It’s a pressure cooker. A screaming match in a crowded library hits different than one in an abandoned warehouse. If your heroes have all their life-altering epiphanies in the same sad tavern, readers will feel it, or if the setting isn’t clearly established in the scene at all, then the grid will force you to notice.

3. What is the Key Story Event? 💥

What literally happens. In one sentence. If you can’t summarize the plot-level event in a single line, it’s because your scene doesn’t know what its job is. Fire it, and get it clear.

Scene Guts: Action, Reaction, and the connective tissue

Action vs. Reaction Scenes 😱

Scenes do one of two things: they make things happen (Action) or they let your characters freak out about what just happened (Reaction). A book of pure action is an emotionally vacant Michael Bay movie. A book of pure reaction is a diary entry. The Plot Grid forces you to identify your book’s ratio. It’s probably wrong.

The Scene’s Own Pathetic Little Arc 🎭🤏

Many writers don’t realize that a good scene has its own arc: a beginning hook, a middle build, and an ending payoff. Each scene is a story in itself. If your hook is weak, the reader won’t continue. If the middle sags, they won’t care. And if the ending offers no payoff, it’s because your scenes are just wandering off to die instead of achieving something. Does this mean every scene needs explosions and betrayal? Not at all. It just means every scene needs a purpose, and you, the writer, should know what it is.

Internal Mechanics: The Emotional Engine (aka The Part You Skipped)

Plot is what happens. Story is what it costs. This is where your book lives or dies.

Value Shift 😂 ➡️ 😭

Every scene must change something. A character’s hope, safety, or sanity must be in a different state at the end than it was at the beginning. If the value is the same, your scene is just exposition wearing a trench coat. It’s not fooling anyone. It’s a placeholder, a chunk of text that’s just taking up space without advancing the story. Readers can feel it when a scene goes nowhere, and it’s the quickest way to make them put the book down. So ask yourself: what value is at stake in this scene, and how will it change by the end?

Polarity 🔁

Did things go from good to bad (+ to -)? Bad to good (- to +)? Or did you achieve the holy grail of irony, where a victory is actually a catastrophe in disguise? If all your scenes shift in the same direction, your story is either a relentless slog or a sickeningly sweet fairy tale. Both are boring.

The Turning Point ↩️

This is the exact moment the scene pivots. The one line, action, or revelation that guarantees the value will shift. If you can’t name it, your scene is a car with no steering wheel, drifting aimlessly toward a cliff.

Dramatic Tension: Four Ways to Keep Readers from Falling Asleep

Progressive Complication 🆙🔥

The story must get more complicated for your characters, not just longer. Each scene should throw another rock into the gears. Tracking this proves whether your plot is truly escalating or just running in circles.

Crisis 🚨

This complication forces a decision. Some of the best crises are a choice between two horrible options (best bad choice) or two things the character desperately wants (irreconcilable goods) but they can’t have it both ways. If the choice is obvious, the stakes are too low. You’re being too nice. Stop it.

Climax 🤯

The character makes the choice. This is the decision made visible. It’s not the deliberation; it’s the punch being thrown.

Resolution 🎯

The immediate fallout. The new mess created by the climax. This is what connects one scene to the next, preventing your novel from feeling like a collection of vaguely related anecdotes.

The Plot Grid Sees What Your Outline Can’t

An outline is a hopeful guess. The Plot Grid is a post-mortem report on what actually happened. It’s how you diagnose the problem. It turns that vague, sick feeling of “this isn’t working” into a concrete, actionable dataset. A run of scenes with no value shift? An act two that’s just a string of pleasant conversations? The grid makes the invisible visible. The problem is no longer a mystery. It’s a cell in a spreadsheet.

What’s Next, You Ask?

Finally, what we’ve discussed isn’t an exhaustive list of everything you can use in a plot grid. If it were, you’d be reading a novel, not an article. Think of it as a starter pack for causing chaos. A pretty damn good one, at that. You now have the map. You understand the theory. In the next article, I’ll get technical. We’re going to build this entire beast inside Scrivener. No more spreadsheets. The grid will live inside your manuscript, right where you can’t ignore it.

The blueprint is in front of you. The demolition of your old, broken process starts now.

Perhaps you spent the last three months detailing the political history of the Elves of Q’larth. Or you’ve decided the taxonomy of magical fungi needs one more pass. Maybe you just spent four hours debating the optimal number of moons for a planet inhabited by sentient rocks.

Worse, you’re so far down the rabbit hole that your entire manuscript is a Jenga tower of garbage.

Whether your manuscript has zero words because you have “worldbuilder’s disease,” or it’s 15,000 words of an incoherent mess, it’s time for the cure. The cure is twofold: timers and deadlines. Let’s begin.

Stop “almost” writing your novel - Set a Deadline

Forget vision boards. Burn your writing sprint schedule. The first step to saving your fantasy novel is…. 🥁

give yourself a HARD deadline. How you apply this advice, however, is determined by your personal diagnosis.

Diagnosis #1 : Worldbuilder’s Disease (Most COMMON)

My prescription? One week. Two, if you’re feeling generous. When the deadline arrives, your worldbuilding won’t be finished, but you’ll be ready to start writing. You will open a blank document and write Chapter One. No extensions. No “just one more thing about the ancient prophecy.” I know this sounds insane. Don’t you need a rich, detailed world? No. You need to write the book. Determine what type of fantasy book you’re writing (Second World, Alternate Earth, Portal Fantasy, or Secret Worlds) and build only what’s necessary for that world.

Diagnosis #2: “I’ll Fix It In Post” Fallacy

“But what if I want to start writing now?” you ask. “AI is churning out new books by the minute. I don’t have time to worldbuild!”

First, forget the AI-generated slop. Unalive your FOMO and put on some blinders. The idiots pumping out lackluster titles will eventually push readers straight into your arms. In the age of AI, quality, a solid distribution plan, and a community of readers are what matter. Your unique, weird, authentic voice is more important than ever. Lean into your outrageous side.

Second, I get the urge to dive in. If that’s you, shorten your worldbuilding to three to five days. Still too long? Fine, give yourself a day. The amount of time you spend worldbuilding isn’t as important as figuring out what you need to know to get started. Determine what type of fantasy book you’re writing (Second World, Alternate Earth, Portal Fantasy, or Secret Worlds) and build only what’s necessary for that world. If you get it done today, you can start writing tomorrow. If it takes you a week, you can start then. You’d be surprised how quickly you can get the essentials down and begin writing, regardless of which worldbuilding trap you’re in.

Your Worldbuilding is a Tamagotchi

Read more

It’s been six months. You have 142 pages of lore, three constructed languages, and a detailed map of a continent your protagonist will never visit.

You have written zero chapters.

Congratulations. You’ve stumbled into a Worldbuilding Trap, the place where many great fantasy novels go to die. We’ve sent a search party. They’re dead now, too. They started building a world down there. It has a really interesting tide-based economy. 🤦

Two Traps, One Dead Manuscript

Most fantasy writers get swallowed by one of two traps:

1. Worldbuilder’s Disease: You can’t stop. The magic system needs more bylaws. The royal lineage needs a third cousin, twice removed. The geopolitical landscape of the Saltforged Isles needs... more salt? Months pass. The manuscript stays blank. The world grows. This feels like progress. It’s not.

2. The “I’ll Fix It In Post” Fallacy: The dangerously seductive cousin of Worldbuilder’s Disease. You dive headfirst into Chapter One with a cool character name and a vague notion of a dragon. “I’ll figure out the world as I go,” you say. “It’s more organic.” You are lying to yourself. Now you’re 50,000 words in and realize your magic system lets characters teleport, completely breaking the epic cross-country chase you just wrote. The result? A rewrite so massive it makes you want to throw your laptop into the mouth of a giant fire toad. Which you can’t, because you haven’t invented fire toads yet!

Both traps are seductive. The first feels productive but generates zero story. The second tricks you into thinking you’re making progress, only to leave you with a mess so tangled that deleting it feels like a mercy killing.

The good news? There’s an escape hatch. The bad news? It’s guarded by a three-headed business analyst who only speaks in spreadsheets. Just kidding. The escape hatch starts with Scrivener.

Why Fantasy Writers Suffer Most

Fantasy carries a unique, back-breaking burden. You aren’t just telling a story; you have to build the entire sandbox the story plays in, from the atoms up.

This pressure tricks your brain. It whispers, “More preparation equals more confidence.” And with more confidence, you’ll finally feel ready to write Chapter One, right?

Spoiler: “Ready” is a mythical creature, like a griffin or a fully funded 401(k) you never contributed too. It never shows up on its own. You have to write your way into existence.

But unfortunately this isn’t a problem that most writers can write themselves out of on their own because the problem isn’t that you’re not worldbuilding enough. The problem is that your worldbuilding is an amorphous, universe-devouring blob. It has no container. No limits. No one to tell it, “That’s a fun idea for a sentient mushroom kingdom, but the story is about a guy who lost his keys.”

How Scrivener Kills the Blob

Scrivener doesn’t just hold your manuscript. It builds a cage for your worldbuilding. A comfortable, well-appointed cage, but a cage nonetheless. It’s separate from your story, but connected. This distinction is more important than it sounds.

Here’s what this looks like in the real world, which you’ve been so eager to escape:

• The Binder: This is your command center. Manuscript on one side, world-devouring blob (now neatly contained) on the other. Nothing gets lost in the abyss of 37 untitled Google Docs.

  

• The Research Folder: This is your new “Story or Series Bible.” Subfolders for Locations, Magic Systems, Cultures, Characters. Go as deep or as shallow as you want. My advice? Start with what your story needs. If you don’t know what your story needs, you have a bigger problem. Figure it out. Now.

  

• A Tale of Two Windows: Keep your writing and your lore separate but connected. Reference your story bible while drafting without ever leaving the app.

This structure is a psychological judo-flip. It makes your worldbuilding feel finite. Once it lives in a folder, it stops being an endless ocean and starts being a library you’re building with purpose.

The Core Shift You Need to Make

Read more

You bought Scrivener ages ago. The muse was hot, the writing was lightning, and in a whirlwind of emotion, you transferred everything into the app, completely disregarding reason and basic human decency. You now owned the premier writing app made by writers for writers. The problem? Every time you open it, you’re filled with a deep, existential dread.

Wasn’t this supposed to be easy? Wasn’t Scrivener supposed to make your life easier?

Well, I’ve got news for you. It’s not Scrivener. It’s you. That’s right. In your chaotic rush to get started, you threw any semblance of common sense out the window and now your project is a disorganized mess that would make a landfill blush.

I have some rules that can help with that:

But let’s be honest, you’re not going to read them.

What you really need to know is how to beat the Binder into submission. How to force it to work with any plot structure you want to throw at it, even one of your own questionable creation. Now grab a drink. It’s time you learned how to structure your project without having a complete meltdown.

So, Why Bother With All This Structure Nonsense?

Look, I know what you’re thinking. “Structure? That’s for corporate drones and people who enjoy filing their taxes.” But hear me out. Taming the chaos now will save you from a complete psychological meltdown later. Here’s the deal:

• It Stops You From Getting Lost: A solid structure is like a GPS for your novel. Without it, you’re just wandering in the literary wilderness, probably about to be eaten by a plot hole.

• It Makes a Prettier Corpse: When it’s time to stitch your Frankenstein’s monster of a manuscript together in the compiler, a good structure means all the limbs are probably already in the right place. This means less time spent wrestling with structure, more time cackling maniacally at your creation.

• It Lets You Play God (with your ideas): Having everything neatly arranged means you can move chapters around like a crazed deity rearranging the cosmos. “Hmm, I think I’ll smite this character... in Chapter 3 instead of Chapter 10.” The power is intoxicating.

• It Makes Your Future Self Hate You Less: When you realize that one scene in Chapter 2 completely ruins the ending, you’ll be able to find it without scrolling through 80,000 words of your own questionable prose. You’re welcome.

Basically, a little organization now means you can spend more time on the important stuff: writing, and pretending you’re a tortured genius. Now’s let’s see how it done.

Whip your Binder Structure into Shape

Step 1: Determine your Preferred Structural Approach

There are several “acceptable” ways to structure your project in Scrivener. I’m going to teach you my favorite, not because the others aren’t valuable, but because it has served me best and offers the most flexibility for our particularly frantic methods.

It all starts with the Folder. A folder is whatever you tell it to be. It can be a book, a part, an act, or even a single, lonely chapter. What matters is the title you give it and its position in the binder. Hierarchy is everything.

Here are two approaches I tolerate:

1. Manuscript Folder > Part Folders [Optional] > Chapter Folders > Scene Documents

   

2. Series Folder > Book Folders (1+), Part Folders [Optional] > Chapter Folders > Scene Documents

You may notice I added Part Folders as optional. I personally love breaking up books into smaller, more digestible chunks of misery, but that’s not for everyone. You do you. You’ll also notice that in Figure 1.1, I renamed my “Parts” as “Acts.” Whether I call it Part or an Act is really irrelevant as ultimately all those names will be replaced by even more specific names as show in Figure 1.2.

The goal is to understand how Scrivener thinks, so you can exploit it.

Once I had a solid grasp of structure I no longer needed to labels things in parts and chapters. I switched to clear names that would help me understand what’s going on in my book.

Since I write series, and the first structure is basically just the “Novel with Parts” template, I’m going to show you how to structure a series folder. It’s more complicated, which means more opportunities for things to go horribly wrong. Perfect.

Step 2: Slap Together a Half-Baked Structure

Look, nobody expects you to nail the structure on your first try. The goal here is just to create a vaguely organized space to begin. This structure isn’t set in stone; you’re supposed to mess it up as you go.

1. Rename your manuscript folder to your series name

Don’t just leave it as “Manuscript.” That lacks specificity. This is the god-level container for your entire series. Give it the name!

To do this, simply double-click on the “Manuscript or Draft” folder in your Binder and rename it.

Unsure what to name your series? You could name it "Series Folder," because even a placeholder title is better than nothing. But why not aim higher? My current series went from "The Phantom Lord of Shadows Series" to "The Phantom Lord Saga," before finally becoming "The Affinity Saga." Who knows, it might change again. Scrivener makes it ridiculously easy to update.

2. Create part & chapter folders

Will your book have parts? Probably. Make folders for them.

While you’re at it, create more folders for chapters.

3. Create scene documents

Create these documents inside your chapter folders. If you mess up, just drag and drop them into the right place.

4. Adjust the icons for more clarity

If pretty pictures help you understand your own book, you can change the icons.

There. You did a thing. Want to make structuring your novel ridiculously easy while also taking advantage of several powerful tools?

Find out how here:

Step 4: Don’t build your structure all at once. Start small.

I get it. You’re an overachiever. I know because you’re reading this article. But building out 50 chapters for a book you haven’t even started is the digital equivalent of counting your chickens before they’ve hatched, been processed, and served with a side of fries.

Start small.

1. Create the folder for your first book.

2. Then the first part.

3. Then the first chapter.

4. Utilize your Chapter and Scene Templates to build as you go.

This keeps things manageable and prevents you from getting overwhelmed by the sheer, terrifying scope of your own ambition.

Step 5: Start Writing.

Seriously. Stop organizing. Stop color-coding. Stop looking up new plot structures on Pinterest.

You’ve beaten the Binder into submission. It now does your bidding. The only thing left to do is fill it with words. Go on. The blank page is waiting. Don’t keep it waiting too long. It gets angry.

It’s time to level up. To make your life even easier. Together, we’re going to build a system of structural document templates. This automated workflow will let you transform ideas into stories without fighting with your favorite writing app. By the time we’re done, you’ll have a mercilessly efficient and exponentially simple system for your writing. Here is exactly how to engineer your Scrivener setup so you can stop wrestling with folders and documents and start writing.

If your Binder still looks like a crime scene, you might want to read this article first:

The Technical How-To: Setting Up Your Base

First, we need a place to store our templates. Enter the “Template Sheets” folder. This is a special folder, which means you can’t just create it and chuck things inside. You have to make it special. The good news is, most Scrivener projects already have one. If yours doesn’t, fear not. We’ll make one together now.

1. Create the Templates Folder: Look at your Binder (the left-hand sidebar). Scroll down to the bottom, outside of your “Manuscript” and “Research” folders.

2. Add a New Folder: Click the + icon and name this new folder “Templates.”

   

3. Make it Official: Go to Project > Project Settings > Special Folders.

   

4. Set your new “Templates” folder as the designated templates folder. The icon will magically change to a blue “T”.

Now, Scrivener knows precisely where to find your building blocks.

The Four Essential Structural Templates

Here’s the fun part, we are going to create four structural building blocks inside your new Templates folder.

1. The Scene Template: Create a standard text document (not a folder) in your Templates folder and name it “Scene Template.”

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You opened Scrivener, stared at the blank page, and immediately tried to style it exactly like Microsoft Word. Now your document is a chaotic mess of competing fonts, your chapter headings are acting possessed when you compile, and you are ready to throw your laptop into a river.

The problem is not Scrivener. The problem is that your brain has been poisoned by decades of using Word. It is time to wipe the slate clean. I’m going to strip away the chaos and show you how to use styles properly in Scrivener.

The Scrivener vs. Word Paradigm Shift

To understand Scrivener, you must unlearn Microsoft Word.

In Word, what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG). You use Styles to format every single paragraph. If you want your body text to be Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced, you set the “Normal” style to those exact metrics.

This will not work in Scrivener. Trying to apply a Style to every paragraph in Scrivener like you do in Word is a great way to go insane. Every time you hit Enter/Return, Scrivener will intentionally boot you back to “No Style.” If you want to setup your “body” formatting in Scrivener I already went over this here:

Just trust me. Leave your body text as “No Style” and only use Styles for the exceptions.

Now unlike Word, Scrivener does not care what your text looks like while you type. Scrivener operates on a massive paradigm shift: The editor is just for you. The compiler is for the reader.

• Formatting in Scrivener is purely visual. It is how you prefer to look at the words while you write. You can write your entire book in neon green Comic Sans if you like. No judgement here… Okay maybe a little. 😆

• Using Styles in Scrivener is like tagging your text with special formatting. In other words, you’re telling the app, “Hey, this specific sentence or paragraph is a Block Quote,” “Verse,” or “Text Message.” The key thing to remember is that stylized text is for exceptions where the formatting is intentionally different from the rest of your book.

Anything clicking yet? No? Well, maybe it’s time we consider why you should care about styles... and perhaps why you shouldn’t.

Why you should (probably) use Styles

Let’s be brutally honest. You don’t actually need to use Styles.

That’s right. You can write an entire novel without touching them. They’re supplemental. Optional. You could ignore this entire article and your life would, probably, be fine.

Using them, however, is investing in your peace of mind. Styles will save you from a future filled with formatting-induced rage, especially if you export to Vellum or (may god have mercy on your soul) Microsoft Word. Even within Scrivener itself, they’re a lifesaver. Here’s why you should care:

1. Consistency Without Thinking: Styles are your secret weapon for making sure your formatting exceptions (verses, block quotes, character thoughts, etc…) all look the same without you having to remember the specific font or spacing you used 87 pages ago. It’s like having a tiny, obsessive-compulsive robot do your formatting. Set it, apply it, done.

2. Surgical Strikes for Edits: Want to change every single block quote in your 500-page manuscript? Instead of a soul-crushing search-and-destroy mission, you just edit the “Block Quote” Style. One change, and boom 💥 everything updates. It’s the closest you’ll get to a “Fix It” button for your formatting.

3. Find Stuff Instantly: Use Styles to tag things that don’t even look different, like a character’s internal monologue. Then, instantly find every instance of that monologue. It’s a search-and-rescue team for your own ideas.

4. Effortless Exporting: When it’s time to compile, Styles do the heavy lifting. Tell Scrivener to treat your “block quote” Style one way for an e-book and another for a PDF, all without touching the original text. It’s formatting magic for people who hate formatting.

In short, Styles are for writers who would rather be writing than messing with formatting text. They save you from yourself, prevent your manuscript from looking like a ransom note, and make future-you very, very happy.

Setting Up and Customizing Styles

Still with me? Good. To those who stopped reading, enjoy your formatting headaches. To the rest of you, here’s how to build custom Styles in Scrivener without losing your mind.

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Please stop wasting your precious writing time fixing fonts and line spacing. You can design the writing workflow you have always imagined by mastering a few simple tools. Take control of your manuscript with confidence, and cut back mercilessly on the tedious formatting tasks that slow your progress.

This straightforward guide will show you exactly how to standardize your formatting across your entire project.

Understand the Difference: Document vs. Project Settings

Before you change any settings, you must understand how Scrivener handles text. This knowledge gives you the power to dictate exactly how your manuscript behaves.

• Document Settings: These formatting choices apply only to the specific text file you currently have open. If you highlight a paragraph and change the font to Times New Roman, it only affects that single document. When you create a new chapter, Scrivener will revert to its default settings.

• Project Settings (and Global Settings): These are the overarching rules for your software or your specific project. When you change your global default settings, every single new folder or document you create will automatically adopt your chosen font, size, and line spacing across all Scrivener Projects. Scrivener also allows you use different default formatting for new documents on a project by project basis, so you can adjust formatting for single project without needing to adjust formatting globally.

For true consistency, start first by establishing your global defaults. If a specific project needs different formatting, adjust the project settings for that project instead of changing your global defaults.

Set Your Default Global Formatting

You can easily set up Scrivener so that every new document automatically uses your preferred formatting. Follow these simple steps to build a solid foundation for your writing environment.

• Step 1: Open your Scrivener project.

• Step 2: Access your global settings. On a Mac: Click Scrivener in the top menu bar, then select Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions). On Windows: Click File in the top menu bar, then select Options.

• Step 3: In the settings window, click on the Editing icon at the top, then select the Formatting tab.

• Step 4: You will see a dummy text box displaying the current default formatting. Use the formatting bar directly above this text box to choose your desired font, font size, alignment, and line spacing.

• Step 5: Click Apply or OK to save your changes.

From now on, every new document you create will perfectly match these exact specifications.

Apply Defaults to Existing Documents (Chapters or Scenes)

Do not panic if you already have dozens of chapters with messy, mismatched formatting. You do not need to fix them manually. Scrivener provides a powerful tool to instantly update your old work to match your new defaults.

• Step 0 (Optional but recommended): Back up your project by going to File > Back Up > Back Up To….

• Step 1: In the Binder on the left, select all the documents and folders you want to change. Hold the Shift key to select multiple items at once.

• Step 2: With your documents selected, go to View > Scrivenings in the top menu.

• Step 3: Navigate to Documents > Convert > Text to Default Formatting.

• Step 4: A pop-up box will appear asking you to confirm the changes. Here, you can select any formatting you want to preserve (like font size or alignment). Click OK to finish.

Scrivener will instantly wash through your selected documents and convert them to your beautifully standardized formatting.

Setup Project Specific Formatting

Sometimes you want a unique look or style for a particular project, without changing Scrivener’s default settings for every other manuscript. You have that freedom, and Scrivener gives you the tools to do it.

• Step 1: Open the project you want to customize.

• Step 2: Go to the Project menu at the top of the screen and select Project Settings.

• Step 3: In the project settings window, look for the Formatting tab or section.

• Step 4: Check the box labeled Use different default formatting for new documents in this project.

• Step 5: Adjust the font, size, line spacing, and other formatting options just as you would for global defaults. These changes will now apply only to new documents you create within this specific project.

• Step 6: Click OK or Apply to save your settings.

• Important: These project-specific settings override global defaults for this project only. They don’t alter how new documents look in your other Scrivener projects.

To change the formatting for any old documents this projects new formatting you’ll need to

• Step 0 (Optional but recommended): Back up your project by going to File > Back Up > Back Up To….

• Step 1: In the Binder on the left, select all the documents and folders you want to change. Hold the Shift key to select multiple items at once.

• Step 2: With your documents selected, go to View > Scrivenings in the top menu, and click inside the editor.

• Step 3: Navigate to Documents > Convert > Text to Default Formatting.

• Step 4: A pop-up box will appear asking you to confirm the changes. Here, you can select any formatting you want to preserve (like font size or alignment). Click OK to finish.

You now have the exact steps required to master your writing environment. Implement these simple changes today, and give yourself the freedom to focus entirely on your words.

Stop buying $3,000 laptops to write your novel.

I was clean. I had successfully disconnected from the endless, wallet-draining hype cycle of new consumer technology. I was living a peaceful, quiet life, shielded from the psychological warfare of Cupertino’s marketing department.

Then my utterly, amazing wife — a woman who fundamentally does not care about gigabytes, unified memory, or haptic feedback — ruined everything.

She casually mentioned that Apple had just launched a “cheap new laptop in fun colors.”

My tech-detox immediately flatlined. I reinstalled the Apple Store app on my phone faster than you can say “planned obsolescence.” And honestly? My mind was blown. Apple, a company infamous for selling monitor stands that cost more than a used Honda Civic, has accidentally created the absolute perfect machine for writers.

They call it the MacBook Neo. I call it the most logical financial decision you will make all year.

Here is why you need to stop lugging your ridiculously overpowered Pro machine to the coffee shop just to stare at a blank Scrivener document.

The Spec Sheet Panic (And Why You Should Ignore It)

If you venture into the dark corners of the internet right now, you will find hordes of PC influencers screaming into the void. They are hyperventilating. They are clutching their pearls. They are fundamentally terrified by the MacBook Neo’s existence.

Why? Because it’s PC and Chromebook killer and the base model comes with only 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage!

If you are rendering a full-length 3D animated feature film, this is a problem. If you are trying to write a 120,000-word second world epic fantasy about a wizard with a dark past, this is literally all you will ever need.

Let’s be brutally honest about what your writing workflow actually looks like. You open Scrivener. You open Apple Music to blast a cinematic adventure fantasy playlist. You open Safari to “research” something highly specific, like the average terminal velocity of a falling piano, and then you get distracted by Wikipedia for an hour.

You do not need 32GB of RAM to procrastinate. The Apple Silicon A18 Pro chip inside this machine is so aggressively capable that it will handle your entire writing ecosystem without breaking a sweat. It actually benchmarks faster than the original M1 chip, which, a few years ago, we all agreed was basically alien magic.1

The Missing Features You Won’t Actually Miss

To hit that glorious price point, Apple had to cut some corners. Naturally, the internet has decided these omissions are crimes against humanity. Let us systematically dismantle these complaints.

The Tragedy of the Dark Keyboard

The MacBook Neo does not have a backlit keyboard. Cue the dramatic gasps.

People are acting like Apple has demanded we all write our novels by candlelight using a quill carved from a pigeon. Here is a radical thought: if you are a working writer, you are probably a touch typist. Your muscle memory knows where the keys are. Furthermore, the Neo features white keys2, which naturally reflect the light pouring off the screen. Unless you are actively choosing to write inside a sensory deprivation tank, you will be fine.

The Trackpad Time Machine

The trackpad is mechanical. It physically clicks down, just like the laptops of ancient history. By far the worst downgrade in this MacBook. We have been spoiled by Apple’s flawless haptic trackpads for years, so returning to a physical diving board feels a bit retro. But again, you are buying this machine to type words, not to caress a piece of glass. It clicks. It works. Let’s move on.

The “Anemic” Battery

The battery inside the Neo is 36 Wh, which is physically smaller than what you find in a MacBook Air. Predictably, spec-nerds are crying foul. What they fail to realize is that the A18 Pro chip sips power like a polite aristocrat at a tea party. Apple estimates 16 hours of battery life. Even if you only get 12 hours in the real world, that is enough time to write thousands of words, delete them all in a fit of self-doubt, and still have enough juice left to angrily tweet about writer’s block.

The Death of the iPad Justification

For the past five years, writers have tried to convince themselves that the iPad is the ultimate distraction-free writing tool. You buy a base iPad. You spend another $300 on a Magic Keyboard. You awkwardly balance this top-heavy monstrosity on your lap while sitting on the couch, pretending you enjoy the experience.

The MacBook Neo brutally murders this workflow.

A laptop actually distributes weight properly on your lap. It runs a full desktop operating system, meaning you get the real, full-featured version of Scrivener. You get actual window management. You get a machine that was explicitly built for typing, rather than a giant glass rectangle masquerading as a productivity tool.

A Financial Decision Your Wallet Won’t Hate

Every time you buy a piece of Apple hardware, you kick off a complex sequence of psychological gymnastics to justify the price. You tell yourself you need the MacBook Pro because you might want to edit a 4K video someday. (You won’t.)

The MacBook Neo base model costs $599. If you have an education discount, it drops to $499.

At that price, this device transitions from “major financial investment” to “dedicated peripheral.” You can leave your heavy, $3,000 powerhouse on your desk hooked up to an external monitor. The Neo becomes your grab-and-go machine. It weighs practically nothing. You can casually throw it in a tote bag without having a panic attack about scratching it. It gives you the freedom to write anywhere without carrying the financial burden of a small mortgage in your backpack.

Yes, if you want Touch ID and 512GB of storage, you have to pay a bit more. And frankly, paying the extra cash for Touch ID is worth it just to avoid typing your incredibly complex password fifty times a day. But even upgraded, it remains a staggering bargain.

Key Takeaways

If you skimmed this article because your attention span has been destroyed by short-form video content, here is the summary:

• The Price is Right: At $599 ($499 with education pricing), it is the most accessible Mac in years.

• Performance is Overkill for Words: The A18 Pro chip will run Scrivener, Word, or Pages flawlessly. 8GB of RAM is entirely sufficient for formatting text and hoarding browser tabs.

• Portability is King: It is incredibly light (2.7 lbs.), making it the perfect secondary computer strictly dedicated to your writing.

• The Flaws are Irrelevant: No backlit keyboard? You are a touch typist. A mechanical trackpad? You are buying it to type, not click. Really worried? Buy a cheap bluetooth mouse!

• It Beats the iPad: It is cheaper than an iPad-plus-keyboard combo, offers a real desktop OS, and actually balances on your lap.

What is Your Excuse Now?

For years, the barrier to a dedicated, distraction-free Apple writing laptop was the absurd cost of entry. You had to sacrifice either the operating system or your life savings.

The MacBook Neo has effectively eliminated your last remaining excuse. The machine is cheap. The software is ready. The battery will outlast your creative stamina.

So, what exactly is stopping you now? Are you going to keep pretending you need a more expensive machine to write your manuscript, or are you actually going to sit down and put words on a page? It’s never been a better time to be a writer! And the barrier of PRO entry just dropped by $2K. You know what to do!

Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Better yet, subscribe to the newsletter so I can keep yelling at you about the intersection of technology and writing. Now close this tab, open a blank document, and get to work. You monster.

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Key Sources

• CNN Underscored: Apple MacBook Neo review

• Apple MacBook Neo Official Tech Specs

• NanoReview: Detailed benchmark comparisons.

• BGR: Performance analysis and device context.

You’ve procrastinated enough. I know about that 40-page document you have detailing the agricultural trade routes of a fictional goblin society that doesn’t even appear until Book 3. It’s time to stop the madness.

Worldbuilding Disease is the ultimate trap for fantasy writers. It feels exactly like writing, but miraculously, your word count never actually goes up. Before you know it, you are drowning in lore, completely overwhelmed, and staring at a blank manuscript.

I’m staging an intervention.

Welcome to a new webinar series. The rule is simple: Build your world, don’t break it 🌍 (unless it’s intentional, then go right ahead). I’ve gathered the industry’s best tools and techniques to help you push past those mental barriers, organize your chaos, and finally transform your ideas into a finished story.

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Here is the exact lineup of events designed to drag you out of the worldbuilding abyss and back into the writer’s seat:

The 4 Blueprints of Worldbuilding with World Anvil

There are only four types of world settings, and most "advice" out there is for a different one than you're building. In this session, Janet Forbes, will explain the 4 blueprints of worldbuilding. You'll learn which one you're building, exactly where to start, what you MUST figure out, and what you can safely ignore until later. Forget the confusing advice that's leading you in the WRONG direction. It's time to build a world that feels vast and lived-in without getting lost in the weeds. Unlock the blueprints you need to keep your setting consistent, compelling, and ready for your characters to destroy.

Stop Getting Lost in the Weeds

The Fantasy Writer’s Guide to Worldbuilding in Scrivener

Your current organization system is broken. A folder full of barely titled notes and half-finished text files is not a workflow. I’m are going to show you how to tame Scrivener specifically for fantasy worldbuilding. You will gain a streamlined, step-by-step workflow to organize your lore so you can actually find it when you need it, giving you the clarity you need to actually finish your project.

Embrace Digital Overlord Status

4 Steps to an Unforgettable Magic System

Because “a wizard did it” is not a valid plot resolution. If your magic system doesn’t have consistency, your readers will riot. Come with me as I break down Sanderson’s Laws of Magic to give you a foolproof, four-step framework. You will walk away with the skills to craft a magic system that enhances your plot, raises the stakes, and leaves your readers completely captivated.

Prevent Reader Riots

The choice is yours.

You can keep endlessly tweaking the gravitational physics of your fictional moons, or you can join a thriving community of writers who are actually finishing their books.

Stop procrastinating. Choose your webinars, register below, and let’s get back to writing.

Write on,

Oliver Evensen

Turning Writers into Authors

ojevensen.com

A rock-solid writing routine isn’t about perfect schedules or color-coded calendars. It’s a carefully engineered process designed to outsmart your own brain. It’s your secret weapon against procrastination, distraction, and the all-too-common feeling of just not being “in the mood.” This guide will give you the blueprint to build a routine that works for you, not against you.

One more thing: bookmark this page. My own routine is a living document, constantly evolving as I learn, adapt, and find better ways to get words on the page. As I refine my process, I’ll update this guide with new insights. This is a journey we’re on together.

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because even muses need snacks

and your book looks delicious!

Step 1: Ditch Motivation, Build a Ritual

Motivation is fleeting. It’s a fair-weather friend that disappears when you need it most. A ritual, on the other hand, is a loyal ally. A ritual is a sequence of actions that tells your brain, “It’s time to write.” It’s about creating an environment that minimizes friction and maximizes focus. I don’t wait for inspiration; I build a ritual that invites it.

Gather Your Tools

Before you write a single word, set the stage. This isn’t about putting things off; it’s about removing every possible excuse your brain can invent to avoid the work.

• Find Your Drink: A simple beverage can act as a powerful trigger. For me, it’s a hot cup of herbal tea or a cold sparkling water. The act of preparing it signals the start of my writing session. Find the drink that does the same for you.

• Prepare a Snack: Writing burns mental energy, which requires physical fuel. Choose something that’s not messy and won’t break your flow. I opt for carrots with ranch or celery with peanut butter. It’s a small detail, but it prevents hunger from becoming a distraction.

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Writing a book can feel like trying to build a house with nothing but a hammer. You have a grand vision, but the sheer number of moving parts — chapters, research, character notes, timelines — quickly becomes overwhelming. What if you had a complete workshop at your fingertips, designed to turn that creative chaos into a structured masterpiece? That’s exactly what Scrivener provides.

Think of Scrivener not just as a word processor, but as your personal project command center. It’s built by writers, for writers, to manage every piece of your manuscript in one place. You can finally stop juggling dozens of documents and folders. This guide will give you the keys to five essential Scrivener tools that will empower you to organize your ideas, write more efficiently, and take control of your creative process.

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1. The Binder: Your Digital Bookshelf

Imagine all your chapters, character sketches, research notes, and images neatly organized on a single bookshelf. That is the power of the Binder. It’s the vertical menu on the left side of your screen and serves as the backbone of your entire project.

Instead of one long, intimidating document, the Binder allows you to break your project into small, manageable pieces. Each chapter, scene, or even a fragment of an idea can be its own document. This approach empowers you to focus on one section at a time without losing sight of the bigger picture.

How to Use It:

• Create Folders for Parts or Chapters: Right-click in the Binder and select “Add > New Folder.” You can name it “Part One” or “Chapter 1” to start, but I recommend using more specific titles. This keeps your Binder organized and readable, even if you don’t use these titles in your final draft.

• Add Scenes as Text Documents: Right-click a folder and choose “Add > New Text.” Each text file can be a scene or section. Again, specific titles will help you stay organized.

  

• Drag and Drop to Reorganize: Want to move a chapter? Just drag and drop the folder to its new place. You can even move sections out of your manuscript and into a “deleted scenes” folder. This freedom lets you rearrange your entire manuscript in seconds and experiment with its structure effortlessly.

2. The Corkboard: Visualize Your Story

The Corkboard turns your digital project into a classic writer’s wall of index cards. Each document in your Binder appears as a virtual card, showing its title and a brief synopsis. This visual layout is excellent for plotting and structuring your story.

Seeing your entire story at a glance helps you spot plot holes, check your pacing, and ensure your narrative arc is strong. It gives you the high-level perspective needed to build a cohesive and compelling story.

How to Use It:

• Select a Folder: Click on any folder in the Binder that contains multiple text documents (scenes).

• Switch to Corkboard View: In the main toolbar, click the Corkboard icon (it looks like a grid of cards)

• Write Synopses: Click on an index card to write a short summary of that scene. This helps you remember what happens in each part of your story without having to read the entire text.

• Rearrange with Ease: Just like with the Binder, you can drag and drop the index cards to reorder your scenes. The changes you make here are automatically reflected in the Binder.

3. The Outliner: Your Project Blueprint

If the Corkboard is your visual map, the Outliner is your detailed blueprint. This feature presents your project in a structured, spreadsheet-like format, giving you a powerful way to organize your thoughts and track important details across your manuscript. It’s perfect for writers who love lists and structured data.

Using the Outliner, you can see not just your chapter and scene titles, but also custom metadata like word count, status (e.g., “First Draft,” “Revised”), Label (e.g., point-of-view character), or even a specific timeline date with Custom Metadata. This level of organization is your key to maintaining consistency and control over a complex project.

How to Use It:

• Select a Folder and Switch Views: Just like with the Corkboard, select a folder in your Binder and click the Outliner icon in the top toolbar.

• Customize Your Columns: Go to “View > Outliner Columns” to add or remove information. You can track just about anything you want, from the “Last Modified” date to custom labels and metadata you create yourself.

4. The Inspector: Your All-in-One Sidebar

The Inspector is the powerful sidebar on the right side of the screen that holds all the context for the document you’re currently working on. It’s where you can write synopses for the Corkboard, add private notes, manage keywords, and even store reference links.

Think of it as the “backstage” area for each scene. While the main editor is for the words your readers will see, the Inspector is for everything you need to know. This separation allows you to keep your thoughts, research, and reminders connected to the relevant text without cluttering your manuscript.

How to Use It:

• Document Notes: Use the “Notes” panel (it looks like a notepad) to jot down quick reminders, ideas for future edits, or continuity details you need to remember for a specific scene.

• Keywords: Assign keywords to scenes to track subplots, character appearances, or themes. For example, you could tag every scene featuring your main antagonist with the keyword “Antagonist,” or your antagonist’s name. Later, you can search for that keyword to see all relevant scenes at once in the Outliner.

• Snapshots: Before making a big edit, take a “Snapshot” of the current version. This saves a copy of your text that you can easily revert to if you change your mind. It’s the ultimate safety net, giving you the confidence to revise fearlessly.

5. Compile: Your Personal Typesetter

Once your manuscript is complete, how do you get it out of Scrivener and into a format ready for agents, editors, or readers? The Compile feature is your answer. It’s a powerful tool that transforms your collection of individual documents into a single, beautifully formatted file.

Compile lets you export your work as a standard manuscript, an ebook, a PDF, a simple Word document, and more. You have complete control over the final look, from fonts and chapter headings to page numbers and titles. This feature empowers you to produce a professional-looking document without needing to be a graphic designer.

How to Use It:

• Go to “File > Compile.”

• Choose a Compile For: On the top of the compile menu, you can select the format you need (e.g., “Print,” “PDF,” “epub” etc…).

• Choose a Format: On the left, you can select the format you need (e.g., “Manuscript (Times),” “Modern,” “Proof Copy”). If you keep the default option, Scrivener will default to export the formatting as it currently exists in your Scrivener Project.

• Review Your Section Layouts: In the center panel, you can preview the structure of your manuscript when it exports. Clicking on one of the section types with highly the Section Types in the right side of the compile menu.

• Select Your Content: In the right panel, you can choose which folders and documents from your Binder to include in the final export. This is perfect for exporting partial drafts for review or removing deleted chapters and scenes or adjusting section types to ensure that your manuscript is properly structured for export.

• Export: Click “Compile.” Scrivener will merge everything into one polished document.

So what’s your favorite Scrivener tool? Tell me about in the comments below!

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Unlock Your Most Productive Writing Life

Scrivener is more than just software; it’s a new way of thinking about your writing process. By breaking down your project into manageable parts and giving you the tools to organize them, it frees you to focus on what you do best: telling your amazing story.

Start by exploring these five tools. Don’t try to master everything at once. Pick one feature, like the Binder, and use it to structure your next project. You’ll quickly discover how a little organization can unlock a lot of creative freedom. Your journey from writer to author is within your control, and Scrivener is the perfect partner to help you get there.

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Write on,

Let’s be honest. You dream of seeing your book on a shelf, not just any shelf, but a reader’s special “favorites” shelf. The one reserved for books so beautiful they’re practically home decor.

But right now, your masterpiece is stuck in digital limbo. Maybe you’ve already self-published, but your book is just a file: a digital ghost haunting a few dozen Kindles and Kobos. Or maybe you haven’t hit “publish” at all, and your manuscript is still just a lonely file sitting on your hard drive.

Whether you’re waiting to launch or looking to upgrade from an e-book to a physical heirloom, it’s time to stop thinking like a starving artist and start acting like a savvy authorpreneur.

Your readers require more than just words… they CRAVE an experience. They want something they can hold, admire, and show off (and yes presumably something they can actually read too 😆).

Introducing the “Stop Playing Small” Webinar Series

This month, I’m skipping the fluff and getting straight to the good stuff. I’ve lined up three webinars to help you build a better author business, create products your readers will drool over, and finally develop a writing habit that doesn’t feel like a punishment.

The cost? Just your attention. A small price to pay for turning a hobby into a legitimate empire.

Subscribe now

Your Upgrade Is Ready. Claim It.

Here’s the plan to elevate your author game from amateur to pro:

Unlock the Power of Special Edition Books with Bookvault Bespoke

• You see those authors with the stunning, foiled, sprayed-edge special editions that sell out in minutes? That could be you. Stop staring with envy and start creating. In this session, join Alex Smith as he reveals how to design and sell incredible special editions that your readers will treasure forever. Because nothing says "I've made it" like a book that's too pretty to read.

  Watch Now to Become a Book God

Unlock Series Potential: Authoring Multiple Books in Scrivener

• Dreaming of a sprawling book series but your notes look like a conspiracy theorist's basement wall? It's time to get organized. Whether you're writing an epic fantasy saga or a 12-part self-help series on the secret lives of squirrels, this session is your intervention. We’ll show you how to use Scrivener's powerful tools to manage multiple books without losing your mind. Stop letting chaos be your co-author.

Watch Now to Tame Your Series Monster

Crafting a Writing Routine That Actually Works

• "I'll write when I feel inspired." Famous last words of every writer with a half-finished manuscript. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us have a routine. This webinar gives you the kick in the pants you need to build a writing habit that sticks. We'll give you practical tools to crush writer's block and finally get consistent. It's time to take control of your process. Look, your ambition is writing checks your current process can’t cash. It’s time to level up.

Watch Now and Finally Finish Your Book

Let's build a writing career that not only pays the bills but also looks damn good on a bookshelf.

Write on,

Oliver Evensen

Turning Writers into Authors

ojevensen.com

Dear Writer,

Are your characters feeling a bit… flat? Do they mumble their lines instead of delivering powerful monologues?

This October, we’re dedicating our webinar week to the heart of every great story: compelling characters. It’s time to start building characters that leap off the page and live in your readers’ minds.

We’ve assembled a fantastic lineup of sessions to give you practical, actionable strategies for success. From mastering the tools that help track and manage your characters to distributing their stories worldwide, each session is your next step toward building the writing life you’ve always imagined.

And if you’re new here, be sure to subscribe to stay updated on all things writing and creativity every month!

Subscribe now

Join us for October’s Scrivener Webinar Week!

Let’s take your writing to the next level together! 🚀✨

Here’s what’s waiting for you:

BookFunnel: Your Indie Author Utility Belt

• Ready to get your characters into the hands of eager readers? Join special guest speaker Jack Shilkaitis, Lead Author Support Specialist, for a practical session on delivering your work, growing your audience with promos, and running smooth ARC campaigns. Because even the most amazing characters need a little help meeting their fans.

Watch the Replay

Scrivener’s Outliner Unveiled: Maximize Metadata to Craft Compelling Characters

• This is where the magic happens. Discover the power of Scrivener’s Outliner and metadata to transform your character development. Stop managing messy notes and start building rich, complex characters with a structured, professional process. Turn your brilliant ideas into a story your readers can’t put down.

Watch the Replay

Your next breakthrough is just a click away. Select the sessions designed to help you create unforgettable characters and bring your books to life!

Write on,

Oliver Evensen

Turning Writers into Authors

ojevensen.com

I want to let you know that our July Webinar Week is officially canceled, and I appreciate your understanding as plans shifted unexpectedly.

The reason?

I was given the chance to attend the RWA Writer’s Conference in Niagara—a last-minute opportunity that took some quick adjusting and plenty of prep. It was an energizing experience, full of insights, connections, and inspiration I couldn’t bear to miss.

Although we’ll miss this month’s webinars, I’m beyond excited to share some sneak peeks of the powerful takeaways I gathered at the conference:

• From Publishing Perspective: Eye-opening strategies on cover design that truly grabs readers’ attention, plus how the right title and metadata can boost your book’s discoverability in a crowded digital marketplace, as well as interesting data on self-publishing versus traditional publishing.

• From Wattpad: Actionable tips on building a loyal writing community—discover how real-time feedback and authentic engagement can fuel your growth as an author. I’ll admit I was skeptical of Wattpad, but despite some drawbacks it makes a strong case as a great place to share your fiction online and build a following. You can even draw your readers into your email list (although I wish they’d make that one easier).

• From Kobo: Insider info on new promotional opportunities for indie authors, including ways to broaden your reach through library distribution and Kobo Plus. I think of Kobo emerging alternative to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, plus you don’t have to be exclusive to Kobo to put your book on their platform, which is non-starter for Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program. I can’t wait to share with you what they’ve been up too.

• From BookFunnel: Fresh approaches to connecting directly with readers, leveraging tools for digital autographs, group promotions, and building a loyal email list, and as a bonus I was excited to discover that both reps from BookFunnel were Scrivener users!

• AND MORE!

There’s a lot to unpack, and I’m eager to turn everything I’ve learned into practical, fun, and valuable content just for you. Get ready to dive deeper into each of these topics in upcoming articles, workshops, and guides. In the meantime, webinar week resumes in August, so I’ll see you again soon. And keep an eye out—there’s so much good stuff coming your way.

Write on,

Oliver Evensen

Turning Writers into Authors

ojevensen.com

For five long years, I was stuck rewriting and reworking the same five chapters. I desperately wanted my book to be “perfect.” Every sentence, every plot twist had to shine before I would even consider moving forward. Spoiler alert—that approach got me nowhere. My book stayed unfinished, my confidence dwindled, and I started questioning if I could write a novel at all.

Here’s the breakthrough that changed everything for me.

The Importance of Finishing Imperfectly 💔

One day, after years of chasing perfection, I decided to stop avoiding what scared me most. I buckled down, picked an ending, and told myself, “Just finish the draft. No matter how messy. No matter how imperfect.”

The result? I wrote my very first book. And while it wasn’t flawless (far from it), that one decision—to finish, without obsessing over every detail—completely transformed my identity as a writer. I went from seeing myself as someone trying to write to someone who could write a book. That shift in belief gave me the confidence to write again and again. Today, I can finish a draft in about a month, writing at a steady pace of 2,100 words per day. And through every draft, I’ve discovered something invaluable: my unique writing process.

That’s the real goal of finishing your first book. It’s not about creating a masterpiece. It’s about discovering how youwrite, so you can repeat the process and improve over time.

What’s Holding You Back? 🤔

If you’re struggling to finish your book, the problem often isn’t your writing skills. It’s the voice in your head telling you:

• “It’s not good enough.”

• “I’m not ready to finish it yet.”

• “What if no one likes it?”

This mindset, rooted in perfectionism and self-doubt, keeps you in an endless cycle of false starts. But here’s the thing to remember: no first draft is perfect. Even the most celebrated authors start with drafts full of plot holes, messy backstories, and clunky dialogue.

The only way to create a great book is to get through the beginning, middle, and end of this one. Revising, refining, and polishing come later. First, you need to finish.

How to Actually Finish Your First Book 📕

The key to breaking through is momentum. Here’s a simple, action-driven plan to help you finish your book:

1. Stop Chasing Perfection

Perfectionism is a trap. Instead of aiming for “perfect,” aim for done. Remind yourself that the goal of your first draft is to exist—not to shine. It’s much easier to revise a completed manuscript than to fix a blank page.

2. Pick an Ending

If you don’t yet know how your story ends, pick something now. The beauty of a draft is that you can always change or refine parts of it later. Whether it’s a triumphant victory, bittersweet loss, or cliffhanger, choose an ending that gives your story a destination.

3. Push Through Without Stopping

Once you decide on your ending, write quickly to get there. Set aside time blocks where you commit to writing without pausing to edit or overthink. Your mantra here is “write now, edit later.”

4. Celebrate Completion

When you finish your draft, take a moment to celebrate. It doesn’t matter if it’s messy or imperfect. You’ve done something incredible. You’ve written a story with a beginning, middle, and end. That’s more than most aspiring authors achieve.

Celebrate the Win

Finishing your first draft is no small feat. It’s a moment worth celebrating! And while the celebration doesn’t need to be big or extravagant, it should feel meaningful to you. Here are a few simple ideas for marking the occasion:

• Treat yourself to your favorite dessert or a nice meal.

• Share the news with a friend or fellow writer who will cheer you on.

• Create a small ritual, like lighting a candle or writing a note to your future self about this milestone.

• Take a relaxing break, whether it’s a walk in nature, a cozy movie night, or a day off to recharge.

• Print out your completed draft and hold it in your hands as a tangible reminder of your accomplishment.

These celebrations don’t just mark an ending; they also serve as encouraging reminders of what you’re capable of. They’re a way to say, “I did it,” and give yourself credit for taking a huge step forward in your writing journey.

The Real Magic of Finishing

Once you complete your first book, you’ll unlock a new level of confidence as a writer. It’s not just about the words on the page. It’s about proving to yourself that you can take an idea, stick with it, and follow through all the way. That belief will push you forward, giving you the courage to tackle revisions, rewrite scenes, and even start new projects.

For me, finishing that first draft revealed the path to my writing process. I learned how long it takes me to draft a book (about a month if I average 2,100 words per day). I learned how to pace my workflow, manage distractions, and trust my creative instincts. The lessons I took from finishing that draft are what allow me to be a better, faster, and more confident writer today. And it all started with one decision—to finish.

Your Turn to Finish

Here’s your challenge. Pick up your current manuscript. Doesn’t matter how messy or incomplete it feels. Decide on an ending. Then, starting today, write toward that ending as fast as you can. No stopping to edit. No worrying if it’s good enough. Just finish.

Once you’re done, take a moment to reflect and celebrate. How did it feel? What did you learn about yourself as a writer? Come back and share your experience with me—I would love to celebrate this milestone with you.

Leave a comment

Remember, you don’t have to write a perfect book. You just have to write a book. Completing your first draft will unlock something in you that no amount of theorizing, planning, or prepping can. It will show you what kind of writer you are and give you the foundation for the stories you’ll tell next.

Now go finish that draft. You’ve got this.

That’s when I discovered this innovative, but surprisingly simple writing tool: The Story Question (SQ). And it's help transformed how I approach storytelling. It’s like a secret weapon, cutting through the noise and helping me uncover the core of a truly compelling tale before I get too deep. Trust me, once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever wrote without it.

What Is The Story Question? 🙋‍♀️

At its core, The Story Question is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a central question that frames your story’s biggest conflict or challenge. Phrased as a “what if” or “what do you do when” scenario, the SQ ensures your story idea can carry an entire narrative while keeping readers emotionally invested.

Think of it as the foundation of your storytelling. Without it, you risk producing a shaky plot on stony ground. With it, you’ll rapidly know if your idea has the depth and complexity to stand the test of time.

Here’s an example to illustrate the concept: Imagine your story question is this — What do you do when your life partner passes away? This question gets to the core of your story’s deeper conflict. It encapsulates the emotional stakes and opens the door to countless possibilities. Your narrative might follow a grieving father navigating the challenges of single parenthood or rediscovering his sense of purpose in the aftermath of profound loss.

Why the SQ Is Your Ultimate Time-Saver ⏳

We’ve all been there… an exciting story idea starts strong but fizzles out halfway through, leaving you staring at a dead end. Why does this happen? Because not every idea has the depth to sustain a full narrative. That’s where the SQ comes in, acting as your first line of defense against wasted effort. It forces you to confront the brutal truth early on: does your story have the emotional stakes and juicy conflicts to keep readers hooked? Or are you about to pour hours into a hollow concept that falls apart under scrutiny?

But the SQ doesn’t just save you from time-wasting disasters. It pushes you to dig deeper. By asking a bold, pointed question, it challenges you to uncover the “why” behind your story. Why does this conflict matter? Why should readers care? Understanding this from the start makes everything else — from plot to character development — fall into place more naturally.

How to Use the Story Question 👍

Now that you know what the SQ is and why it’s important, how can you start using it? Follow these practical steps to bring depth and clarity to your story ideas.

1. Pose the Question

Begin by framing your idea as a “what if” or “what do you do when” scenario. Aim for a question that has both an internal (emotional) and external (situational) conflict. Here are a few examples to kickstart your creativity:

• What do you do when the only way to save your family is to betray your country?

• What if time travel existed, but every trip aged you by five years?

• What do you do when the world discovers the darkest secret about your past?

2. Test the Emotional Stakes

Strong stories pull at the heartstrings. After drafting your SQ, ask yourself if the stakes are high enough to create tension and interest. If the conflict isn’t emotionally compelling, for your characters and your audience, it may be time to refine the question.

For example, What do you do when you lose your keys? is mildly frustrating but lacks emotional depth. Meanwhile, What do you do when you lose your child in a crowded city? immediately grabs attention and creates a sense of urgency. You could even combine the two: What do you do when you lose your car keys and realize your child is missing in a crowded city?

By framing the SQ in a more dynamic and emotionally charged way, you can create a stronger connection with your audience and make them more invested in finding out the answer. This question should captivate you as a writer, igniting your curiosity and inspiring you to delve into its many layers with enthusiasm and purpose.

3. Test Your Story Question

Here’s the crucial step: test your Story Question by writing a full page that attempts to:

1. Answer the question you’re asking.

2. Explore the potential beginning and ending of your story.

Does this have to be the exact beginning or ending of your final story? Not necessarily—but it can be! The goal is to see if your idea has enough depth. If you can write a full page encapsulating your concept in a meaningful and engaging way, then you’ve found a Story Question strong enough to carry a novel or series. If not, your SQ might need refining to ensure it can sustain an engaging narrative.

4. NEXT STEPS — Brainstorm the Possibilities

If your Story Question passes the test, you're free now to explore where it could take you. A great SQ should opens the door to countless storytelling directions. Think about the challenges that could arise from this premise. What twists and conflicts could unfold?

For example, if your SQ is, What happens when a friend’s betrayal puts your life in danger?, you could explore questions like:

• Will the character seek revenge or choose forgiveness?

• How does the betrayal impact their relationships with others?

• What personal flaws allowed this betrayal to happen in the first place?

The more possibilities you uncover, the richer your story will become.

Real-World Benefits of Using the SQ 😱

The Story Question isn’t just a tool for brainstorming; it’s a toolkit for better storytelling overall. Here’s what you’ll gain by incorporating this method into your writing process:

• Clarity of Purpose: The SQ keeps you focused on your story’s central theme and stakes.

• Reader Engagement: A well-posed SQ hooks readers because it leaves them asking, “What happens next?”

• Confidence as a Writer: With a solid SQ, you’ll know your story has the depth to succeed before you even start writing.

Start Your Next Story Right

If you’ve been spinning your wheels on a story idea, it’s time to use the frame that can ignite your creativity and protect your time. The Story Question dares you to dig deeper, to think harder, and to craft stories that linger in readers’ minds long after they turn the final page.

Your next great story begins with one bold question. What will yours be?

Add This Tool to Your Writer’s Toolbox 🧰

Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? The Writer’s Toolbox Scrivener Template is your ultimate tool for organizing, refining, and mastering your craft. Whether you're brainstorming ideas, outlining projects, or fine-tuning your drafts, this template equips you with everything you need to stay productive and focused.

Why The Writer’s Toolbox?

• Seamless Organization: Keep all your writing tools, ideas, and drafts in one place.

• Time-Saving Templates: Fiction, non-fiction, research, and writing tools templates are pre-built to maximize efficiency.

• Customizable Workflow: Make it your own with flexible structures like The Inbox, Core Writing Tools, and Scraps folders.

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This template isn’t just a tool. It’s a system to transform your creative chaos into clear, actionable steps. It’s designed to save you time and energy so you can focus on what matters most: writing.

Get started today and add The Writer’s Toolbox to your workflow. It’s the practical, easy-to-use solution every writer needs to organize their craft and unlock their full potential.

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Add This Writing Tool to Your Toolbox! 🧰

Add the "SQ" to your Writer's Toolbox! Simply copy, paste and match style directly into your Scrivener Project, and integrate it seamlessly into your Scrivener project.

The Story Question (SQ)

Category:

Plot & Structure

Description:

The Story Question (SQ) is a powerful tool to evaluate whether your story idea has the depth and complexity needed to sustain a compelling narrative. It frames the central conflict or challenge in a way that inspires curiosity and anchors the foundation of your story’s premise.

How It Works:

Craft your SQ around a “what if” or “what do you do when” scenario to ignite creative possibilities

1. Pose the Question: Frame your idea as a “what if” or “what do you do when” scenario with emotional and situational conflict.

2. Test Emotional Stakes: Ensure the stakes are high and emotionally compelling to grab attention.

3. Test the Question: Write a page exploring the beginning, ending, and depth of your story idea.

Key Benefits:

The SQ helps uncover the "why" at the heart of your story. It also ensures your idea has the potential to carry a full narrative, saving you from investing countless hours on a concept that lacks substance or longevity.

Keywords:

Plot, Structure, Story Development, Conflict Framing, Narrative Complexity, Emotional Stakes

Use Cases (Examples):

Examples of Story Questions:

• SQ: What do you do when your partner in life passes away?

  • Premise: A man learns of his wife’s death while at work, forcing him to navigate raising their three children and adjusting to an unforeseen new reality.

  • SQ: What do you do when the love of your life is married to someone else?

  • Premise: A woman’s best friend marries another woman after a whirlwind romance. She must decide whether to break up the marriage, risking her friendship, or let go and search for love elsewhere.

  • SQ: What do you do when you discover you’re the last of an ancient magical bloodline

  • Premise: A young blacksmith learns they are the final descendant of a forgotten kingdom and must master their newfound magic to stop a rising evil threatening their world.

  • SQ: What happens when a prophecy names you the hero, but you don’t believe in destiny?

  • Premise: A reluctant farmhand is thrust into a battle between warring kingdoms after being named the chosen one, forcing them to question their beliefs and rise to the challenge.

  • SQ: What would you trade to bring magic back to your dying world?

  • Premise: A thief stumbles upon an ancient artifact that could restore magic to their barren land, but using it requires an unthinkable sacrifice.

Sourced from: Turning Writers into Authors (TWIA)

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