I've had this idea for an epic fantasy series in my mind since at least 8th grade. I had picked it up on and off again for years but for some reason never had the motivation to actually write more than like five chapters at a time in random google docs. Now, Sophomore year of college, I think it's time I actually sit down and start working on the first part of it. And this video helped me get a good idea on where to properly start.
Omg let me know the update. I have the same fantasy series one time and in my sophomore year cause i gave up. I do wonder how far ill get if I continue 😂
I really understand you, sometimes all we need is a spark to gather all the information that permeates our minds out of them. I trust your ability, the more time you spend in the world of ideas, the better you get. Just be careful not to make an inconsistent transposition.
@@WritewithClaireFraisehi, i never liked writing and reading and learning growing up. Idk why maybe bcause of ADHD. Anyway now I like to learn more and now Im having a really hard time. Do you have apps to use for taking notes on windows laptop? Something that replicates a notebook but with more order/system. Thanks.
hey, i've been wanting to write a book for the longest time and now i'm finally dipping my toes into the water. this video was very helpful, i'll definitely will be sticking around! 😁
I love Plottr for plotting. You can easily plot levels of your story, define and track characters, scenes, etc. Plus its much easier to move scenes around than in Excel.
I used Scrivener for a long time, but I've actually switched over to Notion for most everything organizationally speaking. I still use Scrivener for manuscripting, but world building, notes, outlining, goal-setting, and building a database that I can reference throughout the process are much easier to do in Notion. And Notion is free! Notion feels like a piece of software made for digital natives. Scrivener feels like technology made for people who are transitioning from typewriters and cork boards into the digital world.
This was both informative and inspiring I’ve been kind of putting words on paper the whole time without any kind of refinement and watching this video really opened my eyes I’m so excited!
I use Microsoft sticky notes. :) Sometimes it is just to quickly put down ideas or scenes. Words of dialogue. But then I end up with dual monitors full of sticky notes!!!!!!!!! 🤣But a great way to start. It is so easy to get confused in Microsoft Word. I used to use a great free script writing software that used word Macro's in the 90's... I think it was literal called 'Bob'. 🤣My problem has always been in planning a story first before I start writing. That isn't how my brain works, as I often start with a scene and it just grows from there. So I am resistant to plot it out mainly because I have no idea where it is going! :) That is probably why I have taken 25 years to finish my first film script. But it would be nice to have a programme to help me to get organised (My writing is like a teenagers bedroom :) ) and work out the plot as I go along. I wrote my first draft of a film script on an electronic typewriter. Then printed out the script and cut it up and pasted it onto another A4 sheet of paper for the shooting script. Yes, I am old 🤣 Isn't technology great :) Great video Claire. Keep doing what you love. Thank you.
Scrivener is so good. I doubt anyone uses *all* its features -- but that's great, just use what you need. It doesn't run natively on Linux but it will work on Linux if you use the last 32 bit version and WINE. Thank you for the video.
The reason I’m commenting becoz I saw all the sticky notes in your door; I said that looks like my door with sticky notes of different colors, on walls, hidden corners; you’re awesome 👏 and amazing young writer; keep it going!
thank you for making the videos you make! i write poetry, short stories, and am currently working on a novel. your videos are helping me reach higher levels of writing:)
Thank you so much for this video. I work with a lot of new authors and I think your video did a good job at explaining what their experience getting into Scrivener might be like. So thanks!
I’ve been using sticky notes, and note cards and even a white board in the same way as you. I finally broke down and bought scrivener and the target for sessions alone is really worth the $30+ I paid for it (I found a coupon code). It would have been worth full price, too. As you said, great motivator. Interested to see how you use excel, for plotting in more depth. I’ll be looking for those vids. I have a short story (about 20,000+ words) that has 3 time lines all in MSWord and index cards and I get lost every times I try to edit it. hehe Thanks for this.
Isn't the project tracker amazing? I agree, that feature alone made it worth the price. I have a few videos on plot grids--those help me with editing too since I can write down everything that happens in the story and see visually what needs to be there, what needs to go, and what I need to add. I highly recommend experimenting with plot grids they were a lifesaver for me!
@@WritewithClaireFraise I watched them and will again. My current project has only one time line, but an older one has 3. If I ever decide to grow that one I'll need a way to track them better. It's just one big word doc now. It stalled at 20k words. LOL
Good stuff. I was getting terribly disorganized while working in ‘Pages’ and ‘Notes’ and having all kinds of software open. I like to jump from chapter to chapter and not work linear, but I work best if I can work on just one chapter at a time. I like that scrivener seems to let me focus on one chapter, while still having the whole thing in order. I hate not having an overview over my work and drown in my own notes and disorganization. If only my notebooks had a scrivener template option. I will give scrivener a spin tomorrow. Your video’s feel very genuine, with love for the craft, and are very well structured, edited and directed. Impressive. You should be getting a massive following if you continue on this path. If that’s even something you desire of course. Cheers and thank you.
In Scrivener you can also view the whole book in one linear document. The first icon of the three on the right side of the search bar does that. And there is a way to format in the compiling function that saves you a lot of editing dramat that you had when just compiling it instead. It is designed to do that. There is no live tracking on changes but if someone you send it to has scrivener as well, they can use Scrivener's tool to track changes and send that back to you. I think I just talked myself into using scrivener. I only don't like the fear of a zip file breaking or getting deleted and another small thing. I can't find what word can that scrivener cannot, besides of existing without the other. Anyway, play with Scrivener a bit too and you may want to change this video haha. Nice hair. Thank you for helping me with decisioinmaking
One thing I don't like about Scrivener is its ignoring of WordPerfect import/export capabilities. Also it is very Word centric in its way and means of doing things. Something I will tolerate because it is so good in many other ways.
This was a very helpful video. I have been working on big ideas but have not known how really organize myself in a way that makes sense. I can already see how the plotting grid especially will just some of the anxiety of remembering things away. Big thank you.
I'm very old school in that I enjoy handwriting.. It seems my thoughts can flow better.... But I need something digital that's easy to move through and save...
Curious: You mentioned that you changed the tense of one of your stories. 1.) What tense was the story in, and what tense did you switch it to? 2.) Why did you switch it, what was the advantage to switching it? 3.) Are there software tools to switch tense? 4.) If yes, did you use one of those? Thank you for fielding my questions! I appreciated your video; well done!😊
I've been searching through Scrivener videos and found yours. This was incredibly useful. Thank you for so many useful insights and such a powerfully succinct evaluation. I also enjoyed your energy level and enthusiasm. Post it notes are incredibly useful. At the moment I use them as a Kanban board for doing tasks on one of my home office walls. I think it is a great idea though for brain storming and keeping track of ideas and components as you assemble and place them. Whiteboards are great thinking tools too. I've taught a lot of ESL classes in a few countries as well as my own, and the minute I have a whiteboard marker and a whiteboard I am good to go. I haven't tried Prowritingaid before so will look into it. I have Scrivener downloaded but haven't used it yet. I've been pondering a plot line for a while now, and think I am ready to launch into it. I'm looking forward to exploring your videos. Please keep up the great work ! Cheers. Simon Inglis (Australia)
Thank you, Claire. You are very inspiring. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. That is a rare find these days. A friend mentioned Scrivener to me last night and suggested I take a look at it. When I did a search for it on RU-vid you were the first video to pop up. I have downloaded the app and am going through the tutorial. I am writing my (first) book in Pages and then I will bring it into Scrivener (not sure how yet) to format it. I will figure it out. Also, I am currently using Grammarly. I plan on taking a look at Prowriting Aid after hearing your recommendation. I look forward to watching many more of your videos and learning as much as I can. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for all your hard work. I've had similar experiences. I'd suggest some people might like to try Causality for all sorts of writing, including outlining.
What an honest and informative video - Thank You!!! - I have many parts of a non-fiction book saved in Google Docs and can't seem to get organized - I think your sticky notes/index cards trick and Scrivener will help a lot. Again, thank you.
Right now, I am using an app on my tablet called Novelist. It also has a browser version, but I haven't toyed around with it yet. My current plan is to write my book in novelist and then finish the formatting of my first draft in Libra Office.
I want to use sticky notes. Unfortunately, so does my cat lol I think the only downsides I've found with scrivener are that there's no mobile version and it gets wonky when I'm trying to copy/paste my work saved on other platforms.
LOL that's too funny about your cat! I totally see that with Scrivener. I always carry around my computer or work from the same place so it doesn't impact me as much. Have you looked into Livingwriter? I think it's similar to Scrivener but syncs across devices like Google Docs
@@WritewithClaireFraise I find myself wanting to work on projects when I'm in bed a lot lol and I haven't heard of that but I will definitely look into it! Thank you!
Young Lady you can speak quicker than I can think at 78 years old. That's ok. I am writing a Book my first. Your input was great for my knowledge, and I believe it will be Scrivener. Happy Holidays as it may be. Stay well I may need some help. If so, I'll hunt down your videos. Happy writing. Thank you Errol
Very well done video. Enjoyed your enthusiasm and your presentation style was excellent. Thanks for the tips. I am a first time book writer doing two books about a recent long distance backpacking trip, so I am always eager for some pointers. Again, nicely done, I know you have a great writing future ahead of you!
Pro Writing Aid has a £10/month fee that has to be paid yearly. That is a hard no. I am fed up of the subscription model. Everybody wants you to rent their software, rather than buying it outright.
Hi i am from Jamaica...I love writing and hope to one day be a published author...but ever since recently I just lost all motivations and urge to persue and write more...Is there any advice or can u help me in anyway ? please ,will mean a lot
Losing motivation to write is definitely tough. I would try to reconnect with the parts of writing that you love and spend some time focusing on that. Sometimes pressure and stress can make me lose my inspiration to write, and what I always do is write a scene I'm dying to write that makes me fall back in love with the story. Sometimes taking a break can also be the best thing you can do to regain motivation. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in your writing journey :)
Claire. Thanks for the video. I well be checking out your plot grid videos. I am working on a biography and looking for a tool to keep different layers of the timeline separate and yet be able to stack them so i can have a birds eye view of what was happening around the same time. I am wondering if scrivener can do complex timelines.
I honestly think Scrivener is one of the best tools for doing complex timelines because you can organize chapters or scenes by color, and you can also drag and drop them into different folders. You could totally have a big folder for different sections of time, and then put each scene that takes place during that period of time into those folders.
@@WritewithClaireFraise The same company has a program called scapple, which is kind of like sticky notes. I haven't used it much. They have a free trial. The note cards in the corkboard view can also be used similar to sticky notes. I don't use sticky notes so I can't give much helpful feed back.
Hi Claire, Thanks for sharing your approach to writing and some tools as well. I’m also using Scrivener for a science fiction/fantasy novel. My trouble is that I often get ideas for scenes, world building, and whatever else for my story…when I’m not actually writing; I end up quickly writing them down in a note on my iPhone I call my ‘scrapbook.’ It’s just a place for my brainstorming, like your sticky notes but a lot less organized. I need an app to not only quickly write ideas, but also organize and draw connections. Any suggestions?
I use Scriver so I can work on four stories at a time so I dont run into character, plot or detail loss. I use Fadein for my fast draft of chapters or in between stories or character development and the copy the elements to Scrivener. Microsoft Word has too many security issues to deal with. Old stories prior to 2016 have to be sent to Officemax to print out as opening them can be bad. I use Libreoffice for outlines, profiles and arcs.
Thank you for sharing your ideas for some of the writing platforms. I use Microsoft Word Document 2016 version and it’s still works for me. I like how I can create notes, add picture illustrations for the scenes if I want to. Also, on the search magnifying glass symbol I can find words easier which it highlights them but if it’s too many of the same word it won’t show. :( There is so much still I cannot fully figure out. But I try to stick with basics. Also, I’m not sure if they have a feature that can reference scenes, or words that were spoken in other chapters. Like if I read a story in Ch 1 and later find that “Word” or “Scene(s)” in another chapter like 4, 10. Which I hoped they had.
You sound very well versed and knowledgeable. You got a sub and a like from me watching just this one video. Because I don’t write stories, AND I greatly respect your direction… I thought that I would ask if you could point me in the direction of someone who has good self help/nonfiction writing tips. Or I would love them from you directly, however I can’t tell if it’s your thing. Thanks 🙏🏼
Thank you so much for the sub! So sorry for the delay in replying. I have no experience writing nonfiction so I don't feel qualified to give tips on that, but I recommend going and finding a Facebook group filled with nonfiction writers. They will probably have better resources that I can give you. That's how I started networking with indie authors when I started self-publishing! I hope you find what you're looking for!
Hi Claire, I have never written a book before, but I have some ideas. My problem is, that I don't have a way to organize my thoughts. Do you have some ideas for us beginners?...
Thank you so much!! It's the bookshelf in my childhood bedroom, I will be having to move some of those books to my big girl bookshelf over the summer lol
your video was exactly what I was looking for thank you can you / have you done anthing to further illustrate how to utilize the excell plot grid ...thanks again!
I have! I’ve made a how to outline a book using a plot grid video, how to outline like Jk rowling, and 2 brainstorm a book w/ me plot grid videos that you can check out :) So glad my video helped you!
great practical information. I was wondering what is happening with the publishers like McGraw Hill, Pearson, etc. They are looking for book formats for mobile phones and also for other popular digital formats. Are there any recommendations for producing or exporting content to that formats? How the business model works?
I have a couple novel ideas/notes in my phone and want to start putting pen to paper and get at it. For a first time writer, would you recommend scrivener?
I would hold off on Scrivener until you know how you best operate as a writer better. I started with Pages and once I figured out I needed more structure I got Scrivener. But I'd definitely start writing before investing in any particular software :)
Have you tried Living Writer? I have heard it is as good as scrivener, but you can work on it from different computers, which might make it a game changer for me. I was set on buying scrivener, and then read a review of LivingWriter. Tell me what you think? I value your opinion.
Hi! I haven't tried Living Writer, but I just did some research and it looks similar to Scrivener, but probably a little more user-friendly. I like how it has built-in story structure and also seems to be able to work a little like Google Docs in the sense that you can collaborate with others? My favorite feature of Scrivener is that little word count tracker (I'm kind of obsessed with it) so if Living Writer doesn't have that, for me personally I'd probably stick with Scrivener, but it all depends on what you like and would use most. Maybe try a free trial of both and see what you think? You're right, being able to work from different computers is a total game changer!
I am always suspicious of software that purports to "help" improve my writing style or nitpicks on creative uses of the English language that I totally intentionally meant to do. It makes me double-think things to the point that it impinges upon my raw creativity. That notwithstanding, that software program Pro Writing Aid looked a little interesting perhaps at the VERY end of my writing process, maybe. Also, although it it out of vogue today, I use WordPerfect as my main word-processor, because it lets me get down to the very nittygritty of the codes going on behind the scenes of the written page; Word hides all that and sometimes it is very mysterious as to why something isn't formatting the right way. Most intriguing to me is Scrivener, which is something I am a little scared of, but I can totally see the potential and have resolved to use it for real complex projects. I have owned it a while, but am just seriously getting to learn/use it.
Can you easily switch back and forth between devices with some of these? I tend to use my ipad to write...but I do have a desktop and may end up getting a laptop in the near future :) - I am not good at just sitting in one space so I need something that travels with me. I use Pages now but would love something like Scrivener or similar, that gives me more context, like the folders. Thanks for any advice!
You might want to check out Living Writer! I haven't used their program before but I've heard it's like Scrivener except it's cloud based more like Google Docs so you can access the projects from anywhere. Here's the link to their website :) livingwriter.com/
I'm a graphic designer by training, but I've always wanted to tackle writing a story. Problem is that I'm very visual with my approach to things, and I haven't found a software that helps outline plot points in a visual A -> B -> C format. The closest thing I've found are mind maps, but I can't really move them around as much as I would like. Any software suggestions?
🏄🏽 This video reaffirms my sanity. Maybe it's a girl thing, or a left brain deal, but planning utilizing stickies, colored index cards--pastels, fluorescents--baby white boards, cool magnets, way before cranking up the mac, mirrors my incubation & pre-write also. Thank you for guiding writers through your process. 💚To map out 12 episode content for streaming, I've been fine with FREE Highland 2 (John August resonates.) I create characters, story map, hit my beats, with FREE TRIAL Squibler, as well. I'll be checking with you periodically for encouragement. I do use Word. Xcel hates me. I'll check out your in-depth plot grid video. Yes, as writers, we can. Promise I'll hop onto Scrivener, intuit if it's organic and right for my projects. It's an extremely busy app. You're launching YA thriller? Great news.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I agree, Scrivener is a super busy app. I really only use the simplest features and those alone make it worth it for me. But I love planning with sticky notes and white boards before moving to the computer. It's so fun and hands-on, for some reason it really helps me brainstorm. But yes! I'm launching a YA thriller on October 12, and I'm so excited about it :)
I started off writing a couple of years ago in Pages. Been I switched over to Microsoft Word. When I exported my document through pages end of Microsoft Word I lost the ability to use MS editor. Even though I have English selected as the language of my document it starts to underline every single word in red and wants to check it in Italian
Hi Gabriel! I published a book in high school, and I'm coming out with a new book (and first in a series) in three weeks. Here is the Amazon link to my upcoming book: www.amazon.com/They-Stay-Suspenseful-Young-Mystery/dp/1737225301/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=claire+fraise%27&qid=1628649544&sr=8-1 and here is the Goodreads link: www.goodreads.com/book/show/57821402-they-stay
@@perriknize2118 Cons would be that it is a bit confusing to start. Luckily you can right click anywhere for the appropriate menu on what can be done. Also double clicking is how to open the writing area. Some buttons are greyed out and there is no obvious way to turn them on until after working on a project for a bit. Start by clicking on Chapter> Create New Chapter> OK> Create Scene, to start. You can export directly to ebook but need to know how to use LaTex editing. Guide is on sites. google. Manuel is an html. Not a pdf. There is a sampe project under the help menu. Besides that. Pros are that it is easily arrangeable by scenes and chapters. Drag and drop them to separate grouping. Comes with a storyboard and writing goals base on time, word count, daily. Work schedule. Background colors can be changed with some trial and error, to have a dark mode; because the settings is the most confusing aspect. Uses much less system resources than other programs like M. Word, LibreOffice, Scrivener, Obsidian, Google workspace, etc. A dedicated research and notes section that supports images. Can export to html, rtf, latex, nanowrimo, pdf, calibre(which gives access to epub, mobi, etc.). If you need anything else just use Pandoc for file conversions and Freeplane for very detailed organization.
I bought a SuperNote e-pad to write longhand. It will automatically transcribe all your handwriting into Word documents and it does a very nice job of it, too.
I often hand write the first draft, then I transcribe it to digital, but alter it so before that it really is a rewrite. That process really improves the story far faster than if written in digital from the get go, IMHO. Anyway. Eventually you have to get it into a computer, so ... Learn to type?
