That's also true of StoryMill, but StoryMill forces the user into double-clicking on a chapter title before all editing power is in place and menu items (like split screen) become undimmed. As soon as the user creates a new project, the center pane is ready to receive the writer's text with a blinking cursor. (However, a conventional formatting ruler can be displayed.)Īlso, the immediate availability of the text is important. After all, if one wants a smorgasbord of visual clutter, buttons, pallets, rulers, tab markers, and font controls, one can always use Microsoft Word. The typeface is defined in the preferences so that the screen remains clean, devoid of rulers (by default) and tab markers that can distract one from the pleasure of writing. With Scrivener, the immediate focus is on writing. You might be able to get it on its way, perhaps submerged, but there's that nagging feeling that you're in over your head for awhile. While StoryMill allows the writer to just jump in and start writing in the word processor, it's a bit like jumping into a nuclear submarine in a movie. What you will find in spades is help with managing the text of your document - or story. You won't find time sequencers, character building and cataloging or cliche finders because the app can tackle a broader range of projects. If StoryMill took a very technical, methodical and structural approach to writing a novel, then Scrivener walks down a different, more relaxed path with cork boards and help with the tactics of text manipulation. The first application reviewed in this series was StoryMill. This review of Scrivener is the second in a series of reviews of Macintosh software for writers. It provides features missing from a conventional word processor and focuses on the task of helping the writer manage text and ideas during the creative process. Scrivener is a writer's tool that assists with a wide range of writing tasks, not just a novel, that can benefit from organizational support.
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