A lot of writers have reported how much they enjoy the fact that aspects such as characters and locations are hardcoded into Ywriter and are integral to the software. I have registered my copy (and I have purchased the Android App). Tired of Scrivener Coupon sites with outdated Discount codes? Scrivener or yWriter: why I use neither We've heard why Carolyn uses yWriter and why Sarah uses Scrivener. It’s free for the downloading! Whose opinion can I trust? A Scrivener fanatic determined to find and share the best ways to make the most of the software. The upside is Scrivener has a lot of features! It’s worth exploring this aspect of the software for yourself to see if it benefits your own creative process. It just suddenly says that it can’t save and asks you if you want to retry. I still get the occasional hit on my post where I asked for opinions on yWriter vs Scrivener. I would strongly recommend you use either yWriter or Scrivener. What you won't find in yWriter … Scrivener vs Storyist When it comes to writing tools, it’s easy to be confused by the choices available on the market today. They sync up with your yWriter software (on Google Drive or Dropbox) and you can edit on the fly. This appears to happen about 2-3 times a year. They also let you set up scenes within the chapters. Whereas in Scrivener you can choose whether to make use of locations and characters, these options are hardcoded into Ywriter. You also can’t remember if he has two sisters or three. I had downodaded Quoll a few days back and Scrivener even more recently and came back to Quooll after 2 nights of tutorials on Scrivener. The purpose of the registration is to support the writer of the software, Simon Haynes. Scrivener, hands down – Drag & Drop functionality, color, and fewer bugs Metrics (Word Count, WPM, novel length) yWriter, very narrowly – Same metrics, yWRiter makes them more visible. In other words, I’m writing these things out of order and it’s not a problem. The spelling and grammar checkers are great. I’ve used both, YWriter about 5 years ago, Scrivener around the same time and since then. You can grab whole chapters and move them around or move a scene from one to the next… it’s surprisingly helpful and you will find it much easier to do this when it is organized in one of these two programs, rather than in Word. Even on the yWriter site, it blatantly states that Scrivener is recommended for Mac OS X users, while yWriter is suggested for Windows PCs. In this blog we will explore some of the software which will assist you in everything from chapter descriptions to organizing your chapters and scenes! Just like with those tin snips, writing tools may visually look the same, you type and the words appear, but each one is designed for a particular purpose. There are a lot of similarities between Ywriter and Scrivener and both are great choices that offer higher levels of functionality than standard writing tools such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. I’m still hitting the writing goals, just haven’t made much time for this. (Also, I had been using yWriter previously and continue to use TreePad, and NF provided features I was missing in yWriter.) YWriter is a hidden gem for authors using Windows. I’m going to sit on it for a bit and touch it up over the next while. Ring-binder. I have found a couple downsides to yWriter. First, yWriter is designed and written by a writer. Final Draft: Best Screenwriting App. Think of the author of this software as you would an author of a book… he has put the effort in so if you like and continue to use the software… support him! Typewriter. I tested a few other programs that weren’t on the old list, but… If you are a Windows user who is leaning towards Ywriter based on price alone, it’s worth at least checking out Scrivener first. Since yWriter is free to use, it’s worth checking it out and even writing your book in it. Let me explore three options below (and mention a few others) as well as share my recommendations: MS Word is a great word processor. I have not researched any of these to any great length, but thought I would mention them for those who like lots of options before them. yWriter vs Scrivener: The Followup. You call your character “Shawn” (there’s a strong name… feel free to name all your children “Shawn”) and you define him (age, height, physical characteristics, family, etc.). I find when this happens, I hit ‘retry’ once or twice and it saves just fine. I’ve outlined my plan for the blog over the coming months and I’m writing away. Quoll writer is a really exciting addition to the list. Scrivener is more like a word processor with a powerful outlining function, while yWriter is more of an outlining and brainstorming tool. Scrivener is the premier book writing software. That’s what it’s been designed to be and what it does well. If you would like to explore this a little more, check out this blog on yWriter and Scrivenered Explored. Scrivener and Novlr are two of the most popular writing programs out there for authors.. Scrapbook. Scrivener’s interface is a lot more intuitive to me and the tutorial is really helpful. Ywriter was created by programmer and writer Simon Haynes of Spacejock software. For me, this would distract me. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: The saving problem mentioned above seems to have been resolved. I have started to use the Android version and really like it a lot. They allow you to collect information and put it where you want it. And the best part about yWriter? For me, I find yWriter great for blog-writing and Scrivener great for writing my books. I’m actually writing this blog on yWriter right now. I was merely wondering if it was me or was Quoll actually more intuitive than Scrivener. It needs to have a flow and there is software out there which can help you do this. Scrivener is the same way. You can also set up characters in both programs. I'm an author, a dad, a husband, a Christian and an encephalitis survivor (still trying to get back on my feet after that one). Word vs Scrivener: Fundamental Differences MS Word is a powerful word processor that captures text as you enter it via the keyboard and produces a final document the way you want to present it. If you need to swing back and forth throughout your story, take a look at the research you’ve been collecting or work with a storyboard it’s, well… perhaps not the best. ✅ Features: A beautiful blank page for … Scrivener is the far better bet for Mac users, and is even promoted directly on the creator of Ywriter’s website. It is intended for Windows. :) It depends on what you want to do with it. First, I find that sometimes yWriter has trouble saving. It helps you to organize your thoughts and writing in a way similar to yWriter. Non-linear Writing Capabilities: Scrivener – You have a lot more power to structure things however you like, nesting documents and folders Backups and Restores Scrivener vs Ulysses Apart from the price (Scrivener charges a one-time licensing fee while Ulysses charges yearly), the two platforms offer many of the same features. I find it unnecessarily complicated and difficult to use. Update: Since writing this post, I’ve moved on to using Scrivener instead (cost: $40), which is basically yWriter on steroids. It’s worth using this free trial in conjunction with Ywriter, as you will be able to get a feel for how each compare, side by side, without paying a penny. While it may be easier and more immediate to make use of the features provided by Ywriter, taking the time to get to grips with the flexibility of Scrivener provides a richer wealth of options. Here they are: This is a game-based site to help you write. I grab my phone and write! So we’ll focus on what makes the two programs different. You write and the number of words you write helps you to win the game. For stuff beyond that, you’ll be surprised at how many courses there are out there which are simply designed to help you make use of all the cool features. I use Scrivener’s “Sync > with External Folder…” command to build a binder for the script, which maintains a link to those original files. Second, I’m using yWriter right now to write this blog. I don’t like Calibre. It’s pretty great! Occasionally, the software will go on for half price through places like StackSocial or with a really great coupon code. I hated YWriter, it felt like it had a much steeper learning curve to get it to do what I wanted. yWriter. I continue to use yWriter for blog writing, but haven’t dealt with any saving issues in a long time. FocusWriter. There is so much these two programs do and I encourage you to try out both and check out a tutorial or two. If you want something you can jump into without worry, Ywriter might be the way to go. It’s called Scrivener Superpowers. When you step back from your book and look at an overview, you see who the story is really about and if you need to give someone else more screentime… pagetime. If you like a simple word processor, but want a simple and free one, I would check out Google Docs, Office Online, ThinkFree or one of the many other options. However after reading this, it makes a lot of sense that there would be specific needs an author could want and need. It’s pretty great! The two prizes which interest me are a 50% off discount on Scrivener (check out this blog on this great software) and IngramSpark is offering a free setup for your book (although I think you might be able to do […], […] while back I wrote a blog exploring the benefits of yWriter and Scrivener (along with some other writing software). A couple reasons I went with the Novel Factory rather than Scrivener are the lower learning curve and overall less cluttered feel. Unlike Microsoft Word, their sole purpose is to help you achieve your goal of writing your novel. Scrivener. I had always just thought that Word would have been exactly what you’d need. What these softwares both do, however, is they allow you to set up chapters, put them in order and change them around. So if you use it every other day, the trial period will last for two months! Ywriter also lacks the customizability of Scrivener. Compare Scrivener vs SmartOffice head-to-head across pricing, user satisfaction, and features, using data from actual users. When you introduce Shawn in chapter one, you’ll tell a little bit about him. Again, you can change it, but it helps to know where you’re going as you start out. I would write each chapter in a separate docx file in order to keep it organized. Overall features. It does everything yWriter does and more, but it does have a steeper learning curve. When I get an idea for a blog that I want to write a month down the road, I insert it into the right Category (calling it a chapter in yWriter) and then add in a few thoughts and ideas. For me, I’m really trying to do all this on a budget. The more I use yWriter, the more I like it and the cost was minimal. Ywriter is better for Windows users who are happy to use totally free software with less functionality than the paid option, Scrivener; Scrivener is the only option for Mac users; Scrivener has better mobile apps than Ywriter; Ywriter has a shorter learning curve due to its lesser functionality; Scrivener is more customizable and richly-featured For many, many writers, especially those with limited budgets, Scrivener might be more than necessary, and yWriter is a perfect alternative. Before purchasing Scrivener a couple of years ago, I did all of my writing in Microsoft Word. In the end, Scrivener and yWriter help you to organize your thoughts and the book flow better. That sounds like a bigger problem than it actually is. And if you’re like me and aren’t a Plotter, you’re going to love discovering that, while the Great-Scrivener-Behemoth may not be for you, there’s probably a dedicated writing software that is! Is there something better out there? The blog is organized and laid out and I can just add to it and change things as needed. One of the things I assumed right off the bat with writing was that Microsoft Word was the way to go (yup, I’m a PC guy). So … Try them out and see what you think. If you use Mac, there is no point in checking out Ywriter. There are also beta versions of Ywriter available for iOS and Android. Scrivener combines everything you need to craft your … $70/year for the 365 option or over $100 for the outright purchase). You could call them say… “The thing that scared me” and “I’m a runnin’ now!” You can see coming up with creative scene titles isn’t my strong point, but this way of organizing my writing makes a lot of sense to me. You simply assign that character as having the viewpoint and away you go. Probably the most widely known alternative to Scrivener, yWriter isn’t as robust as some of the others on this list, but has every feature you could need to assist you in your writing. I like the feel of Scrivener and the name generator (pretty cool), but the more I use yWriter, the more I like it and the way it feels. All you have to do is grab the second scene with your mouse and drag it up to where you want it. I love to write and I love to share my stories! It has a place to collect your research (information and pictures) and some really cool word counts. Then in chapter fifteen, you’ll find you can’t remember if Shawn has dark brown hair or light brown hair or is slightly balding on top (I assure you, he is not). You […]. If you want to export to an ebook, you really have to use a piece of software called Calibre. Scrivener is, however, designed for the Mac, so if you’re a PC user (like me) you deal with a few less features. So use it and keep an eye out for a big discount. If you’re writing a book, save yourself time by getting scrivener. Formatting is user driven, and you learn to modify the automatic formatting features such as headers, bullet lists, footers, headings, and subheadings. At the risk of offending all the iPhone users out there… I like Android. Scrivener costs $40 USD. Get 20-25% off Scrivener with CODES I VERIFY. I assume you mean Scrivener, not Crivener? Get Up to 50% Off Scrivener! It’s worth working through this tutorial. You can download a fully functional free trial of Scrivener here. MS Word can also be expensive (approx. Within that you could create two scenes. It has also built into the software particular sections for characters, locations and items. I will mention one more feature that you can make use of in both yWriter and Scrivener. If you’re looking at buying the software, I would check this out. Both these programs are excellent tools for writing. Getting frustrated with a standard writing tool like Microsoft Word is often the starting point which leads to a number of questions. However, the positives of this software far outweigh the negatives (see “The Perks of yWriter and Scrivener” below)! For the other stuff, they have a little tutorial that comes with it. No argument. I recommend the software either way. There are versions available for almost every version of Windows out there, and betas in development. Scrivener Coupons: Discount Codes that WORK. I'm going to join in with my cutting-edge technology. You can also check out Five Great Tools to Help Your […], […] of trying to get this done. Scrivener is the bigger gun among the two. This wasn’t a bad way to go, but I think there are better ways. yWriter and Scrivener allow you to see your story in the form of a storyboard (little boxes with a short description or a title of each scene). I just jump ahead to this topic and away I go! If this works for you, check it out! First, you should be writing an outline for your story before you begin. It means it’s fairly easy to use and offers the features that writers want (see below). Ulysses uses Markdown, and Scrivener supports it but also offers traditional formatting panels. Maybe later on you’ll find that you want to do one of those flashback scenes where you start out with how you’re running now and then you flashback to share what it was that scared you. That’s pretty great. yWriter even tells you your typing speed and how many words you’ve typed today. I started Book One and wrote nearly half of it with Word. You can set a plan for yourself for how much you would like to write each day and go at it. Scrivener comes with a free trial version that is … Ywriter’s bread and butter is running on Windows. I have so much fun when I write and I find it so relaxing. But Ywriter is another option well worth considering. I’m finding Quoll much easeir. Be careful, however, that you do not end up downloading and installing bloated software (stuff with spam). I’m in the process of waiting for one of these. Later on I might actually sit and write it out, but for now I know where I’m going and what I want to blog about in a month! What I’ve done sometimes is I have copied the paragraph from the book where the character is described into the character description so when I look back I can see exactly what I wrote. It’s just all organized in yWriter and it’s simple to jump around, find the one I want to work on and get cracking on it! For Mac users, mobile users, and Windows users who are prepared to learn the ins and outs of Scrivener in return for a higher level of functionality and customizability, Scrivener remains the smartest choice. Scrivener is great if you need everything it does, and you want to / can pay for it. The main attraction for a lot of people will be the lack of payment needed to get started using Ywriter. Let me say two things about yWriter right off the bat. 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