KUMARI PACHECO
So, you're writing a thing.
Fantasy novel, historical timepiece, graphic novel script—no matter what it is, you're bound to have characters, plots, and settings swirling around in your head, rent-free and rampant. Why on earth should they also be scattered across a dozen Microsoft Word files?
Now, I'm no pioneer. Many writers will tell you that Microsoft Word isn't exactly the crème de la crème of worldbuilding-heavy word processing software. That said, I'm certain that my alternative, Scrivener, beats the rest by ten leagues through the lands of Mordor. (No, really.)
Scrivener's blank page is never really a blank page. "Page 1" is an endless scroll, allowing you to chase your ideas without the disruption of page breaks. On the left of the screen, you have your modules, which can be shifted up and down to fit whatever hierarchy is most helpful. If you're a "plotter" like me, that's likely where you'll begin.
Each module contains a blank sheet—although some, like "Characters," come with a nifty little template—and can be dragged inside each other, as I've done with "1880-90s Clothing" and "Research." Such nested modules can be collapsed using the arrow to the left of the icon, creating a nice, tidy workspace with everything you need inside of the same "document."
Scrivener also offers several icons for you to use in personalizing your modules. You can even personalize their contents by creating your own templates.
Freedom, concision—it's a bit of an oxymoron, isn't it? But what's true is true. Scrivener can hold the whole of your imagined world in a single, readymade document.
In other words, Scrivener makes Word look like a post-it note.
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