# Scrivener users, how do you organize your chapters/scenes?



## Nicole M (Nov 1, 2012)

So, I'm going through Chris Fox's 21 day challenge and I noticed that he uses Scrivener very differently and much more efficiently than I do. However, I'm not sure if the way he does it will work for my new draft or if I'm better off using folders for chapters or what. For reference, if you haven't seen his videos, he uses folders to divide Act 1, 2, 3 and scene files to write his chapters. I would love to know what other writers do. Screenshots are welcome as well.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Dunno if it's worth looking at, but here's a video I did a year ago while working on a first in series. Basically I use one scene=one chapter, and all the chapters are a text file under a single folder. Makes compiling pretty easy. A folder for front matter, one for the manuscript, and one for backmatter.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2017)

For me, it really depends on the work. For Aisuru, for example, I had chapters with scenes, so I used folders for chapters and documents for the individual scenes. Deviations was chapters only, no scenes, so I just used documents for each chapter.

My third novel, Girl in the Forest, I have chapters plus sections, so I did something similar to Aisuru except there are also chapters outside of the folders  Here is a screenie of that one:



Also working on a non-fiction book that has sections with chapters and then parts to those chapters. That's probably the most complicated structure I have so far, with folders, documents and folders under those folders, and documents under documents, and going in 3 to 4 levels @[email protected]


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

I use folders for chapters and documents for scenes and I name all the folders "Chapter <$n>" so they'll auto-number when I compile and I can move chapters around or insert new chapters when rewriting without having to go through and manually renumber all the chapters.

You can also use an additional level of folders to split up by acts if you want. So it would go something like this:

MANUSCRIPT
-Act folder
--Chapter folder
---Scene document
--Chapter folder
---Scene document
--Chapter folder
---Scene document
-Act folder

Then in the compile window, you just untick all the "Act" folders so those headings don't show up in your final version.


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## pdworkman (Jan 17, 2015)

Folders for chapters and documents within them for scenes. 

If I have a book that is divided into parts, those are folders as well.


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## kathrynoh (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks Perry. I didn't know about that chapter numbering thing 

I have a basic template set up with story beats. Under each beat, I do one scene per document.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

kathrynoh said:


> Thanks Perry. I didn't know about that chapter numbering thing


I decided to see if it was possible after I had to add some extra chapters and it took way too much time to rename everything. Such a time-saver now.

Also, if you're compiling box sets, make sure to name the first chapter of each book "Chapter <$rst><$n>". That resets the numbering, or else you'll end up with chapter 1 of book 2 continuing from the book 1 chapter numbering.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

pdworkman said:


> Folders for chapters and documents within them for scenes.


Me too. The only book I did with parts was before Scrivener. If I do another, then it will be Part, Chapter, Scene. I think if I wanted to see Beginning, Middle, End in the Binder, I might try color rather than another layer.


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## VanessaC (Jan 14, 2017)

Another on using folders for chapters and documents for scenes. 

I am also now doing an outline under the Research fold, which has its own folder and all the different scene outlines have their own text folder. I then use split screen (need a reasonably large screen, though!) with the outline / notes on one side and the MS on the other.

I no longer number my chapters for exactly the reason Perry described above.  All my chapter names and scene names in Scrivener describe the chapter / scene.  To get chapter numbers I adjust the compile settings - in compile, Scrivener will add in "Chapter One" (or 1) etc and you can tell it not to use your headings. This helps me as I find my MS easier to follow on screen.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

VanessaC said:


> To get chapter numbers I adjust the compile settings - in compile, Scrivener will add in "Chapter One" (or 1) etc and you can tell it not to use your headings. This helps me as I find my MS easier to follow on screen.


Yeah, that's also a useful way of doing it, but be aware that if you go this route, the title of every folder will be preceded by "Chapter #," so if you're someone like me who writes a final chapter titled EPILOGUE, then you're better off naming the folders as I describe.


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## VanessaC (Jan 14, 2017)

Perry Constantine said:


> Yeah, that's also a useful way of doing it, but be aware that if you go this route, the title of every folder will be preceded by "Chapter #," so if you're someone like me who writes a final chapter titled EPILOGUE, then you're better off naming the folders as I describe.


Good point - so far I am using plain chapters. Haven't played with Scrivener enough to work out all its quirks.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Gosh, I'm not nearly as detailed as you guys. I have a folder for the book over all, which is a template I made (the compile template). Each part is a folder (the front matter and back matter are separate ones, but could as easily be a file), each chapter is a folder with all scenes together inside it. I used to separate out the scenes, and may go back to doing that, but I was barely writing so I just cut out everything I could and went basic. If a book has parts, each part would be a folder with the related chapters inside it.

Perry, thanks for that chapter titling thing. I'm going to start doing that, because it is a pain to resort and rename if I mess up. I'm going to assume it works in the PC version.


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## Nicole M (Nov 1, 2012)

Perry Constantine said:


> I use folders for chapters and documents for scenes and I name all the folders "Chapter <$n>" so they'll auto-number when I compile and I can move chapters around or insert new chapters when rewriting without having to go through and manually renumber all the chapters.


Whoa, that's so clever. I'm just now starting to understand Scrivener. It's quite a steep learning curve but my god, is it useful. It hadn't occurred to me until Chris Fox's videos that I could use those folders and scenes to do the outline and then write the scenes in. (I know, I know, I'm dumb) I always outlined the novel in MS Word hah. Thanks for all the ideas guys.



Jim Johnson said:


> Dunno if it's worth looking at, but here's a video I did a year ago while working on a first in series. Basically I use one scene=one chapter, and all the chapters are a text file under a single folder. Makes compiling pretty easy. A folder for front matter, one for the manuscript, and one for backmatter.


Thank you, I love seeing another writer's progress! Will watch after breakfast


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## Briteka (Mar 5, 2012)

Personally, I find it best to be overly simple. I don't use any templates. I just create a new document and set each chapter as a new file under drafts. Outlines go under research. When I compile, I just compile as-is and everything turns out how I want it because I do all the formatting inside the documents.


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## J.R. Tate (Mar 30, 2014)

Briteka said:


> Personally, I find it best to be overly simple. I don't use any templates. I just create a new document and set each chapter as a new file under drafts. Outlines go under research. When I compile, I just compile as-is and everything turns out how I want it because I do all the formatting inside the documents.


This is pretty much how my Scrivener looks. There are so many bells and whistles to this program that I have yet to explore... but I do love separating the chapters like this - it helps me with pacing of the story and keeping a consistent word count for each chapter. I also do character sketches and research. Simple is best for me at this point.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I never considered making an outline as a separate document. I use the Outliner feature. When I started I did the note cards in Corkboard, but found myself wasting too much time playing with them. Since Outliner and Corkboard are simply different views of the same thing, what I put in Outliner shows as note cards, and as I write the note card for my chapter or scene is right there at the top of the Inspector.

P.S. I write on my laptop, so the screen wouldn't be big enough for me to be happy turning Inspector off and using split screen.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

Also, if anyone's looking for templates, this site has a whole bunch for different purposes.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

I've got a system that has been working well for me: folders for parts and chapters. Documents for scenes.

I start out without any Part or Chapter folders, just scenes. Then, when I'm almost done, I add all the part and chapter folders, deciding where to break each chapter. At that point it looks like this:










Some other things you'll see in that screenshot:

The POV character for each scene is represented by the icon.
The color background of the cards indicates status (Pseudocode, First draft, first revision, etc.)
The strips at the right show whether the scene is an action scene, suspense-inducing scene, etc.

I stopped using the automatic chapter numbering. IIRC, here's why: It made it a struggle to make the Prologue and Epilogue chapters follow the same formatting as the chapters. That is, I needed to do a Compile As Is for those, and I prefer to avoid that.


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## whistlelock (Jun 30, 2015)

Mine is pretty simple:

MANUSCRIPT
    Chapter
        Text document


When I rewrite that chapter, I duplicate the text file and rename it One Draft 1.  The new text file is renamed One.  I keep it pretty simple.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

TromboneAl said:


> The POV character for each scene is represented by the icon.
> The color background of the cards indicates status (Pseudocode, First draft, first revision, etc.)


I'm going to borrow those ideas for my next book. I'm always moving scenes here and there into and out of different chapters as I go. Waiting till the end and doing it once would be much smarter.

I also like the ideas about color for status and icons for POV. Right now I use color (in the Binder, I don't use cards) for POV, but even though I use the Status setting in the Inspector, it doesn't show in the binder. I've been using icons at the end to show which chapters are final, but having a way to mark them so they'd show all the stages in the Binder at a glance seems like it would be better.

Your color scheme is also very appealing. In my romances I use pastels, but I like yours for other genres.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

Another reason I don't use the automatic chapter numbering, is that if I compile just one or more chapters from the middle, the numbers will not be right (they will start from 1). This is important when preparing chapters for critiques.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

ellenoc said:


> Your color scheme is also very appealing. In my romances I use pastels, but I like yours for other genres.


It can get a little bright, depending on status.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Love the screenshots on what other writers are doing with Scrivener!

I create a folder for each chapter. I title my chapters. Inside the chapter/folder, I break down into files for each scene. I put a little synopsis for each scene.


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## Jo Lane (Feb 13, 2017)

I also have the chapters in folders then the scenes as documents inside.


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## pdworkman (Jan 17, 2015)

Perry Constantine said:


> Yeah, that's also a useful way of doing it, but be aware that if you go this route, the title of every folder will be preceded by "Chapter #," so if you're someone like me who writes a final chapter titled EPILOGUE, then you're better off naming the folders as I describe.


Not a problem. Under Title Adjustments, mark off the prologue, epilogue, etc. beside "Do not add title prefix or suffix to documents"


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## Paz Ellis (Nov 21, 2016)

It seems everyone approached Scrivener different.  I love that it is so diverse. I simply used folders and documents (texts).  I still have issues with chapters and compiling but I meticulously format and make sure the chapters and text are perfectly formatted.  I also add additional folders for back matter (cta), a folder for copyright, one for title page, another for acknowledgements, etc..

And I use youtube.com a lot if I get hung up.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

pdworkman said:


> Not a problem. Under Title Adjustments, mark off the prologue, epilogue, etc. beside "Do not add title prefix or suffix to documents"


I think this would only work right if you title all your chapters, which I don't. My books are structured as chapter one, chapter two, etc. I don't have anything like Chapter 1: Title.


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## pdworkman (Jan 17, 2015)

Perry Constantine said:


> I think this would only work right if you title all your chapters, which I don't. My books are structured as chapter one, chapter two, etc. I don't have anything like Chapter 1: Title.


No, I have Scrivener auto-title all of my main chapters Chapter One and so forth, while marking off the prologue, epilogue, and all front and back matter not to be auto-titled.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

pdworkman said:


> No, I have Scrivener auto-title all of my main chapters Chapter One and so forth, while marking off the prologue, epilogue, and all front and back matter not to be auto-titled.


Wasn't aware of that, thanks.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

pdworkman said:


> Not a problem. Under Title Adjustments, mark off the prologue, epilogue, etc. beside "Do not add title prefix or suffix to documents"


Is that a Mac thing? I'm not finding it.


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## jaehaerys (Feb 18, 2016)

I have Act I, II, III as folders and then the chapters are Text documents in each.


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## pdworkman (Jan 17, 2015)

TromboneAl said:


> Is that a Mac thing? I'm not finding it.


Yeah, looks like it.

Scrivener is 80% of the reason I switched to a Mac!


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