On the learning curve

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Luther M. Siler

One of the fun things about learning a new piece of software is that you can completely screw yourself if you do things wrong and not learn about it until it is deeply obnoxious to fix what you did.

I have committed myself to writing Searching for Malumba and Starlight in Scrivener, and I intend to keep to that.

Searching for Malumba has, at present, about 140 individual essays.

I have just discovered that each of those essays, which are technically each chapters, needs to be in its own folder in order to compile properly. And I keep accidentally clicking the wrong things while trying to create those folders.

You may fire when ready.

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Luther M. Siler

Teacher, writer of words, and local curmudgeon. Enthusiastically profane. Occasionally hostile. View all posts by Luther M. Siler

9 thoughts on “On the learning curve”

jdawgswords August 30, 201512:45 PM

I don’t know the mentioned software (word processor?)…I hate trying to remember layers and tools, etc…what I really hate is how the developer and I, the user, can’t seem to name the tools the same thing…I use open office for word processor and don’t have much need for the other components of the suite…but, yeah the fight is real

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issue47 August 30, 20152:00 PM

Love Scrivener. But it’s been awhile since I’ve used it (free trial ran out).

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Corina August 30, 20152:01 PM

You reminded me that I have to try to learn Scrivner before NaNoWriMo. I tried to do it while writing before and never caught on so went back to the old way. But Scrivner really looks good to me and I paid for it so I should learn it and use it!

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1. Luther M. Siler August 30, 20152:03 PM
  
  Trying to do Searching for Malumba in Word would be virtually impossible. Even with the extra time my mistakes are costing me.
  
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scifi jon August 30, 20152:14 PM

I don’t understand why people use Scrivner. It’s one of the more non-intuitive programs I have used. A piss-poor design.

Personally I think the Evernote-Word combo is the best. With Office 365 and Evernote, you have your story and notes no matter where you go. Plus Evernote is super easy to use.

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1. Luther M. Siler August 30, 20152:50 PM
  
  Intuitive isn’t everything, though, and it’s curious to see you praising Evernote in the same breath. Scrivener works great once you learn how it thinks; I have never been able to get anywhere with Evernote or its satellite programs for precisely the same reason.
  
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  1. scifi jon August 30, 20153:16 PM
    
    I couldn’t make heads or tails of Scrivener. I don’t do outlines so Evernote and Word are all I need, and I just get Evernote. I guess it was designed how I think.
    
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That's What She Read August 30, 20152:47 PM

Just started using Scrivener. So far, it works well for my purposes. Good to know this about the folders, so thanks for the heads up!

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eclecticalli August 30, 20159:49 PM

I love Scrivener. Once a piece gets long enough I find it helpful to help divide up the section and be able to jump around, for rewrites, and for compiling a lot of different information in one place. I keep learning new things about it as I go through, and have really been pleased with all I’m learning in it 🙂

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