By Dan Moren
November 20, 2017 10:48 AM PT
Scrivener 3 arrives with new interface, export options
Note: This story has not been updated for several years.
Pretty much every book I’ve written in the past decade or so1 has spent the majority of its life in Scrivener; it’s one of my indispensable tools. So the release of Scrivener 3 for macOS is a cause for celebration!
Version 3, which I did spend a little time beta testing, adds a brand new modernized interface, redesigns options for compiling and exporting, and introduces a full styles system. There are also enhancements to writing stats, custom metadata, outlining, and more. If you’re a user of one of the latest MacBook Pros, there’s even Touch Bar support. Under the hood, developers Literature and Latte have also rewritten the codebase to improve speed and stability. And, as you might expect from a program as full featured as Scrivener, there’s way more here.
I’m sure I don’t even use a fraction of the bells and whistles that Scrivener has to offer, but I’m not alone in singing its praises. I know Jason uses it as well, as does our good friend Antony Johnston.2 (Check out his excellent post on using Scrivener for comics scripts, which includes a template of his own design.)
Obviously, Scrivener doesn’t turn you into a writer anymore than handing you a paintbrush turns you into Picasso, but if you’re looking for a tool to help you on your journey, it’s a great choice.
Scrivener 3 costs $45, though owners of earlier versions can snag an upgrade discount for $25. (If you bought Scrivener on or after August 20 of this year, you’re eligible to upgrade for free.) Though the Mac App Store doesn’t allow for discounts, if you purchased an earlier version through it, Literature and Latte is inviting you to email them for a discount coupon.
- My debut novel The Caledonian Gambit among them. ↩
- He wrote a graphic novel called The Coldest City which was adapted to a little movie you may have heard of called Atomic Blonde. ↩
[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors. You can find him on Mastodon at @dmoren@zeppelin.flights or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, the supernatural detective story All Souls Lost, is now available for pre-order.]
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