Scrivener breaks a long writing project into documents you can arrange in a Binder, then brings those pieces together when you are ready to prepare a manuscript. The workspace also keeps research materials and planning views alongside the draft.
How does the Binder shape a draft?
A Scrivener project holds separate text documents and folders in the Binder. A novel might have folders for chapters and documents for scenes; a research project can keep notes and draft sections in the same hierarchy. Dragging items into a new order changes the project structure without requiring the text to be rewritten or copied into one long file.
The editor can show one document at a time or present several selected documents as a continuous text in Scrivenings view. This supports focused work on a passage as well as reading connected sections in sequence.
- Use the Corkboard to arrange document summaries as index cards.
- Switch to the Outliner to inspect the project in a list and work with its structure.
Research beside the writing
Research files and notes can live inside the project, including PDFs, web pages, images, and text. The split editor can show a source in one pane while the draft remains open in the other, so a passage can be written with its reference visible. Keeping those materials in the project also lets the Binder group sources with the sections they support.
From project pieces to a finished document
Scrivener's Compile feature gathers chosen project documents and applies formatting for an output manuscript. It can produce formats such as DOCX, PDF, RTF, and ePub. The project can therefore retain its scene-level organization while the compiled copy follows a more continuous document structure.
For revision, Snapshots preserve an earlier state of a document so it can be compared with later edits. Writing targets provide word-count goals for a project or a writing session, with progress shown as the count changes.
Pros
- Binder organizes chapters, scenes, notes, and other project documents
- Corkboard cards and the Outliner offer different ways to plan structure
- Split editor displays a draft beside research material
- Compile combines selected project documents into an export
System requirements: Windows 10, Windows 11 · 64-bit only · Minimum display resolution 1024x768px
Can Scrivener show a chapter as one continuous draft?
Yes. Scrivenings view displays selected Binder documents together as continuous text in the editor.
Can research material stay inside a Scrivener project?
Yes. Projects can contain items such as PDFs, web pages, images, and notes alongside writing documents.
What does Compile do?
Compile combines selected project documents and formats them for an output such as DOCX, PDF, RTF, or ePub.
