Online | Fiction | Nonfiction | Seminar

1-Day Open-Genre Seminar: Using Scrivener for Creative Writing

When a writing project gets big enough, in length or in scope, a single word processing document just won’t cut it. Writers of complex and researched projects need organization, flexibility, and tools. Sometimes that’s filing systems, or post-it notes, or index cards, or piles and piles of papers. Or it can be all one thing: Scrivener.

Scrivener is a word-processing program designed for authors of all genres, with space to collect and annotate research and notes, draft, organize, and revise. But it is a hefty piece of software, with far more features than any one project requires, or any one person can easily learn. This lecture-based class will provide a tour of the Scrivener features most useful for wrangling research, drafting, feedback, revision, and fact-checking of book-length or otherwise hefty projects. (But Scrivener is not only for books—your humble instructor uses it for everything from fellowship applications to essays to, yes, researching and writing her book.) This class is aimed at fiction and non-fiction writers, and will be most useful for writers incorporating research into their work. Students do not need to purchase Scrivener (or have any familiarity with it) prior to this class; you can use the lecture to decide if it is right for you and your project.

Class meetings will be held over video chat, using Zoom accessed from your private class page. While you can use Zoom from your browser, we recommend downloading the desktop client so you have access to all platform features. The Zoom call will have automated transcription enabled. Please let us know ([email protected]) if you have any questions or concerns about accessibility.

Check out this page for details about payment plans and discount opportunities.  

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

- Get an overview of Scrivener’s layout and tools.

- Learn how to organize a daunting amount of research and make it accessible as you’re writing.

- See the options for big-picture structural revision in Scrivener, and get a sense of when to transition a project to Word or another program.

- Figure out if Scrivener will be useful to your work.

- 10% discount on all future Catapult classes

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

No pre-work required.

COURSE SKELETON:

- Overview of Scrivener

- Organizing and accessing research

- Drafting and revision

- Exporting (aka compiling)

- Q&A

Jaime Green

Jaime Green is a full-time freelance writer and editor. She received her MFA in Nonfiction from Columbia, and she has taught writing at Columbia, The New School, and the Sackett Street Writers' Workshop. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, BuzzFeed, The Cut, GQ.com, Popular Science, Backstage, American Theatre online, and elsewhere. She is associate editor at Future Tense and series editor for Best American Science and Nature Writing. Her book, The Possibility of Life, will be published in 2023 by Hanover Square Press. 

Testimonials

"I loved this class! It was so helpful, I really think I’ll use everything I learned. The frameworks were clear and I liked how Jaime had us do exercises to apply concepts. One of the best writing classes I’ve taken."

former Catapult student

"Jaime was such a great instructor, and created a great atmosphere for discussion, even with being virtual. Such a great concept of including the "science" of writing and applying to creating your own process."

former Catapult student

“Her class changed my perspective on creative writing and motivated me to be braver, bolder, and more creative.”

former student

“Jaime always brings an energy to each class that always makes me want to push myself to think of new questions and explore new writing techniques.”

former student

“Jaime is a wonderful editor. She pushed me to make my essay much better and more vulnerable.”

Adrienne Celt author of INVITATION TO A BONFIRE and THE DAUGHTERS