Quick Scrivener tip: using chapter notes
There are lots of places to leave notes around in Scrivener. I think it’s a good idea to focus on a few that work for you and leave the rest blank. Here’s an example of what I think is a very useful note/synopsis approach.
The situation: you are facing writing a part, chapter or set of scenes inside a containing folder. Yes, each of those individual scenes can have a synopsis and notes if you want it. But so can the folder/master document too — and they can serve a broader purpose. Let’s look at an example.
This is the synopsis for one part of The Killing enclosed in a single folder. At the top we have the part name and a synopsis. A broad outline of what is happening in this section without detail. Labels are largely irrelevant here since I use them for storylines and the section will have multiple ones. Status simply tells me I’ve finished this section.
Document Notes are important for me. Like the synopsis these apply to the section as a whole. It’s finished now but before writing I use these notes to lay down my intentions for the scenes to come. Is there something in the narrative that needs to be resolved here — though I’m not quite sure where? This is the place to make a note of it.
I’m using this almost as a set of reminders and to-do notes looking ahead to the writing to come. General statements of intention, some of which may change as the work develops.
The key for me is to note these things down as they occur to me. It’s so easy to forget things, especially vague thoughts that aren’t fixed to a specific point in the narrative. This is my way of making sure nothing escapes the net.
