Why I Use Scrivener

Suffering from allergy-induced fuzziness, bronchitis and multiple trips to the doctor did not make for a happy person or productive writing. Hibernating and hiding from the cedar pollen and germs seemed like the ideal solution, but that route is not in the cards when you are shuffling the deck of a busy life.

Fortunately, a path of tissues, coughing fits and an obsession to Vick’s Vapor Rub led me to Scrivener.

As I mentioned, writing became a bit difficult when I started feeling sick. Even recalling my own name seemed impossible at times. The haziness brought on by allergy medications caused aggravation. I would grip the pen and doodle along my notebook, hoping for a miracle. The blinking cursor made my eyes water.  After a few days of moping and wallowing in a sea of Kleenex, I contemplated giving up on writing.

Was this possibly a sign? Should I step away without looking back?

Then the Dayquil hit my bloodstream and all the nonsense was just that. Nonsense. In reality, I was having a bad day. Plain & simple. (Wait…..am I allowed sick days?)

There was no way I could go back to the “before”. To leave my characters in limbo would be a crime that I was not willing to commit. So, I sat on the floor (yes, I am a floor worker when stressed) and spread everything around me. Immediately my problem was apparent. Maybe being on the same level as my ideas, Word Documents and bits and pieces printed from Evernote allowed me the clarity I needed.

My story was scattered and lost amongst lack of organization. And in turn, I lost focus. (Thank goodness for Dayquil!)

I needed to get my shit together. Literally.

Over the past months, a program called Scrivener had been recommended  by fellow writers. Due to cost, I never acted on their advice. It isn’t all that expensive, but when you have yet to bring in income with your writing – everything strains the pocketbook. After researching and reading up on reviews, I decided to make the investment and go for it.

After the program was downloaded and I watched a few tutorials, I felt encouraged. This simple step opened a new door for me. Allowing a positive outlook on where my writing could go. With organizing, I lost the fuzziness and aggravation that prevented me from seeing the possibilities.

Amazing how advice and a different perspective can help when you hit a roadblock.