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Scrivener is a long-document writing application from Literature & Latte. This Scrivener tutorial walks a researcher through the parts of it that matter for a thesis, a long report or a book manuscript: the Binder, the Corkboard and Outliner, Snapshots, Targets and Compile. The step that trips up most new users is Compile, so that section follows the vendor’s current instructions closely and lists what Compile leaves out.
What Scrivener is used for in research writing
Scrivener keeps the text, notes and background material of a long project in one file, and lets you write in sections of any size. Literature & Latte lists students and academics among its users, alongside novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, lawyers and journalists. Its product page describes how a thesis can be split into arguments, chapters or even paragraphs, and then edited as one continuous document in Scrivenings mode.
The main working areas, as the vendor describes them:
- Binder: the project outline on the left, holding the manuscript, notes and research folders.
- Corkboard: every section is attached to a virtual index card; moving a card rearranges the section in the manuscript.
- Outliner: an overview with synopses, word counts and metadata; sections can be reordered by drag and drop.
- Snapshots: a saved copy of a section taken before you revise it, with a Compare view that shows the changes.
- Targets: word or character goals for the whole manuscript, a single section or a writing session, with a Writing History.
- Compile: turns the project into one document such as Word, RTF, PDF or plain text.
If your thesis or report is already planned as chapters, read how to start a thesis and the dissertation writing timeline first, then use Scrivener to hold the structure.
Install or access
Download Scrivener only from the Literature & Latte website (literatureandlatte.com). Its product page offers a free trial and lists three platform versions. As shown on 29 October 2026:
- macOS: version 3.5.2, for macOS 11 and later.
- Windows: version 3.1.6, 64-bit, for Windows 10 and later.
- iOS: version 1.2.4, for iOS 11 and later; the corkboard and Quick Reference are available on iPad only.
Version numbers change with each release, so follow the vendor’s documentation for the build you installed.
Step-by-step: set up a research project, then compile it
- Start from a template. Scrivener ships project templates that carry their own compile settings. According to Literature & Latte, the General Non-Fiction template includes a Contents page, a Foreword and Sections; Novel with Parts adds a Part Heading section type; Blank has no compile settings at all. For a thesis or report, General Non-Fiction is the closest starting point.
- Split the work into sections in the Binder. Give each chapter, argument or sub-section its own document. Scrivenings mode lets you select several of them and edit them as a single document without merging them.
- Plan on the Corkboard or Outliner. Write a short synopsis on each index card. Dragging a card, or a row in the Outliner, reorders the matching section in the manuscript, so restructuring does not mean cutting and pasting.
- Bring your source material in. Scrivener can import Word and OpenOffice documents, plain text files, images, PDFs, movies, sound files and web pages. Keep them in the research area of the Binder and open them beside your draft.
- Take a Snapshot before each major revision. A Snapshot stores the section as it is now; Compare then shows what changed after, for example, a supervisor’s round of comments.
- Set Targets. Use a manuscript target for the overall length and section targets for chapter limits; session targets help with daily writing goals.
- Compile. Choose File > Compile to open the Compile Overview. It has three columns: Formats on the left, Section Layouts in the middle and Compile Options on the right. The Compile for menu at the top offers PDF, .docx and Print.
- Pick or adjust a format. In the Formats column, the + button offers New Format and Duplicate & Edit Format. Literature & Latte suggests duplicating a built-in format for minor changes. The built-in manuscript formats differ only in font, Courier or Times Roman.
- Limit what is compiled. Only items inside the top-level Draft (Manuscript) folder are compiled, and unchecked items are left out. A menu at the top of the column lets you select a single folder to compile just that part.
Output and how to read it
Compile produces one file from the whole project. A PDF is the easiest output to inspect but hard to edit; .docx and .rtf stay editable, which is the right choice if a co-author or supervisor will mark up the text. Literature & Latte’s own advice for printing is to compile to PDF, check the document, and then print it, instead of sending the project straight to the printer.
When you read the result, check three things: that every chapter you expected is present, that headings and the Contents page match your intended order, and that fonts and spacing match the format you chose rather than what you typed in the editor (see the next section for why they can differ).
Troubleshooting
A chapter or note is missing from the compiled file
Compile includes only items in the top-level Draft (Manuscript) folder, and only those that are checked. Notes and research folders are not compiled. Check the Compile Overview for an unchecked item, and check which folder is selected in the menu at the top of the column.
The compiled document does not match the formatting in the editor
Section Layouts override formatting you applied to the text in Scrivener. To keep the in-app formatting for a section, use the As-Is section type for it. Otherwise, change the format or the layout instead of reformatting the text.
The PDF cannot be edited
PDFs are difficult to edit by design. Compile to .docx or .rtf when you need to keep revising in a word processor, and keep the Scrivener project as the master copy.
Free alternatives to Scrivener
Scrivener is paid software with a free trial. If you want a free alternative to Scrivener for long documents, the two below state their licence and platforms on their own websites. Neither is a clone: they organise work differently.
| Tool | Platforms (from the vendor’s site) | Licence | What the vendor’s page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zettlr | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free and open source software, supported by donations | Works with Zotero, JabRef and Juris-M reference managers; exports through Pandoc profiles; no forced cloud synchronisation or telemetry; all files stay on your computer. |
| LibreOffice Writer | Desktop office suite (see its download page) | Free and open source office suite | Described as a word processor for everything from quick notes to full-length books. |
| Scrivener (for comparison) | macOS, Windows, iOS | Commercial, free trial offered | Binder, Corkboard, Outliner, Snapshots, Targets and Compile in one application. |
For research-specific choices, the main difference to weigh is how each tool connects to your reference manager; compare Zotero, EndNote and Mendeley and see Zotero vs JabRef for LaTeX-based writing before you commit a long manuscript to a tool.
FAQ
Is Scrivener good for a thesis or dissertation?
Its own product page presents theses as a use case: the text can be split into arguments, chapters or paragraphs and then edited together in Scrivenings mode. Review common thesis and dissertation writing mistakes alongside the tool, and check your institution’s formatting rules before you compile. For terminology, see the thesis entry.
What is the quickest way to learn Scrivener?
Set up a small test project from a template, split a few chapters into separate sections, reorder them on the Corkboard, take one Snapshot, and run one Compile to PDF. That covers every step in the section above.
Are there alternatives to Scrivener?
Yes. The table above lists free alternatives whose licence and platforms are stated on their own sites.
Can I export a Scrivener project to Word?
Yes. Choose File > Compile, then select .docx in the Compile for menu.
Sources
- Literature & Latte, Scrivener overview and Scrivener features, checked 29 October 2026.
- Literature & Latte blog, How to compile your Scrivener project for print, PDF or Microsoft Word (published 10 December 2025), checked 29 October 2026.
- Zettlr, zettlr.com, checked 29 October 2026.
- The Document Foundation, LibreOffice Writer, checked 29 October 2026.
