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Let’s start at the very beginning: setting up a new project file on Scrivener and deciding what our novel is about.

Setting up a new project file

In this one file, everything that you need to write your NaNo2017 novel can be collected ahead of 1 November. You won’t write a single word of your manuscript until NaNo2017 officially starts, but you’ll have everything at your fingertips when the whistle blows at midnight on 31 October.

Select File / New to open the Project Templates dialogue box. Then select Fiction. Click on Novel, and then click on Choose.

You will be presented with another dialogue box and you need to choose your project title and where you want to store the Scrivener file.

If you’re like me, addicted to NaNo, include 2017 in the title. In years to come, whenever you open this project file and edit, you might find this a useful reminder as to how long a novel really takes to complete!

I also start a new folder for each new novel, within my Anne’s stuff / Fiction writing / NANO folder.

Scrivener then creates the project file.

How to use the Novel format

The initial screen opens with the text explaining how to use the Novel Format.

If you’ve not read the text on ‘how to use this template’ before, now would be a good time!

Setting up your MY STORY folder

Most of the effort in the next few weeks will be within the Research folder. Or on the corkboard – more about that delight, soon!

Within the Research folder, the first task is to set up a new folder called MY STORY. Right-click on the Research folder and select Add / New Folder. Call this new folder MY STORY.

Then, right click on the MY STORY folder and add five text documents.

• Title
• Single sentence
• Elevator pitch
• Story arc
• Synopsis

You could do this by right-clicking and be choosing Add / New Text, but you could also use the + icon in the menu.

I use these five documents to house descriptions (or treatments) of my novel – in various lengths and depths/complexity.

The content will most probably change in time. But, whatever I write here, these treatments will prove useful when, having written this novel, I eventually self-publish it and then need to market the book.

Simply Scrivener Specials

To see me go through this process, or if you need to ask questions, book a Simply Scrivener Special.

To help me to prepare, you might also complete this questionnaire.

Planning and Preparation for NaNo2017 webinars

There are also two Planning and Preparation webinars 8-9pm on 10 October and 17 October. I’ll explain how the NaNoWriMo site works! Book your place here. And/or you can join my NaNo2017 Facebook group.

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