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Lee Fox-Smith is my guest today.

Lee and his family travel the world and are currently in Cambodia but, thanks to the magic of the Internet, he’s here with us today.

We will talk soon about Lee’s new book,  The Vegan Argument: Why There Really Is An Answer For Everything, but, first, we’re going to talk about Scrivener …

Where did you start with Scrivener, Lee?

I found Scrivener pretty straightforward, to begin with. I just gave it a go, without really having to watch any tutorials.

This was great at first but, as my projects moved forward, I found I needed to do more and more things to get them published.

I am a big user of YouTube tutorials anytime I want to learn something fast. So, I went there and watched video tutorials and overviews of the software.

I also found your website – and of course, your EDITING The RedPen Way – really useful, and your blog posts recently helped me with compiling.

I know I don’t use all the features that Scrivener has to offer. I still have a lot to learn but, what I’ve used so far has made writing so much more fun and helps me get into a better flow.

What’s your favourite thing about Scrivener?

My favourite? I love how easy it is to outline a book or project.

When I write any non-fiction, I tend to use the ‘view the document’ mode along with the Binder. Seeing the layout in the binder really prompts me to dive in and write about one topic at a time. It helps me to set targets and see the book taking shape and developing.

I also find the Binder useful if I want to copy some information on a particular topic for a blog post or article I’m writing. I can find the document I need really quickly and easily.

You’d recommend Scrivener for bloggers?

Absolutely! Scrivener is not just great for novels or non-fiction. It’s great for blogs too.

I have a blog for each website and keep a file going for each. It’s really cool to see how much I’ve written over the months.

You’re clearly a Scrivener Supporter!

Yes. Scrivener has helped me to be super productive with my writing.

At the moment, I write two or three blog posts each day and also work on my newest book. In total, I generate a minimum 3,000 words and aim for an average of 5,000 per day over the week.

I can map out 10 topics and comfortably do 500 words for each to hit my daily target. Breaking it down like this makes it more achievable and also acts like mini races, goals, and targets. At the end of the draft, I can combine them, chop and change them and then edit them into blog posts or chapters of the book.

Using Scrivener, it never feels like I’m writing 50,000 or 100,000 words. It’s more like writing 50 or 100 mini articles. Taking this approach helps me work to deadlines and realistically estimate how long it will take me to draft a project.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

There’s always something to write about where animal rights are concerned! So, no, I haven’t really experienced writer’s block.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to get all my thoughts or points down on one piece of paper, though, and that’s where Scrivener is an awesome tool for me.

I simply add a new document about one particular point and then write about that. When I’ve finished, I rearrange the documents into some order before I begin the first edit.

Now, tell us about the new book!

The Vegan Argument: Why There Really Is An Answer For Everything is all about answering the questions, myths, and arguments against Veganism. It argues that Veganism is the best option for the animals, our health, and the future of our planet.

What features of Scrivener came into play for this book?

I had the 99 questions to answer, and used the coloured flags to highlight which answers were in the first draft stage, first edit stage, second edit stage, and published. This gave me an excellent overview of my progress.

What other tools did you use?

Each edit I did, I exported to PDF so it could be shared easily.

I then went through the draft on my iPad Pro with the Apple pencil. I liked this process. The Apple pencil really gave the feeling of physically altering things and crafting the book.

Then I read the amendments from the iPad while I typed in Scrivener on the laptop.

Are you a Mac user?

I love Apple, so all my devices are made by them. I downloaded Scrivener from the AppStore and also use it on my iPhone and iPad, though I prefer the laptop. It was great value for money and quick and easy to install. I like how I can keep all my projects on the Cloud and flick between device or computers too.

What about going to print?

I’ve self-published the book on Kindle for download and also with Createspace for a hard copy. I am currently in Cambodia on our Epic Animal Quest which makes it difficult to get a copy for myself, but I can’t wait to get my hands on one!

What’s next on your agenda?

I am currently working on the next in the series, ‘Go Vegan!’ which is a kind of beginner’s guide. I should have it ready to launch early this year.

More about Lee Fox-Smith

Lee Fox-Smith is Co-Founder of Epic Animal Quest, a social enterprise that works with animal shelters and sanctuaries around the world raising awareness, improving marketing, raising money, and working hands on with animals in need.

If you would like to have a guest blog spot, contact me!

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