Wednesday, November 11, 2015

S vs. W

How'd you guys like Monday's post? I'll tell you, I had a lot of fun writing it... 
Today though, I'm talking about something that applies to me every day of my writer life.

Why?

Because I still haven't decided which one I like better.


Scrivener vs. Microsoft Word



If you've been reading my blog for any significant amount of time, then you've seen how often I talk about Scrivener. It's great. I've been using the software for about two years, and I haven't looked back... except when it comes time to edit.

Which is when I start to wonder, which one really is the better software?

Being the little nerdy girl that I am, I made pro/con lists.

Scrivener


Pros:
  • Organized interface
  • Easy (one-click) to jump between book sections and/or chapters
  • Built-in character and setting sketches
  • Auto-formatting for manuscripts and eBooks
  • Ability to export from .scriv into practically any format
  • Easy to maintain formatting throughout manuscripts

Cons:
  • No built-in thesaurus
  • Infrequently updated (and British) dictionary
  • No ability to track changes while editing
  • No ability to insert comments on specific phrases while editing
  • Less powerful spell-checker


Microsoft Word


Pros:
  • Simple easy-for-beginners interface
  • Built-in thesaurus
  • Frequently updated dictionary
  • Ability to track changes while editing
  • Ability to insert comments on specific phrases while editing
  • Powerful spell-checker
  • Ability to grammar-check

Cons:
  • Unnecessary and distracting features
  • Unorganized interface
  • No easy way to jump between book sections and/or chapters
  • Less comprehensive export feature
  • No built-in character and setting sketches
  • No auto-formatting for manuscript or eBook
  • Difficult to maintain formatting throughout manuscripts


See what I mean? 


While Scrivener is amazing for writing, in my deductions I've determined that Word is better for editing. But if I'm editing in Word, I can't easily jump between sections in my book to make sure I'm maintaining style or plot points. Instead, I have to use the search function to find them.

So what's the answer here?

Or is there an answer at all?

Today's lesson of the day: there is no real answer. Until or unless someone puts together a software that combines the editing and grammar processing functions of Word with the interface and writer-designed tools of Scrivener... There may never be a winner in this battle.


Nobody wins, and we'll go on using both softwares.


Sheesh. 


[love]

{RD}

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