

This scene-centric framework has actually taken a page from Scrivener’s book in recent updates, as well. If working with scenes makes sense to you, and you like the ability to directly relate characters to scenes and organize both in plot order and chronological order (the latter via the timeline feature), then StoryMill will likely appeal.

StoryMill offers several other types of items like characters, locations, research, and even submission tracking for when you complete the novel, but the scenes are the core of the program. Though you’ll track your characters, locations, and so forth elsewhere, the scenes are where you’ll tie them together. Scenes in StoryMill are the building blocks which create chapters and ultimately the story itself (it’s worth noting that you can think of scenes and chapters as whatever content blocks make sense for your story the names don’t really limit the function). The foundation of StoryMill’s approach to writing and organizing is the scene. To figure out which style, and thus program, is the best choice for you, you’ll need to consider two big questions: what metaphors do you use for writing, and what specific features are most important for you? StoryMill: a novel framework However, for some people the time necessary to set up their own framework in Scrivener is well worth the effort because the program’s flexibility allows them to write most effectively. If StoryMill’s framework makes sense to you and you don’t have an urgent need for any of the features that are Scrivener-only, then StoryMill will be the easiest environment to write in. You can do most of the things in Scrivener that you can in StoryMill (with a few key exceptions), but it will be slightly more effort. In contrast, Scrivener is much more flexible and offers a larger number of features that you can pick and choose from to form your workflow.

StoryMill’s approach is to provide you with a specific framework for writing and organizing, complemented with a focused group of powerful features.
#Scrivener vs storyist software
The truth is that regardless of your genre the deciding factor for which software to use will be a matter of style. The reason the fiction/non-fiction comparison is common is because StoryMill is explicitly focused on fiction (and doesn’t support screenplays at all, since that would steal sales from its companion software Montage) while Scrivener provides a general writing metaphor that can apply to either genre equally well (with limited support for screenplay formatting and footnotes). If you primarily write non-fiction or screenplays or write fiction and want a program that will let you do pretty much whatever the hell you want workflow-wise (with a correspondingly higher level of confusion), you’ll probably prefer Scrivener.Īs is often the case, the fast and dirty comparison is a bit misleading: either program can help you write fiction or non-fiction.If you primarily write fiction and want a program that will provide you with an easy framework for organizing your writing, you’ll probably prefer StoryMill.Not everyone wants to wade through my periphrastic meanderings (just discovered that word, and it’s making me really happy sorry for sounding like a total vocab snob), so here’s the quick and dirty: Although StoryMill is my personal application of choice, there’s a lot to love (and some things to dislike) about both programs. Well, here it is: my definitive StoryMill vs.
#Scrivener vs storyist mac
Particularly now that StoryMill has a timeline view (as of this writing the only Mac creative writing software to implement the feature) and Mariner Software is distributing it, it seems like a more and more people are wondering whether they should use StoryMill or Scrivener.

I’m a long-time user of StoryMill (starting when it was originally called Avenir), but I’m also something of a software junkie, so when Scrivener came out I tried using it for a few projects.
