Goals

Working With Web Page Content in Scrivener

Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.

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A while back one of the readers of this blog suggested I write a post about importing and saving web files. Honestly, I’d never thought about it since it’s just not something that I do that much. However, there are many writers out there that use features of Scrivener more often than I do writing non-fiction or using their research on a wide scale.

So here I am giving it a good try to describe how web files can be imported and saved in Scrivener. There are several points to understand about this process before we go much further and part of that is understanding what a web file is. Simply put it is a file which is encoded with html language for use on webpages whether these be public or private.

Next, why would anyone want to import a web file? Many people want to import their content to be edited and revised.

Last, why save content as a web file? Many people use this to make webpages for their websites. Personally I just copy and paste my blog content rather than compiling a web format – the WordPress.com tools are just more conducive to making the simple data transfer. I still have to add media but I’ve found that it’s easier than importing to my website. However, while many people use the WordPress software on their sites, they are hosted elsewhere so posting is different than what I do and it makes sense to compile a blog or page to html format first.

So why the difference? It has most to do with Scrivener’s editor which is admittedly not as robust as Word (Scrivener’s strength lies in its organizational and developmental features). The editor does not allow wrapping around photos like Word. So if you want to save the content as a web document and it has photos or illustrations in it you may still need to edit it in Word to get the wrapping effects that you prefer. I use WordPress.com’s features to wrap text so it makes sense for me to transfer to content and then add media.

So with all that in mind here’s how to save your content as a web document. First you must compile your finished document to html by clicking on File and then Compile to open the compiler:

Next, if you have multiple documents in the project but only want to compile one use ALT + Click (that’s press the ALT key and click) on a checkbox. Then select the individual document. Next, in the file format choose Web Page (.html) and click Compile. Select the location to save the file and there you have it.

It you have pictures and other media in the document but want them wrapped (or want to add them), just use word – you can edit a webpage from Word. From there you post your content/document according to your hosting requirements.

As a final note, you can import a web document as a .MHT which you must then save as a .PDF to view in Scrivener. To edit webpage content, it must first be imported as text. To do this, click on File, go to Import and choose Web Page as noted in this screenshot:

Next you have the Import window and here are screenshots of that with options for the available file formats:

There’s a bit more to this that begins to relate to MML (Multi-Markup Language) which gets into a different subject altogether and too much information for this post.

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Interested in more of my writing? Just click one of the retailer banners on the sidebar to see more.

About the Author

P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.

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Just as a note: I now have a marketing affiliation with Scrivener. For support questions, pricing, licensing and other concerns please contact the vendor. As such a buy ad for Scrivener appears on the sidebar. I’ve started this program　since I like the product so much and want to offer readers the chance to obtain this software. I’m not required to write about Scrivener to be an affiliate; I just like it that much. You can also find my FTC statement on this site’s sidebar.

Quick Tip: Using Klout to Enhance Your Reach

Some days my analytics suffer and sometimes they really click well. Part of the reason for fluctuations in analytics is availability to interact. Weekends and holidays are some of the reasons I might post less. Of course I can schedule some tweets and posts but I also need ways to share other content than my own. I’ve found Klout to be a source that supplements my social media, especially on the days when I spend less time on my author platform. Here are a few aspects of Klout that help my social media:

It suggests some Twitter followers for me. I’ve followed some of these and gotten extra follows back off this action.
It suggests articles I can schedule to tweet the next day. This is great to share content links that I like. I’ve gotten extra retweets on days when I’m not able to be as active as other days.

These little suggestions have proven to enhance my author platform in supplemental ways that really help over weekends and holidays.

Do you have a Klout account? What do you use as a supplemental strategy to enhance your analytics when you have less availability? I’d love to hear from you so please leave a question, idea or strategy in the comment section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today!

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Scrivener Tips Pt. 8: Keyboard Shortcuts

Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.

There are many fantastic tools in Scrivener of which a writer can make easy use. But I often find that hate to pause too much while writing to click and change something. Or if I’m making changes there are just too many time-consuming clicks to reach a command on a menu. For this reason, I tend to use keyboard shortcuts in varying tandems with mouse clicks. Here are some favorite keyboard shortcuts for some of the Scrivener commands that I use:

The following are normally reached by clicking Format and going to the Font fly-out menu:

1. Strikethrough – Ctrl/Shift/-

2. Underline – Ctrl/U

3. Italic – Ctrl/I

4. Bold – Ctrl/B

5. Bigger/smaller font – Ctrl/> or < (these do require using the Shift key to use the upper case otherwise you’ll get something else opening such as Project Stats).

The following are commands that also appear on the Format menu that I use. The additional ones listed you may use for non-fiction but I largely don’t for fiction:

1. Ruler – Ctrl/Shift/R

2. Add comment – Shift/F4

You can change views quickly by clicking on the View menu or using the shortcuts listed there

1. Document – Ctrl/1

2. Corkboard – Ctrl/2

3. Outline – Ctrl/3

4. Full screen – F11

I know many people use their mouse often but for those who like to use these types of shortcuts they can be very helpful. I make use of them often to keep my typing flow going and also because I’m on a laptop regularly without a mouse attached and stopping too much to use the mouse-pad can be a hassle unless necessary. It takes some memory but with practice I’ve gotten faster at using them without thinking too much.

These may be a bit of minute details however I find them easier to use than clicking so much. As an example, if I’m striking through a goal on a list I would highlight it and use the keyboard shortcut rather than waving the cursor around and clicking through menus. I hope these are useful to you, especially those who are new to Scrivener and may be looking for these shortcuts similar to those in Word.

What keyboard shortcuts do you like using? What shortcut from Word or another editor have you been unable to find/use with Scrivener?

I’ll make an appearance on 8/13 in RRBC’s Book & Blog Block Party. Then I’ll be on The Lost Bow Blog Tour from 8/14-20. I’ll post more news about the tour as it becomes available.

And one final tidbit – for those who might have seen it on my Twitter feed, I’ve been contacted by a teacher about including The Bow of Destiny in her curriculum. I don’t know much at this time other than it’s being considered. If it is, I’ll share more information ASAP. It’s interesting news at this point and another great reason to write!

To find out more about The Bow of Destiny, click over to one of these online retailers: