One of the easiest ways to get control of your writing project is with Scrivener 3’s Outliner view. Think of it as your project’s dashboard: you can see your chapters, scenes, progress, and notes all in one place.
In this guide (and in the video tutorial), I’ll walk you through how to use the Outliner step by step, perfect for beginners.
Step 1: Open the Outliner View
First, let’s find the Outliner. At the top of your Scrivener window, you’ll see three little buttons:
- One looks like a page (that’s the editor view).
- One looks like index cards (the corkboard view).
- One looks like a list (that’s the outliner view).
Click the list button, and you’re in!
📺 Open Outliner view → 00:44
Step 3: Viewing Chapters & Scenes
Once inside, you’ll see your manuscript broken down into rows with chapters and scenes displayed in a neat table, almost like a spreadsheet. This makes it easy to see your structure at a glance.
📺 See chapters and scenes → 01:17
Step 4: Synopses (Scene Summaries)
Each row can include a short synopsis of that chapter or scene. If you don’t see these summaries, go to:
View → Outliner Options → Synopsis
Now your scene summaries appear right in the Outliner—no extra clicking required. This will become helpful later when we talk about moving around scenes and chunks of your manuscript.
📺 Show synopses → 01:42
Step 5: Using Labels (Color-Coding)
Labels are a way to help you organize your manuscript. You can color-code scenes by point of view or setting, for example, or any system that works for you.
To add labels:
- Select the words “no label” to reveal your label options.
- Select “Edit.”
- Double click on the name of each label to rename them, type your custom label, and hit return. (Note: The default is the name of the color. The red label is called “Red.” If you want red to indicate your main character’s point of view, type Avi’s POV, and hit return. When you are done renaming the labels, click “OK.”
- Choose a label for each scene or section of your manuscript.
Step 6: Status Tracking
Status works like a progress tracker. Mark scenes as To Do, In Progress, First Draft, or Done so you know exactly where you are in your manuscript.
Step 7: Customizing the Outliner
You’re not limited to just labels and status. The Outliner can display word count, target word counts, and progress. To customize, go to:
View → Outliner Options and select what you want to see.
Step 8: Rearranging Scenes
Need to move a scene? Just drag and drop right in the Outliner. Your Binder (and your manuscript) updates automatically, so your manuscript order is always in sync.
Step 9: Wrap-Up
The Outliner view in Scrivener 3 is like your personal writing control center. You can:
- See your project’s structure at a glance
- Track your progress with status
- Organize using labels
- Rearrange scenes easily
