Screenshot of the Scrivener "cork board" which allows you to organize your writing

Growing up I always had pen and paper in hand.  I’d sketch out newspaper templates, and would write amusing articles for my family’s enjoyment.  As I grew older, the pen was replaced by a typewriter.  In my Sophomore year at Elsinore Union High School, I was given the opportunity to write for The Rancho News, where I’d cover the happenings at our local high school for the community newspaper.

One of my first newspaper articles, published in The Rancho News

By 15, I was taken on as a paid, freelance reporter.  Toting my 35mm camera, I’d cover stories such as the design of the Riverside County Emergency Medical Services (the predecessor of 911), area floods, and how the gas crisis of 1979 was affecting Temecula residents.   My first paycheck was a whopping $18.37, but I was in heaven – getting paid for something I LOVED!  My dream was to become a photojournalist, but in the end, I decided to be practical chose the nursing profession- it pays the bills!  But I digress.  :-)

I have some opportunities for writing projects at work as a healthcare executive, but most of my pen-and-paper (okay, word processor) outlets are enjoyed at home.  Enter Scrivener!  From Literature & Latte, the producers of this cool software application:

“Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents. While it gives you complete control of the formatting, its focus is on helping you get to the end of that awkward first draft.”

I first learned of Scrivener as Lisa Alzo discussed her favorite writing tools as a guest speaker on Geneabloggers Radio.  I’m still playing with the trial version of Scrivener (it gives you 30 non-consecutive days to test-drive it before deciding if you wish to pay the reasonable $40 purchase price), but I’m pretty sure this is the tool that is going to help me write “The Wasgatt Book.”    What I like best:

• You can organize your notes and your media in separate folders which can be referenced as you write your draft.  No more switching between multiple files, programs and databases!
• Electronic “index cards” allow you to create a synopsis that can be organized.
• Customized labels allow for color-coding.  I’ve selected a color for each of Thomas and Margaret (Davis) Wasgatt’s eleven children, allowing me to focus on each line of descent individually.
• Items can be tagged; for example, my index cards above all show “to do,” allowing me to see where I am in the writing process.
• “Scrivener Links” that create a split-screen; you can view a document in the bottom of your screen while completing your draft in the window above.  Great for referencing PDFs, images, or other documents within in your file!

Creating a "Scrivener Link" allows you to view another document within your file while working on your text

I am barely scratching the surface of Scrivener’s many features and abilities in this brief intro, as I’m still quite a neonate in my usage.  However, the software is very intuitive while still providing sophisticated tools to help with your research/writing project, no matter how large or small.  Check out Literature & Latte for more info.  Happy writing!

A few weeks ago I wrote about my love affair with Evernote, a free application that I use both at work and at home.   Evernote and Roots Magic, my primary genealogical software, provide my main source of organizing my genealogical research and documents.  I love both.

Evernote even searches text from images!

As much as I love Evernote, yesterday I began to question my organizational system.  I’ve started the National Genealogical Society Home Study Course.  It’s excellent!  Lesson 1 discussed organization and how to manage your research files, and was the impetus for reconsidering my electronic organization.  Well, after spending the better part of 24 hours considering this, I’ve decided:  EVERNOTE STAYS!

Text AND photo searches
NGS has no firm recommendations, but suggests a system that is followed consistently that allows the researcher to easily identify documents and files.  Evernote allows me to do this.  See the above screenshot, in which I completed a search of my notes that contain the surname, Wasgatt.  Evernote even searched the images, which I’d attached after doing a “Screen Snip” (details are in my last Evernote post) of online e-books which I’d saved in Evernote.

Flag items for later research

Flag items for further research or data entry, and save URLs where the info was found.

Evernote automatically attaches and saves the URL for any downloaded text, so you can easily refer back to the web site from where data was clipped.  (More about clipping below.)  Even more cool, you can add a check box to any note to flag it for further research.  I use this feature often when I’m doing online research.  Instead of stopping my research at that moment to process whatever data I’ve found, I can add this check box to be sure I come back later to analyze the information and process it, if appropriate.  When complete, simply click  the check box and the item will no longer show up when searching items requiring follow-up.

Google Chrome, a perfect Evernote complement

Chrome's Evernote Clipper - Clip an article (selected text), the entire page, or just the URL

I’ve been a long-standing Mozilla Firefox user; however, I’ve converted to Google’s Chrome.  I made the switch for a variety of reasons, but a large consideration was the Evernote plug-in for Chrome is far superior (IMHO) over the clip tool for Firefox.   When saving database from a web page into Evernote, you have several options – select text and save that as an “article”, clip the entire page, or just clip the URL.  Chrome’s plug in for Evernote also allows you to select the Evernote notebook in which you wish to save the data, as well as select any tags you’d like associated with the information.

Let Google search your Evernote files

Another cool feature available to Chrome users is the ability to allow Google to search your Evernote files.  (Not to worry, only YOU will be able to search – your files will remain private and unavailable to others.)  This is really handy when I’m looking for new information, but may have forgotten what data I’ve already uncovered in previous searches.

Now what?
NGS has given me definite food for thought in how I organize my files.  Using Evernote, I can find data through various tags.  For example, I can search for all notes pertaining to the Stanwood surname that involve deeds.  Alternately, if I’ve located a document which is applicable to two family lines, I can tag it with both surnames.  (Bradstreet AND Stanwood, for example…it will then appear in searches for either surname.)  This eliminates the need to have a copy of the same document in two separate folders.

What I will be doing differently, is more carefully tagging my notes in Evernote.  In addition, I will begin to document in the note where on my hard drive I’ve saved the electronic version of the document.   Great suggestions from the home study course!  Between Evernote and NGS, I hope to become a much better genealogist.  Now, time to go photograph my paper copies of deeds and probate records received by old-fashioned snail mail from various county court houses last week…and link in Evernote and Roots Magic, of course!