How to switch from Scrivener to novelWriter
Checked against the official docs on
Compile or export your Scrivener project to DOCX or plain text, then import chapter by chapter into a new novelWriter project.
novelWriter stores a project as a folder of markdown-like plain files. You cannot open a .scriv package directly.
Back up Scrivener
Zip a copy of your .scriv project before you change anything.
Compile or export
In Scrivener, use File → Compile (or Export) to DOCX or plain text, with chapter breaks intact.
Create a novelWriter project
New project, mirror your Act/Chapter structure in the project tree.
Bring chapters across
Paste or import each chapter into novelWriter documents; keep notes in separate note documents.
Check italics and scene breaks
Search for lost formatting, then set novelWriter's build tool for your submission format.
Watch out for
- Custom Scrivener metadata and snapshots do not travel automatically.
- Label/status colours need to be recreated as novelWriter tags if you rely on them.
Sources: novelwriter.io/docs · literatureandlatte.com/scrivener. Menus and options can change between versions; if a step doesn't match what you see, follow the linked page.