novelWriter

Switching from Scrivener

Your data: Compile or export your Scrivener project to DOCX or plain text, then import chapter by chapter into a new novelWriter project.

1. Back up Scrivener: Zip a copy of your .scriv project before you change anything.
2. Compile or export: In Scrivener, use File → Compile (or Export) to DOCX or plain text, with chapter breaks intact.
3. Create a novelWriter project: New project, mirror your Act/Chapter structure in the project tree.
4. Bring chapters across: Paste or import each chapter into novelWriter documents; keep notes in separate note documents.
5. 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.

Full step-by-step guide →

Sources: novelwriter.io/docs · literatureandlatte.com/scrivener, checked 19 Oct 2026.