Making Text Conversions

Not all software programs play nicely with Rich Text, and some publishers have strict guidelines regarding the use of special characters (for example, em-dashes and ellipses) and formatting (such as italics).

By dealing with these differing needs in Compile, you can write the way you want because these options affect only the compiled output, not your writing in Scrivener.

The following sections run through the options for converting special characters and formats during the compile process so that you don’t have to worry about it while writing. You can make all these changes in the Transformation tab.

Converting special characters to plain-text versions

Some special characters — such as em-dashes, smart (curly) quotes, and ellipses — aren’t compatible with plain text editors or the Plain Text Screenplay Compile format that you can use to export to Celtx or Movie Magic Screenwriter.

If you’re outputting to a plain text format, or even to Rich Text Format, you can convert special characters to their plain text–friendly counterparts. Just select the desired conversions from the options that appear in the Transformation tab.

If you select the Convert to Plain Text option, Scrivener enables a drop-down list that lets you substitute spaces and carriage returns for indents and paragraph spacing:

Paragraph Spacing: Approximates paragraph spacing by inserting carriage returns.

The number of carriage returns to insert is determined by dividing the paragraph spacing value by the base font size and then rounding to the nearest whole number. So, if the base font is 12 and the paragraph spacing is set to 22, two carriage returns are inserted between paragraphs (22 ÷ 12 = 1.8, rounded to 2).

Paragraph Spacing and Indents: Adds paragraph spacing, as well as inserting spaces in place of indents.

This feature works only with first-line indenting and can’t simulate block quotes or hanging indents. For more complicated indents and formats, use one of the following options.

All Whitespace: Except in full justification alignment, this setting attempts to maintain all whitespace, including alignment; all types of indents (left and right); block quotes; and so on.

All Whitespace (Add a One Inch Margin): Does the same as the All Whitespace option, but adds ten spaces to the left of every line.

Changing character formatting

Does the publisher you’re submitting to require you to change italics into underlined words? Want to remove hyperlinks from Internet addresses? Need to strip out highlighter colors? This list covers these and other options for modifying character formatting during the compile process:

Deleting struck-through text: If you used strike-through formatting to denote text to delete, either by using revision marking (see Chapter 20 for more on revisions) or on your own, you can force Scrivener to strip it out during the compile process by selecting Delete Struck-Through Text.

Converting italics to underlines: Want to use italics while writing, but need to submit them as underlined text? Let Scrivener convert them for you. You must be using a Rich Text output type (all except Plain Text, Final Draft 5–7, and the MultiMarkdown types). You simply select Convert Italics to Underlines.

Converting underlines to italics: If you’ve been using underlines to represent italicized words but want the compiled output to use italics, select Convert Underlines to Italics. This option is available for Rich Text output types (all except Plain Text, Final Draft 5–7, and the MultiMarkdown options).

Removing highlighter colors: If you’ve been marking up your text with highlighter colors but don’t want the color to appear in the compiled output, select Remove Highlighting. This option is available for Rich Text output types (all except Plain Text, Final Draft 5–7, and the MultiMarkdown options).

Converting hyperlinks to standard text: Got hyperlinks? Want them to print out as normal text, like the rest of the compilation? Set Scrivener to remove the hyperlinks from the text during the compile process by selecting Remove All Hyperlinks. This option works for Rich Text output types (all except Plain Text, Final Draft 5–7, and the MultiMarkdown options).