Storyist User’s Guide

  1. Welcome to Storyist
    1. Product Overview
    2. Installing Storyist
  2. Understanding the User Interface
    1. Project View
    2. Toolbar
    3. Template Chooser
    4. Workspaces Window
    5. Inspector Window
    6. Backups Window
    7. Fonts Window
    8. Colors Window
    9. Preferences Window
    10. Keyboard Shortcuts and Shortcut Menus
  3. Getting Started
    1. Creating a New Project from a Template
    2. Opening an Existing Project
    3. Importing a File
    4. Getting Around
  4. Working with Text
    1. Editing and Formatting Text
    2. Creating and Applying Styles
    3. Working with Links
    4. Adding Elements to the Outline
    5. Inserting and Resizing Images
    6. Adding and Displaying Comments
    7. Bookmarking Frequently Viewed Text Locations
  5. Working with Story Sheets
    1. About Story Sheets
    2. Customizing Story Sheet Fields
    3. Adding Images to Story Sheets
  6. Working with Outlines
    1. Adding Outline Elements
    2. Moving Outline Elements
    3. Editing Outline Level Properties
  7. Working with Storyboards
    1. Adding Items to a Corkboard
    2. Specifying the Layout of Corkboard Items
    3. Adding Items to a Collage
    4. Adding Section and Scene Sheets to a Collage
    5. Resizing Storyboard Items
    6. Changing the Representation of Storyboard Items
    7. Color Coding Index Cards
  8. Working with the Project View
    1. Adding Items to the Project
    2. Adding Outline Elements to Project Items
    3. Grouping Project Items
    4. Deleting Project Items
    5. Editing Project Item Preferences
    6. Searching the Project
  9. Working with Workspaces
    1. Splitting Views
    2. Changing the Orientation of Split Views
    3. Opening a New Project Window
    4. Creating a New Workspace
    5. Managing Workspaces
  10. Tracking Word Count and Writing Time Goals
    1. Setting Project Goals
    2. Setting Session Goals
  11. Saving and Backing Up Your Work
    1. Configuring Storyist to Save Your Work Automatically
    2. Configuring Storyist to Back Up Your Work Automatically
    3. Manually Backing Up Your Work
    4. Reverting to a Backup
  12. Exporting and Sharing Your Work
    1. Exporting Project Items
    2. Exporting Project Items as Text and Image Files
    3. Exporting Project Items as a Single eBook
    4. Creating and Using Export Presets
    5. Sharing Project Items Over a Local Network
  13. Glossary

Tracking Word Count and Writing Time Goals

You can set word count and writing time goals and track your progress against those goals using the Writing Goals tab of the Inspector pane.

Setting Project Goals

To set word count and writing time goals for your project:

  1. Open the Inspector.
  2. Select the Writing Goals tab.
  3. In the Project Goal section of the view, click the Edit (pencil) button. A dialog appears in your project window.
  4. Enter a text description of your goal. You might describe the specifics of the goal (for example “100,000 words in 4 months”) or your objective for the project (“Finish first draft”).
  5. Enter a word count goal. If you don’t want to track your word count (if, for example, you just want to track your writing time), enter zero here.
  6. Enter a start date for your project.
  7. Enter a duration goal. If you don’t want the goal to include a duration goal, enter zero.
  8. Optional: Select a sound to play when you have reached your goal.
  9. Click OK.

Storyist begins tracking the time spent on the project on or after the date you specify.

You can use the Action button (located next to the Edit button) to show:

  • Words written or words remaining.
  • Elapsed or remaining time formatted as clock time (hours, minutes, and seconds), days, or weeks.

Setting Session Goals

To set writing goals for individual writing sessions:

  1. Open the Inspector.
  2. Select the Writing Goals tab.
  3. In the Session Goal section of the view, click the Add (+) button. A dialog appears in your project window.
  4. Enter a text description of your goal.
  5. Enter a word count goal.
  6. Enter a time goal. If you don’t want the goal to include a time goal, enter zero.
  7. Optional: Select a sound to play when you have reached your goal.
  8. Click OK.

A new session goal is now available. To start tracking the writing session, click the Play (right arrow) button.

To edit the existing session goal:

  1. Click the Edit button. A dialog appears showing the settings for the current goal.
  2. Edit the goal settings as desired.
  3. Click OK.

To start or pause the session goal, click the play/pause button.

Note: Storyist automatically continues the writing session the next time you open the project.

As with project goals, you can use the Action button to configure the view to show:

  • Words written or words remaining.
  • Elapsed or remaining time formatted as clock time (hours, minutes, and seconds), days, or weeks.
#

See a typo? Something not clear? Help us improve the documentation by letting us know in the comments.

blog comments powered by Disqus