Here’s what you do: double click anywhere in the program window, type your note. Some people may not like that it doesn’t have a billion features, but I rather prefer it–it’s like an extension of Scrivener, and that’s all it needs to be. It’s brainstorming software, and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. There’s a unique simplicity to it–there’s zero pretense. My first impression of this product is that it’s…impressive. If you’re a Windows user, you can go here to download the open beta, and try it for yourself. But Windows users have had to wait patiently while MAC users reap the benefits of this robust program. Scapple does integrate with Scrivener (well, sort of…keep reading), and being made by the same company, the two programs are designed to work in concert. It doesn’t integrate with Scrivener, I’ve had issues synchronizing files across computers, and using it alongside Scrivener is counter-intuitive. I’ve been using Microsoft OneNote for this, and it works fine…but it’s lacking. It’s mind-mapping software–you can jot your ideas down on the virtual page, connect them, move them around, and generally brainstorm to your heart’s content. Scapple is the much-touted companion program to Scrivener.
If you haven’t already, you can check it out here. The ‘port is extremely useful, though it lacks a few of the features of the MAC version. But, it’s a MAC OS program, and took a while to come to Windows. Those of you who’ve followed this blog know I’m a fan of Literature and Latte’s word processing program Scrivener–most Indie writers use it, or have at least tried it. I didn’t intend to do a post today, but got an exciting announcement via Twitter this week–Scapple for Windows is in a free open beta!