Moving a manuscript between writing apps is a small job that people put off for months because it sounds risky. It is not, if you do it in the right order: export from the old app in a format that preserves your structure, check it, import it, and keep the original until you are sure nothing was lost. Scrivener users have a particular worry, because a Scrivener project is not a single document, and its power (research folders, snapshots, compile settings) does not all travel. This guide explains what moves and what does not, how to prepare the export so that your chapters and scene breaks arrive intact, how to import into Quillen from a Word document, and how to check the result. It also covers rebuilding the planning material, which is a manual job. It is based on Quillen's Word import; check Scrivener's own help for the compile steps in your version.
The short answer
Compile your Scrivener project to a Word (.docx) file with each chapter title in Word's Heading 1 style and scene breaks marked by a line reading *** or ###. In Quillen, click Create New Book, then Import from Word Document. Chapters become chapters, scene-break lines start new scenes, and bold and italics are kept. Characters, locations and outline material do not travel and have to be rebuilt in Quillen.
What moves and what does not
| Item | Moves via a Word file? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter text | Yes | Chapters start at each Heading 1 |
| Scene breaks | Yes, if marked | A line that is exactly *** or ### starts a new scene |
| Bold and italics | Yes | These are the only text styles Quillen keeps |
| Tables, images and lists | Flattened to plain text | A known limit of the importer |
| Synopses and index cards | No | Rebuild as outline cards |
| Characters and locations | No | Rebuild as character profiles and lore entries |
| Research folder | No | Copy what matters into notes or research |
| Snapshots and revision history | No | Keep your Scrivener project as an archive |
| Comments and footnotes | May be lost or flattened | Resolve them before you export |
Step 1: Tidy the project in Scrivener
Do the housekeeping before you export, in the old app where you know the project:
- Decide your chapter structure. Each chapter should be a folder or section whose title will become a heading.
- Make sure the manuscript is in order. Check that no scene is missing or in the wrong place.
- Resolve comments and footnotes, or accept that they will not carry over.
- Back up the project (File, Back Up in Scrivener) and keep it, untouched, as your archive.
- Choose a scene-break marker. Use a consistent line, such as ***, between scenes.
Step 2: Compile to Word
In Scrivener, open the compile dialog (File, then Compile) and choose to compile for Microsoft Word (.docx). In the compile format and its options, check three things:
- Chapter titles use the Heading 1 style. Quillen starts a new chapter wherever Word's real Heading 1 style appears. A heading made by bolding and enlarging a normal paragraph will not be detected.
- Scene breaks are a line that reads exactly *** or ###. Set Scrivener's separator between scenes to one of these.
- Strip extras you do not want: a title page, front matter, page numbers, headers, comments. The importer builds chapters from headings, so a compiled title page can become a stray chapter.
Save the file somewhere you can find it, and open it in Word to check the headings and breaks before you import.
Step 3: Check the Word file
Spend five minutes in Word. Use the navigation pane (View, Navigation Pane) to see the headings: you should see one entry per chapter and nothing else. Search for *** to confirm your scene breaks. Skim for odd formatting, such as blocks of text that came through as headings. Fixing these now is easier than fixing them after import.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter titles formatted by hand | Not detected as chapters | Use the real Heading 1 style |
| Scene breaks with other symbols | Run together as one scene | Use *** or ### on its own line |
| A compiled title page | A stray chapter at the start | Leave it out of the compile |
| Deleting the Scrivener project | No archive of notes and snapshots | Keep it |
| Expecting characters and notes to move | Planning material missing | Rebuild it in Quillen |
| Not checking after import | Missed formatting problems | Read through each chapter |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen imports a Word document from the Create New Book screen.
- Open the Create screen. On the home screen, click Create New Book. Choose Fiction or Non-fiction with the toggle at the top.
- Click Import from Word Document. Choose your .docx file.
- Wait for the import. Quillen reads the file and builds the book: a chapter for each Heading 1, scenes split at each *** or ### line, and bold and italics preserved.
- Check the result. Open the book and look at the sidebar: each chapter should be listed, with its scenes. Read a few chapters to check that nothing was lost or merged.
- Check the title and author, and fix them under Edit Details if needed.
- Fix anything flattened. Tables, images and lists in the Word file arrive as plain text, so re-create any you need using the editor's tools.
- Rebuild the planning material. Turn index cards into Outline cards, character notes into Characters profiles, and locations and world notes into Lore entries. See how to outline a novel, how to create a character profile and how to build a fantasy world.
After the move
Keep the Scrivener project and the original Word file until you have finished a full pass through the imported book. Run Analyze Document and Find & Replace on the imported text to catch anything odd. For protecting your work going forward, see how to back up your writing.
Checklist
- The Scrivener project tidied and backed up.
- Chapter titles in real Heading 1 style.
- Scene breaks as *** or ### on their own line.
- No stray title page, headers or comments.
- Word file checked in the navigation pane.
- Imported into Quillen and read through.
- Planning material rebuilt; original kept as an archive.
Common questions
How do I import a Scrivener manuscript into Quillen?
Compile the project to a Word (.docx) file with chapter titles in Heading 1 style and scene breaks as a line reading *** or ###, then click Create New Book and Import from Word Document in Quillen.
What does Quillen's Word import keep?
Chapters (each Heading 1), scenes (split at *** or ### lines) and bold and italics. Tables, images and lists are flattened to plain text.
Will my Scrivener characters and notes move to Quillen?
No. They do not travel in a Word file, so rebuild them as character profiles, lore entries and outline cards.
Should I delete my Scrivener project after importing?
No. Keep it as an archive until you have checked the imported book, since snapshots, research and notes do not move.
Why did my chapters not split on import?
Quillen detects chapters from Word's real Heading 1 style. Titles formatted by hand, with a larger bold font, are not detected.