Managing Timelines on Scrivener Using Google Calendar

So I'm still learning my way around Scrivener (which is an amazing tool to organize your writing, both fiction and non-fiction). I'm probably using about 10% of it's ability, just like my brain. I seem to spend more time on the 'net learning how to do things with it when I probably should just find a tutorial and watch it.

Anyhoo, I wanted to create a timeline for my work in progress. It's a mystery/thriller and I need to be able to track my events or else I'm going to end up with eight days in a week and 38 hours in a day. I looked at Aeon Timeline and after having it crash on me twice (I downloaded the free trial), I decided it probably wasn't right for me. It's also a little more complex than I need it to be. 

I read a post online on a way to create a calendar by making a table. I'm not lazy or anything but my calendar didn't look that great and it was taking me longer to create it than I wanted.  

Instead I went over to Google because I love their calendar, created a new one for my character. I inserted events from my story and then I saved it as a pdf and was going to import it into my binder. Then I saw the option to import a webpage and lo' and behond, I was able to import my Google calendar into Scrivener. While it's not perfect it does offer more flexibility than a pdf.

It opens to today's date whenever I go into that file, no biggie. I haven't figured out how to size it correctly, so it's a little small.  It gets the job done though. I am able to add events, go backwards and forwards in time, etc. I have the full capability of Google Calendar in my Scrivner project. Yessss!

Here's how to do it:

Create a folder, I called mine Timeline and then hit the + sign to create a new document. Go to File>Import>Webpage

Drop in the url for the Google Calendar you created and you are good to go.

How do you keep track of your timeline in Scrivener? I'd love to hear about in the comments below.

Here's a video that walks you through the steps.

 

Comments

[Jes]

When I do this it brings me to the sign in page but won't let me sign in...

[Kortney's Mom]

Hi Jes,
That's weird. I've been able to quit and reopen Scrivener without it asking me to sign in. I'm always logged into Google though, not sure if that makes a difference.

[Darla McDavid]

Great idea. I am going to try this. Thanks!

[Kortney's Mom]

You're welcome Darla! Let me know how you make out!

[Dixie]

I am going to try this. Currently, I put date and time on the binder icons. This shows up on the index cards on the cork board too and helps me keep track easily.

[Kortney's Mom]

That sounds pretty cool Dixie, I'm going to try that as well!

[sarah]

I've been looking for this answer for a while now, so I was very excited to see your post, Sibylla. But I'm having an issue with the actual import. When I go through the process, the only thing that shows up is my Google account sign in page. How do I move past that to access the actual calendar? What URL did you use to avoid that?

[Kortney's Mom]

Hi Sarah,
I made a video with the steps to import the calendar. Hope this helps.

[sarah]

Thanks so much for the video. You are too kind. Really!

I followed the steps, but in the end I get what I've always gotten: the sign in page for Google. If I try to sign in through the .Scriv file I am flipped back to the web browser. I CANNOT figure this out. It's driven me quite insane. LOL.

I thought for a bit it must be in the settings: perhaps the calendars have to be shared or made public, but I've tried it with those settings and get the same sign in page.

Confounded in Costa Rica.

[sarah]

HA! It's a browser issue. I was doing the import from Chrome... It did not like it! I changed to Safari and your system works just fine. I love it when I figure this stuff out! So, just out of curiousity, which browser were you using in your video? I couldn't tell.

Thanks again for posting this. I've wanted a blog calendar in my Scrivener Blog project for over a year now. Yay!

[Kortney's Mom]

Glad to hear that it worked for you Sarah! Funny enough, I used Chrome to do the import. You used Safari, so you must be on a Mac as well... Not sure how or why, but at least it's working now. :)