The emergence of these tools matters in two ways. No menu bars, no buttons or ribbons, and some even disable system notifications. Though there are differences among these applications, all seek to minimize potential distractions by going full screen and limiting the interface to a cursor and the words being produced. According to a 2010 reader poll on the blog, some of the more popular distraction-free writing environments included FocusWriter, WriteMonkey, OmmWriter, Q10, and WriteRoom. Some other options worth checking out would be WriteMonkey (free, for Windows), Q10 (free, for Windows) and PenZen (a free Web app).But recent years have seen the emergence of a different approach to writing software, often referred to as “distraction-free writing tools” or “distraction-free writing environments.” These software applications eschew the kind of “feature bloat” seen in traditional word processors in favor of minimizing features and stripping down the interface to its bare essentials. These are far from the only distraction-free writing apps available, but this represents some of the best. It supports standard text editing features and Markdown syntax, as well as the more its more complex superset called MultiMarkdown. BywordīyWord is a writing app that’s reminiscent of iA Writer, but is available for a few bucks less and is only available on Mac OS. You don’t need to sign up for an account to get started, but if you want to manage and publish your drafts, you’ll have to take a few seconds and set up an account, which, as we may have mentioned, is free. When you’re done, you have the option to export the draft directly to WordPress. Once you start writing, QuietWrite will begin periodically auto-saving your drafts. Nice touch.Īs a free product, it’s pretty light on features, but for users who just need to get some simple writing done without bells and whistles, it more than does the trick. If you’re only typing, the buttons disappear. It has a few buttons and controls across the top, but they only appear when the mouse or trackpad is in use. QuietWriteįor those who would prefer a free, platform agnostic approach to focused writing, QuietWrite is a Web app that lets you get started right this minute, from your Web browser. Ulysses supports exporting documents in a variety of standard formats, including DOC, RTF and PDF. It’s geared more toward professionals, as the price tag would suggest. It may have more buttons and features than many of these other writing apps, but Uylsses is still relatively stripped-down and maintains a focus on distraction-free, semantic text editing. Rather than a blank page with few to no buttons, Uylsses offers something closer to a full-fledged word processing app for Mac owners with some project management features built in. Some of its noted perks include the option to write on a black background and the ability to sync files with Dropbox. Like iA Writer and OmmWriter, it’s available for both Mac OS and the iPad, but with a smaller price tag. This seems especially appropriate, as the iPad (and tablets more generally) tend to be much more conducive to focusing than desktop computers with their browser tabs, desktop notifications Clean WriterĬleanWriter, as you may be able to guess from its name, is another writing app with a very minimal design. You can choose from three ambient audio tracks or turn the sound off if you’re not in the mood to go all-out Zen.Īfter a few years of offering a desktop client, OmmWriter more recently put out an iPad version, as have a few other providers. Minimalist background images and subtle, ambient music aim to promote a state of mental relaxation and focus.Īs the desktop client recommends when you start it up, OmmWriter is best experienced with headphones. The experience of using OmmWriter isn’t just about the distractions it blocks out, but also what it adds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |