distraction-free writing ~ curiously simple

There are quite a few minimalist writing tools out there. But which is the simplest? A lot of people prefer the default notepad program. Which works great for quick notes, but I don’t prefer to use it as my main writing program. It can’t be put into full-screen, I can’t sync between computers, and it only lets me save files in txt format. For those reasons, I chose Google Drive as my writing platform instead. Here are five of my favorite reasons for picking it.

1. Sync. Everything I type is instantly synced and saved online. I can view a file from any computer, anywhere. And since I enabled offline editing, if I lose internet, nothing changes. I can continue typing and it will save my edits as soon as the internet comes back.

2. Nice interface. It looks really clean and intuitive. There are enough formatting options (I like serif or arial at 18px) to give me the look I want, but it’s not intruding. I can hide it all with one click.

3. Double full-screen. Clicking view > full screen hides all formatting options. Then clicking F11 on my keyboard hides everything else (browser window, address bar, tabs, etc). Check out the photo at the bottom of this post to see how it looks.

4. File formats. I can download my files in several different formats. I typically just copy and paste into my blog editor, but there are plenty of times when I have needed to email an article or upload it somewhere else.

5. Collaboration. I can click share and simultaneously edit a file with a friend. It’s super handy if I need a friend to take a quick look at an article to proof-read. They can talk about the file on the sidebar, or edit it directly.

Of course, there are many other programs besides Notepad and Google Drive. I've tried a lot of them, and decided to go with this one, but if you have any suggestions please share them! I’m definitely open to trying something new. I’m always curious as to what different writers use. What’s your favorite writing platform?

1 comment:

Jason Smith1/19/13, 4:10 AM
Hi Sarah,

I often like to use my iPad for any distraction free writing I do. There is an app you can buy on it called OmmWriter (which is also available on the Mac). It means I can go somewhere away from the main computer / office and write, even in a nice coffee shop just down the road :)

It is full screen and allows you to just type away, I use it combined with a wireless keyboard so I can just sit and write, it is a lovely experience.

The app has a few other interesting features, one is that it plays some very soft non-distracting music/tunes to you. Another feature is that you can change the background to one of a few types all of which are very soft on the eye.

I do like using google docs for the same reasons you have mentioned, the fact it instant saves and is accessible from any computer/device is really useful!