Is FocusWriter perfect for every writer? No. Rinse and repeat.įinally I pass the final draft to a beta reader, if I’m lucky enough to have one, and/or run it through a text-to-speech program like Balabolka (amazing how many errors you catch just having your work read aloud). When it’s time to check grammar, I save as a DOCX file and load into the desktop or MS Word version of my preferred grammar checker ProWritingAid. I divide sections using my four tilde markers so when I get lost I can pop open the Outliner sidebar to see where I am and maybe rearrange things. Then I import the finished outline into FocusWriter and start fleshing it out. How do I use it? Typically I outline using Word or LibreOffice since it’s easier to move things around and arrange hierarchically. far less room for errors with undocumented formats like DOCX. I suspect this is because only simple markup like italics, boldface and text alignment is allowed. I’ve never had an issue moving between platforms, and never had issues importing and exporting between MS Word and LibreOffice.
#Focuswriter app mac
It runs on Linux, Mac and Windows so I can write on my Linux box, save it then open later on Windows. The author is also a writer so that may have something to do with it. Little things being able to keeping the current line vertically centered (why is that simple feature missing from so many editors?), ability to fix smart quotes or remove them, and remember your previously opened files each time you run it makes for a comfortable, productive writing environment. I use four tilde characters: ~~~~ but you can use anything. It has spell checking, simple markup like bold and italics and a very basic outliner: you can tell it what you use for a section divider and it can display sections in a separate panel. It’s simple, reliable, customizable, cross-platform, and can save in both simple ODT and DOCX formats reliably. Yet I find myself always to return to FocusWriter. I’ve tried damn near everything, including months of concentrated effort with Scrivener and the similar yWriter.
Yes, there’s Markdown and similar plain-text markup languages easily convertible via Pandoc, but I need an uncluttered screen with all markup hidden. At first I used Notepad++, Vim and others but I’ve found creating in plain text annoying when I want to mark emphasis like italics, mark sections or show striked out revisions.
#Focuswriter app software
It’s not essential, but I prefer software able to run on both Linux and Windows, even if that means it requires Java.ĭistraction-free: After years of writing in MS Word, LibreOffice and other cluttered word processors, I’ve returned to distraction-free editors with uncluttered screens. Widely reverse-engineered formats like Microsoft’s supposedly open docx format is acceptable as long as the implementation is reliable.Ĭross-platform: Some of my user workstations are Windows. Anything I write in must save to some open format like ODT, markdown or plain text. Saves in open formats: I refuse to be trapped in proprietary formats where I need to pay to access my own work. The moment you save to someone’s “cloud” you can easily lose that.įree or one-time purchase: I happily pay for good software, but the growing cancer of software subscriptions pioneered by Microsoft and now adopted by Adobe and the other usual suspects is extortion. No “cloud” apps like Google Docs or MS Word Online for me: it’s best to keep my writing anonymous. I write filthy smut and it stored on local systems I can trust using Veracrypt containers. Local app: Everything I use must be locally installed.
Why? For me, my requirements for writing software are simple: I find myself always coming back to Graeme Gott’s FocusWriter. I’ve tried Q10, the excellent yWriter, WriteMonkey, and damn near ever other text editor aimed at writers. I’ve done extensive technical writing and publishing using LaTex and the popular, very expensive commercial document layout apps. I use also LibreOffice for work and personal tasks. I own Scrivener and every version of MS Word since office 95.
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