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What is your most effective writing software?
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Posted by jaslar
Oct 27, 2025 at 09:16 PM
My writing habits have changed over the years. Today, I do most of my writing in Dynalist, then drop it into Google Docs. The other work flow is to write in org-mode (then, often, export through Pandoc to Word for publishers or editors). I really need at least the running outline by header of Google Docs, but prefer writing in Dynalist or org-mode just for the outlining. org-mode can be pretty distraction free.
My work life keeps me tied to the Google Suite (which is far preferable to me than Microsoft Office), but I think on my own, I far prefer org-mode. Why every word processor doesn’t have “move by sentence” is incomprehensible to me. Granted there are endless commands, but you don’t need to use them.
Posted by Tomasz Raburski
Oct 27, 2025 at 11:46 PM
I’ve learned that I need different apps for different forms and stages of writing.
I love Scrivener, but it works only for longer forms (It’s too bloated for quick writing.) I’ve written two academic books in it, and it helped immensely: I could gather there small pieces of writing, notes, and comments, rearrange them, tag and label everything, and keep track of that complicated cloud of fragments. But it’s too much for smaller projects.
When I work on an article, I start with notes in Obsidian and an outline in Workflowy. When the idea ripens, I move everything to a separate project folder and finish it in Obsidian (earlier it was Zettlr).
Final editing is always done in MS Word.
Posted by Amontillado
Oct 28, 2025 at 10:49 PM
I live in Mac and Linux. Fair warning, there’s a bias that follows me around.
I don’t think I’ll ever leave Mellel. A Keyboard Maestro macro shuts down all the UI, leaving me with a writing environment that makes Notepad look bloated. The Mac helps there, since none of the app menus are in Mellel’s window. One box, a cursor, close/minimize/maximize buttons, and what I’m working on. Another KM macro turns on the tool and status bars.
Mellel works pretty well as an outliner, using its navigation pane as topics.
I’ve written things I needed to say to a group in OmniOutliner. Which, of course, is a much better outliner than Mellel.
iA Writer has quirks. There’s a lot I like about it, particularly the blog publishing. I would retire it if it weren’t so convenient for blogs, not that I blog very actively.
A BBEdit Notebook is a nice way to organize text for an Affinity Publisher document.
My latest discovery hardly qualifies as a writing tool, yet it is. Rapidweaver Elements is a web design utility that’s kind of fun to use. For a buck or two a month you can get hosting at Chillidog Hosting, another new discovery. Chillidog has really nice customer support.
Elements has content management tools for building a blog based on Markdown files. I haven’t explored that yet, but it sounds intriguing.
And Devonthink, of course.
Posted by bigspud
Oct 28, 2025 at 11:20 PM
I’ll throw a quirky vote to Author on Mac.
I outline with legend or workflowy and then write in Author..
It was the best minimal fit after FoldingText finally gave up on me.
Posted by Amontillado
Oct 29, 2025 at 01:35 AM
Author looks very interesting. I see it supports some kind of mind map. I must investigate!