# Writing Environments & Applications **Published 12/10/2025** ## Overview I've always really enjoyed writing, whether it was as a hobby or in a more professional context. Something about seeing the words come together in a journal entry, story, or piece of documentation is very satisfying to me. That said, I'm also always playing around with the tools that are available for writing in a digital context. Applications, fonts, and color schemes are endlessly tweakable — to a fault, I would say. I wrote a bit about it on the page for [[Obsidian]], but it's always important to be aware of if you're actually getting words on the page, or just *planning* to get the words down. You can end up spinning your wheels easily if you're not careful. With that in mind, I thought it might be nice to write down a few of the apps I've used over time, and why they did or didn't work for me. ## Applications Some of the apps I've used are below, and are in no particular order. ### Obsidian It makes sense to start with the one that I'm using *write* this moment to put this blog post together. [[Obsidian]] is excellent at being a one-size-fits-all note-taking environment, with the caveat that it can be an absolute rabbit hole of customization, plug-ins, and workflows if you let it. Even so, if you're cognizant of that, it can be really fun to tailor Obsidian to be exactly how you want it. As of writing this, Obsidian continues to check all of the boxes that I have, and the very few downsides are easily outweighed by its strengths. > [!success] Pros > \+ Works on every major platform and is free > \+ Extremely flexible in customization and workflow > \+ Operates entirely on the premise of you, the user, owning your files > \+ Continuously improving with features like [[Obsidian Bases]] > \+ Has paid, but optional features like Sync and Publish > \+ Makes linking files together very simple > [!fail] Cons > \- Can be a bit overwhelming if you let it Check it out here: https://obsidian.md/ ![[obsidian_writing_screenshot.png]] ### VS Code While it's a text editor with IDE functionality, [[VS Code]] can easily be an effective writing tool. Once you're used to something like [[Markdown]] — even plaintext is fine, too — there's nothing stopping you from getting words down in this editor. It has a lot of extra features that might distract you a little bit from just writing, and it doesn't have the slick linking features like Obsidian, but can definitely work. > [!success] Pros > \+ Works on every major platform and is free > \+ Very flexible in customization > \+ Extensions and themes can make it more conducive to writing > [!fail] Cons > \- It's not really designed with writing in mind > \- Missing some things out of the box like certain Markdown features and file linking Check it out here: https://code.visualstudio.com/ ![[vscode_writing_screenshot.png]] ### Ulysses Of all of the apps on this list, [[Ulysses]] is one of the more disappointing ones to me; not because it is bad software, but it's completely limited to Apple's platforms and it requires a subscription in order to use it. I can get over subscriptions for software if I think it's worth it, but since I use a mix of different machines, having my writing and note-taking app limited to certain ones wouldn't be a great experience. Were those two things different, I would find myself very tempted to use it. The UX is solid with a nice-looking interface and a clean editor, and the options you have for managing projects are nice. You also have access to some slick export functionality. > [!success] Pros > \+ Well-considered UX with a balance of customization without being too distracting > \+ Useful export options for things like blogs and PDFs > [!fail] Cons > \- Paid app with a subscription-based license > \- Only available on MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS Check it out here: https://ulysses.app/ ![[ulysses_screenshot.png]] ### iA Writer Even more so than Ulysses, [[iA Writer]] has a particular way that it expects you to use it. The interface is very streamlined, especially when you have the extra panes hidden for things like your file library. As far as distraction-free writing environments go, it doesn't get much better than this. I don't use iA Writer as much anymore, but I still really appreciate how clean it looks and feels. Further, it's ability to get out of the way of your writing is awesome. The miss here for me is managing folders and text files, but I also think that it is working exactly how it was intended to, for better or worse. I feel like if iA Writer were a person, it would be Jony Ive. Formerly a product designer at Apple, but now heading up [LoveFrom](https://www.lovefrom.com/), he seems to have a very specific style of form *mostly* over function. iA Writer is kind of like that. If it works for you then it'll be excellent, but it if it doesn't, then it will probably hinder you in a few ways. > [!success] Pros > \+ Minimal interface and customization lends itself to writing first and foremost > \+ Primarily focused on editing local files > [!fail] Cons > \- Opinionated design might be off-putting > \- Library management is a bit clunky compared to other applications Check it out here: https://ia.net/writer ![[ia_writer_screenshot.png]] ### Scrivener [[Scrivener]] is one of best and most powerful tools for long-form writing. It's way more involved, but that lets you have way more control over your writing. Compared to something like Markdown in a text editor, Scrivener is on the opposite side of the spectrum. This was one of the first applications I used when I started keeping a journal a few years ago. It worked fine for that, but it was like using a giant toolbox to store your pencils — there's just a bit more than you need here for a simple task like that. However, for something like writing a manuscript, I think this has to be at the top of the list for serious writers. > [!success] Pros > \+ Exceptionally powerful editing, typesetting, and publishing tooling > \+ Offers extra features for resources like timelines, templates for world-building, and managing manuscript structure > [!fail] Cons > \- The level of customization here for typesetting and the like is very high, but this is also by design > \- Updates are fairly few and far between at this point Check it out here: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview ![[scrivener_screenshot.png]] ### Writer [[Writer]] is a streamlined word processor that is accessible via a browser. It's default appearance is obviously inspired by old-school terminals and command line interfaces. It has customization options, but they are relatively limited on purpose and sequestered away via a menu to reduce distractions. I haven't used this app for writing in a while, and it's web-based nature can be a plus or minus depending on how you feel about that sort of thing, but it's effective at what it sets out to do. It can also be used offline and once it comes back online, will sync your work back up, but I haven't tested that feature. > [!success] Pros > \+ Being web-based allows it to be easily accessible from anywhere > \+ Minimalist themes and UI reduce distractions from just writing > \+ Lifetime pro license purchase option > \+ Useful export options (with a pro license) > [!fail] Cons > \- Being web-based, you have a bit less control over your files Check it out here: https://writer.bighugelabs.com/ ![[writer_screenshot_press_files.png]] ## Conclusion If you made it this far, I hope this post has been somewhat helpful in getting an idea of some of the possibilities that are out there for writing. There are many, many more that I haven't tried. The important thing isn't so much the tool itself, it's how you use it. **Now, get to writing!** Thanks for reading! — C #blog #writing #obsidian