3/18/2023 0 Comments Ia writer wordpress“Pretty” can come a little further down the line, when it’s time to publish. But a slower journey enables greater awareness and insight, and isn’t that what every writer needs? I love monospace fonts, so I’ve set Ulysses to Courier, which is the only one that becomes invisible to me. In a world where we all seem to be on the hamster wheel, taking things more slowly might seem counterproductive. This can look pretty, but pretty isn’t necessarily what you need when trying to spot errors or slow down. …a slower journey enables greater awareness and insight. I really admire the developers’ attitude to fonts, and their apparent focus on the craft of writing. Of the three available in iA, I tend to switch between mono and duo: they just feel more workmanlike. Monospace fonts are particularly useful for those with dyslexia because the words are spaced out more, which slows the reading process.īy contrast, most modern fonts are proportional, designed for fast reading this isn’t necessarily what you want when you’re writing a first draft, and especially not when proofreading, as it’s easy to miss a mistak. Monospace fonts come from the days when typewriters were the only alternatives to writing by hand, with every character the same width due to the way typewriters work. In my work with university students, I often expound the benefits of monospace fonts. Careful thought has been given to these fonts to minimise the potential for distractions, maximise their effectiveness, and make iA the purest of writing environments. Mono was originally the only option, with Duo and Quattro introduced later. One of the main highlights of iA, though, is the importance placed upon typography. Although iA’s developers stuck rigidly to their purist approach for a long time, they eventually introduced export and publishing options, tags and smart folders. I really admire the developers’ attitude to fonts, and their apparent focus on the craft of writingīoth apps have developed significantly over the years. Similarly, in typewriter mode the text tends to lurch around if scrolling it never does that when I’m actually using my typewriter… I actually find focus modes distracting, which would seem to defeat the object. I’ve never really used such features to be honest: when I’m writing, I’m generally focussed on a particular sentence, word-by-word anyway. They also have full-screen, focus and typewriter modes. My attention is a bit like that of a labrador retriever: intent on what’s in front of me one second, only to be hijacked by a fluttering leaf or passing fly the next.īoth apps have the familiar three-pane layout, although these panes can be hidden with gestures or keyboard shortcuts. I was also attracted to the “distraction-free” environment, because, well, I’m easily distracted. The app’s similarity to the typewriter, a machine I love, really appealed to me. I was first drawn to iA way back when there was a cursor and not much else. My attention is a bit like that of a labrador retriever… Both Ulysses and iA sing about their plain text focus, and rightly so. There are no unnecessary parts in the plain text communication machine. There’s no fluff or stuff or fancy fonts*, no embellishments, glitter or glitz. Plain text has the same purity as the typewriter or single-speed bicycle. It’s the simplicity and lightness that really appeal to me. I love plain text files: they’re simple, light, fast, future-proof, and compatible with apps across different platforms. There are, however, marked differences between the two.Ī sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. I’m a long-time Scrivener fan, using it to write novels, short stories, scripts and edit books, but for blogging, plain text is where it’s at – and this is where Ulysses and iA really shine. This is because both iA and Ulysses handle plain text files, whereas Scrivener works with rich text. Ulysses is often compared with Scrivener, but in truth it has more in common with iA Writer (iA).
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