Step by step
Focus mode, typewriter and layouts
Write without distraction, keep your line in the middle of the screen, choose separate or continuous sections, and set a word target and status.
- Time
- 3 minutes
- Steps
- 4
Different days need different ways of writing. Some days you want the whole manuscript in front of you; other days, one paragraph and nothing else. The Writing lens has a few simple tools for that.
Step 1Turn on Focus mode
Above your text, press Focus mode. The Structure panel and the bar at the top step out of the way, so your page has the room. Press Focus mode again to come back.
Shortcut: ⌘/Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Step 2Turn on Typewriter
Press Typewriter. The line you are typing stays in the middle of the screen, so your eyes don't drift to the bottom as you write.
Shortcut: ⌘/Ctrl+Alt+T.
Step 3Choose how sections are shown
At the top of the page, choose Separate to see one section at a time, or Continuous to read and write the whole manuscript as one long document, section after section. In Continuous, the reference list for the whole manuscript sits at the end.
The Structure panel on the left lists your sections. Show or hide it with ⌘/Ctrl+\.
Step 4Set a target and a status
Above the section's title, set Target words to the length you are aiming for. The word count in the bar at the bottom then shows how far along you are, for example "450 / 1,200 words".
Set the Section status to To do, Draft, Revised or Final. The status shows in the Structure panel, on the Corkboard and in the Outline.
What's next
- Plan with the Corkboard and Outline.
- Autosave and offline: your writing saves as you type, even without a connection.