The GNU nano Editor for (Serious) Writers
Distraction-free writing with an often-overlooked command-line tool
Keep it simple, stupid.
I like that phrase. The KISS principle really resonates with me: Simplicity is the key to all great things.
When it comes to writing efficiently, the tools we use are crucial for our success. The simpler, the better.
I tried a lot of distraction-free writing tools and after playing with them for a few days I regularly returned to LibreOffice to get my work done.
I recently discovered that I have always had a command-line tool installed on my Linux workstation that could’ve saved me from temporary outbursts of insanity years ago…
I use the GNU nano editor on a daily basis but it never dawned on me that it could be used for anything but editing .config files.
But, after reading the man page for nano I found some interesting options.
In a typical UNIX/Linux terminal you can type the following command and enjoy a distraction-free writing environment that truly adheres to the KISS philosophy:
nano -alMw$
