FocusWriter Review - The Ultimate Tool for Procrastinating Writers

very good
key review info
application features
  • TXT, basic RTF, and basic ODT file support
  • (5 more, see all...)

FocusWriter is best described as a writing environment, and it's one of the most famous writing apps that allow people to focus on their work, without any kind of distractions.

There are a lot of people out there who might say that they are writing a novel if you asked them what they've done lately. The truth is that the step between wanting to write a novel and actually doing it is a long one. FocusWriter is trying to fill a void in the life of an aspiring writer by taking away one of the usual excuses: "I can't find a proper text editor to do my work."

Surprisingly, a lot of people who want to write expect to start perfectly, so they think that if they have the proper tools right from the beginning, then it will actually be easier to take up writing. This is the reason there are quite a few applications out there that focus on stuff like writing goals, for example, and that try to provide the minimum number of features that a writer might need.

Installation

This kind of apps are quite common on other platforms, but not on Linux. There are a couple of alternatives, but they are not free. This means that FocusWriter is probably the only one (maybe someone can show me another so I can review it) that gathers under one umbrella almost anything you might want as a writer. The fact that its developers provide a PPA for Ubuntu and Debian, Fedora, and openSUSE packages is just the cherry on top.

I installed FocusWriter in Ubuntu 15.04, and it worked without a hitch. All you need to do to install it is to add a PPA to the system and enter a few commands in a terminal (root is needed):

code
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gottcode/gcppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install focuswriter
You will now find FocusWriter in Unity's dash. The developers also provide the source code for the application, if you want to do it the old fashioned way and compile it.

Usage

When users open FocusWriter for the first time, they are greeted with a white paper page over a wooden surface, and the app goes into fullscreen mode. The point of the application is to cover everything up and let the writer look straight to the white page and see nothing from the menus or toolbar. This is why it's called a writing environment and not a text editor.

Despite the fact that the options and various features are not displayed by default, it doesn't mean that they are not there. It still possible to format the text with some pretty primitive features, but don't expect anything major. On the other hand, anything besides underline, strikethrough, align, bold, italic, and so on is not really necessary.

There are also some preferences that let users make some customizations, define shortcuts, and a few other small things. The main two features of the FocusWriter are Focused Text and Daily goals.

"Focus Text" changes the color of the text around the paragraph (or paragraphs) that you're editing. The idea behind this is to keep the user focused on what they just wrote and not get lost in surrounding text.

"Daily goals" is a feature for people who just can't get around to write anything. One of the bits of advice that any new writer gets is to do just that, to write, no matter how little. The application allows users to define a goal, either in words or minutes, and a lot of people will probably find this useful.


The Good

FocusWriter is a stable and pretty much complete application. It's difficult to imagine what it would need to make it better. The fact that it's the only one on Linux is also a big plus.

The Bad

The only problem I could find with it is the lack of a setting for the font. At first, I thought I was not looking hard enough for it, but I still couldn't find the option to change it. I like to use monospace, but I can't with this app. The default font, whatever that is, should keep people happy, but it would be nice to be able to change it.

Conclusion

FocusWriter is a very good application for beginners, and it provides some good tools to keep track of the work that's being done. It's hard to find excuses that you're distracted when the application covers the entire screen, so go and get that novel published. And maybe use FocusWriter in the process.

user interface 3
features 4
ease of use 5
pricing / value 4


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
NEXT REVIEW: Transmageddon

FocusWriter Review screenshots (10 Images)

FocusWriter
FocusWriter toolbarFocusWriter toolsFocusWriter daily progressFocusWriter preferences
+5more