Separate Writing and Formatting

The solution to staying focused while writing sounds trivial: When you type, just type. When you structure, just structure. When you format, just format. Why is that so hard? We’ve been trained to write in apps built for everything, but mainly for the final product: for layout. Word processors, apps to design slide decks, CMS editors—they present, invite, and reward formatting. We highlight, click, drag, align, adjust. And it does feel productive. And it seems efficient to work in the final stage from the start. In fact, it’s the very opposite of efficient. Clicking and tapping, dragging and dropping distracts us from expressing ourselves. The remedy: If you have a clear idea of where you are going, just type, and forget everything else. Focus on typing paragraphs and grouping them under plain headings. Structure and format later.

This applies to creating presentations, designing, and writing. Get your raw thoughts down, organize them into groups, and make rough diagrams or wireframes if applicable. By the time you launch Keynote, Figma, or Pages (yes, Pages), you should have a strong grasp of the work that lies ahead. Of course crafting elegant user interfaces requires significant experimentation and prototyping, but the software’s intentions should be clear when you create the initial frame.

Also if you have not tried using iA Writer definitely give it a go. It’s a truly pleasant piece of software.