Writing on the phone

Hi frens,

I started my writing journey with my first “smart” device, an iPod touch.

Since then, I’ve found that writing articles on a touchscreen feels more natural and intimate for me, allowing me to connect directly with my thoughts. I often write hundreds of words (like this letter) and have even written tens of thousands of words for reports on it.

I remember trying multiple writing apps and formats. Ultimately, I settle on iA Writer and basic markdown. It’s amazing to see such an elegant app stand the test of time in the markets.

While writing on the phone, I do most editing and publishing on a traditional computer, for the reason that some platforms are not mobile-friendly, such as Substack, HackMD, Notion, etc. Editing itself requires precise pointing back and forth, and larger screen benefits.

I couldn’t write thoughtful words on the traditional computer. I never started my writing from Microsoft Word and have been trying to escape from it, mostly because software engineers like me were anti-Microsoft in the 2000s.

However, it’s 2024 and we couldn’t have nice spacing between CJK and other characters on most editing software or websites. To have a nice spacing for it, I turned to Word on the desktop, not Word on the mobile devices or the free Office web app that doesn’t get the job done. Fantastic. On other websites, I manually add space between CJK and other characters.

Anyway, that’s practical me.

Your friend,

Denken