FocusWriter

Write first, style later.

Overview

FocusWriter is a writing environment for people who want the page to get out of the way. It removes the chrome that other editors pile on, hands you a blank surface, and lets the sentence arrive on its own terms. The interface is one blue dot. Everything else is your text.

The product is opinionated about what writing tools should not do. It does not lecture you with a writing score, it does not push paragraphs at you, and it does not pull your draft into the cloud. Files are plain Markdown on your disk. Preferences live in your home directory. The AI features, when you turn them on, run against API keys you supply and stay out of your way until you pause long enough to want a hint.

Highlights

• Single-column editor with no toolbar, no title bar, and no sidebar. One blue dot opens every setting when you need it.
• Four focus modes that dim everything except the current sentence, paragraph, or line, with a typewriter mode that keeps the cursor centered.
• Markdown lives on your disk as plain .md files. Live preview fades the syntax without hiding it. Export to PDF, HTML, or Word when you are done.
• AI that stays behind the sentence, not in front of it. A faint ghost after a pause. Tab to accept, anything else makes it disappear. Off by default.
• Bring your own key for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Cerebras, or no key at all. Drafts never leave your machine unless you invite them to.