Similarly, the Swiss army knife of writing tools, Scrivener, has a view called Composition Mode that effectively screens out the complexity of the menus. The latest versions of Microsoft Word, for instance, offer a view called Focus View that opens your writing palette full screen and hides all menus and scroll bars. Happily, your current word processor may already have a screening mode that will hide the menus and icons of other programs so that what you see resembles a blank sheet in a typewriter. The most obvious way to avoid distraction is to screen it out, like a blackout curtain in Oslo used to screen out the midnight sun at midsummer. What we need is help in blocking out distractions. Most of us find our computing devices distracting. The next thing you know, your writing session is over and your time has been frittered away by addictive, fun, but nonproductive pursuits. ![]() Or an alert informs you that there’s a fresh New York Times crossword puzzle waiting in your crossword app. You only just begin writing and achieve a little momentum when your mind decides to take a quick email break, or see what’s new on Facebook, or dash off a tweet. Let’s face it: desktop, laptop, and tablet computers can be distracting. ![]() Thoreau, Walden iA Writer’s focus mode on iPad. ![]() Distraction-Free Editors by Gene Wilburn TOOL REVIEW || updated
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