ldstephens weblog

Choosing where to write

I’m always torn about where I want to write. I’ve got plenty of options, but it comes down to two: Drafts and MarkEdit.

What I like about MarkEdit is that it’s file-based, clean, and built specifically for writing in Markdown. It feels focused with fewer distractions, just me and the words. That’s the kind of environment I want for writing blog posts and journal entries. I’m aiming for consistency, and I’d like to settle into a workflow that sticks.

Drafts, on the other hand, has been part of my routine for years. It’s my go-to for capturing all sorts of text, and I’ve got actions that send things wherever they need to go. It’s powerful, but it’s not designed purely for writing. It tries to be a lot of things.

What I’m thinking is: keep using Drafts for capture and quick notes, then move the writing to MarkEdit. Since MarkEdit is Mac only, I’ll use 1Writer on my iPhone and iPad, not that I write much on those devices anyway.

BBEdit is still around, but I mainly use it for working on my 11ty sites. It can handle Markdown, sure, but it’s better suited for code.

This feels like the right setup for now, at least.