I’ve been using Ulysses for all my writing since August 2019. I’ve loved it since Day 1, and I thought I should share why I think it’s a great product.
First, what is Ulysses?
It’s a writing app, aimed specifically at creative writers.
What makes it great?
A simple, distraction-free interface
All I want is a clean screen, simple fonts, and to write in a comfortable, familiar place each day.
Ulysses makes it so easy write. Here’s a picture of what today’s post looks like in the editor.
Writing in Markdown
What are those hashtags and blue fonts?
Ulysses uses Markdown, which is a simple markup language that keeps your formatting consistent, regardless of your writing’s final destination. For example, if you place a # at the beginning of a line, the text on that line becomes Heading 1. If you use ## instead, the text becomes Heading 2.
People typically write in markdown because when the text is put through a markdown processor, it’s converted into HTML and usable for websites. However, markdown in Ulysses is helpful because it means you never have to leave the keyboard to format your work. All writing and formatting can be done just by typing.
Customisable organisation
Other writing apps that I’ve tried—like Evernote—have buggy and poor file organisation. It’s so frustrating to use a product every day that is sub-optimal.
Ulysses just works. And that may be its best quality.
There is seamless iCloud syncing, meaning I can write my blog on the train going into work (when we used to commute; remember that?), and then pick up where I left off on the desktop app later in the day.
I order all my posts in reverse date format, so today’s post starts with the label ’200503’, which allows me to quickly navigate and search my posts.
So who’s it for, and is it right for you?
If you write on a regular schedule, want a reliable, distraction-free interface, and good file and post management, Ulysses is an excellent product.
It’s made by a small team of people in Germany, and although it’s $40 per year, or $5 per month, it’s money I don’t hesitate to spend.
Note: This is not a paid post or advertisement; it’s just a blog post written by a fan!