As the primary blogger for CATS Software, I’ve found that with all the distractions on a computer, focusing on the written word can be a challenge, but JDarkRoom is here to help.
JDarkRoom is a distraction-free writing application. It is extremely helpful in keeping me focused on what I’m writing and has considerably decreased the amount of time it takes. The application works by covering everything on your screen with a black background. You then just start typing. When you’re ready to save, you can use the keyboard shortcut ctrl+s or cmd+s. The app doesn’t include a grammar or spell checker because these tools add distraction. You can copy and paste the text into an editing program later or just open the saved file. I like to do a few passes of proof-reading before I take my post out of JDarkRoom and into our blog post editor, which has a spelling and grammar checker.
Is that it? Are there any other features? You bet there are. The options can be opened by pressing F6 on your keyboard. You can select a different font, your own color for the text and background, include a line count on the screen, stop the ability to use the delete and backspace keys, and a few other options. The application runs on the Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms.
If you do any writing for blogs, articles, or anything similar, I recommend giving this free application a try. Let us know in the comments if you use anything like this or if you’ve given JDarkRoom a try.