Stuart Danker

I wrote everything in plain text this month. That’s .txt instead of .docx, or using a basic text editor instead of writing on WordPress.

Don’t ask me why. It’s just another experiment I had to do, because you know I’m always trying to find new ways to write.

This is why I found myself using Vim, a 1991 predecessor to Vi, which was released in 1976. Yeah, Vim definitely gives George RR Martin and his preference for WordStar a run for his money.

Using a programme this old meant that I could focus on what really mattered: the words. Or did it?

Read on to find out.

Why am I doing this?

There are many advantages to .txt that we tend to overlook. The size difference, for one. I’ve been keeping a daily journal in .txt form too, and it has some 800 lines to date. Its size? 24 kB.

That makes .txt highly portable, as I can slot my files into any computer since the Reagan administration and still be able to work on my projects.

Secondly, I wanted to experiment with words. No fancy formatting, no bells and whistles, just words. Plain text allowed me to do that.

Lastly, I got a kick out of this minimalism, which sent me back to Memory Lane during my DOS days. There’s just something about letters on a plain black screen that does it for me.

Why Vim?

To the uninitiated, Vim is basically the unfriendliest text editor that exists today. So many better alternatives exist, such as Notepad or TextEdit, so why was I taking the masochistic route?

The reason lies in its editing capabilities. You see, Vim was built with the power user in mind. And its shortcuts were designed so that you didn’t need to lift your fingers off the home row.

It didn’t make me a faster writer, though. But it did help me become more efficient.

Also, I figured that even if this experiment failed, I’d still emerge on the other end with a new skill under my belt. And that’s how Vim became my primary editor for the entire month.

The power of Vim

As I’ve already mentioned, Vim does one thing, and it does it well. It handles words.

Its powers lie in its keystrokes, with all your editing needs accessible through easy shortcuts.

For instance, I can delete this entire sentence and write over it by just pressing these three letters: c, i, s. It doesn’t matter where the cursor is, that line’s getting overwritten.

I could change the command to encompass the entire paragraph, document, or just one word, and it’ll still require only three keypresses.

Compare this to the traditional way of moving my hand to the mouse, clicking and selecting the relevant sentences, moving my hand back, and typing. That’s when you start to see the benefit of these shortcuts, especially when repeated multiple times over one document.

You can look up various tutorials and cheat sheets for Vim if you’re interested, so I won’t go into too much detail here. What I do want to cover, though, is my experience thus far.

A steep learning curve

My first week with Vim was hell. I couldn’t write properly. I couldn’t even focus on the words, since all I was doing was trying to recall shortcuts.

So my mind functioned in analytical mode the entire time, which is not where you want to be when writing, trust me.

It was as if I was writing with my left hand. I couldn’t focus on the words because my brain needed all its processing powers to deal with the unfamiliarity.

It took me an entire week before I felt comfortable enough ditching the mouse or the arrow keys.

Then week two arrived, and I realised I didn’t need to overthink the basic commands. I could hop around in sentences, moving the cursor to the exact character I wanted.

I still needed some time to plan my keystrokes, but I wasn’t lagging so much anymore.

And now that a month has passed, I’ve amassed a set of shortcuts that I personally use often. My methods may not be as elegant as the Vim veterans’, but it does cover what I need.

Move to end of line. To the next paragraph. Throw away this sentence. Delete four words. Replace this letter with a capital letter. I’ve basically committed a writer’s toolbox of shortcuts to muscle memory, and I’m happy with what I have.

I can now write and carry out various edits without lifting my fingers off home row. And that keeps my joints happy.

Why use plain text?

Now, onto file format itself. We’ve already covered how portable plain text files are. I could carry one year’s worth of journalling anywhere, and it’ll take just two seconds to back up.

Another plus point to plain text is the lack of proprietary formatting. I don’t have to worry about copy-paste compatibilities either. I can just write this piece and dump it into WordPress, and it’ll work every time.

Even longer documents can benefit from the .txt format. I can write an entire novel in plain text and not lose out on any functionality. If George RR Martin can write his tomes in WordStar, I can write my short novels in Vim.

All in all, the benefits are aplenty, but the main selling point is the ability to avoid distractions.

Going back to basics

Try this and tell me you don’t feel more focused: open Notepad or Textedit and simply start drafting your next post.

I’ll admit that it could feel jarring at first, especially if you enjoy tweaking your headings and italics. But you’ll feel empowered once you realise you don’t need formatting to get your point across.

Besides, you can always deal with the publishing details after you’ve finished your story.

Even if I weren’t using Vim, the act of writing in plain text ensures that I have something to say. Because the format ain’t pretty. So you can’t hide behind a fancy editor and feel all good about your work through aesthetics alone.

With plain text, you’re more prone to hating your words. And that’s a good thing.

So, did it make me a better writer?

Here’s the interesting bit. This practice didn’t improve my craft as a writer, but it did transport me to my old days, when I didn’t constantly scroll through twenty open tabs while writing.

And that has given me some clarity by association.

If you had the luxury to experience life pre-internet, you’ll probably remember the days of longer attention spans. I’m reclaiming this mindset thanks to the spartan environment of Vim.

And what I used to think of as a gimmick (meaning the ‘distraction-free’ editors) now seems much more useful in my eyes. Because there’s something to be said about using a plain editor.

So while I haven’t improved in the craft, I’m glad I rediscovered what it feels like to go back to basics.

Should you write in plain text?

Now that I’ve sold plain text files as the next miracle cure for writing, you might be wondering if it’s the thing for you. And I say, give it a go before anything else.

But just in case you need a quick comparison, here’s a short list. Try plain text if you:

• Want a portable backup of your entire life’s worth of writing
• Are curious if it’ll affect your output
• Are interested in other tools such as Vim and Markdown
• Have the minimalist bug inside you
• Write across different platforms and devices

But maybe don’t force yourself if you:

• Are visually oriented and need to see the shape of your work
• Don’t enjoy organising all your .txt files (or sections within files)
• Collaborate a lot with other people using Microsoft Word or Google Docs
• Don’t like being reminded that you suck at words
• You’re a tweaker (I don’t mean meth addict, though the effects are the same) and you can’t stop editing macros, scripts, and shortcuts exactly the way you want them

Will I continue using Vim?

So it’s been an interesting month, and I’ve learned so much from this experiment. I’ve enjoyed my learnings so much that yes, I may just continue writing in plain text.

And if there’s one major takeaway I took from this experience, it’s that most times, it pays to be simple.

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