Writing Lessons

Writing Lessons: Tools for the Modern Wordsmith

Welcome to my upcoming series of Writing Lessons, where I’ll walk you through the tools I personally use to research, write, and refine my work. These lessons are built around practical guidance—not theory. I’ll show you, step by step, how to organise your thoughts, draft with precision, and polish your words using some of the best free and open-source tools available today.

Logseq — Your Digital Second Brain

Logseq is an open-source, privacy-focused knowledge management app created by Tienson Qin and a global community of contributors. It’s built around the idea of linked thinking—helping you connect ideas the same way your mind naturally does.

Pros:

• Local-first and privacy-respecting: your notes stay on your computer.

• Ideal for research, journaling, and outlining complex stories.

• Supports backlinks, tags, and graph views for mapping your ideas.

• Integrates with Markdown and Org-mode, making your work portable.

Cons:

• The learning curve can be steep at first.

• Heavy note databases may slow performance on older machines.

In my lessons, I’ll show you how to set up Logseq as a creative command center—organizing everything from story ideas to theological notes.

Zetllr — The Writer’s Markdown Companion

Zettlr, developed by Henrik Wenz, is another open-source writing application designed for authors, academics, and journalists who prefer a clean, distraction-free workspace. It combines the simplicity of Markdown with the power of a full writing suite.

Pros:

• Built-in citation management for academic or factual writing.

• Supports multiple document export formats (PDF, DOCX, HTML).

• Dark and light themes, custom styling, and word-count tracking.

• Integrates easily with reference managers like Zotero.

Cons:

• Slightly more technical setup compared to typical word processors.

• No built-in real-time collaboration tools.

I’ll teach you how to use Zetllr for structured writing—from drafting devotionals to editing full-length fiction.

Coming Soon after: LibreOffice for Authors

In the weeks ahead, we’ll move to LibreOffice, the open-source office suite that rivals Microsoft Office. You’ll learn how to format manuscripts, track revisions, and export clean PDFs ready for publication—all without paying for expensive software.