DoggyWriter

A minimal writing app that helps you avoid analysis paralysis by keeping you focused on writing forward.

What is DoggyWriter?

DoggyWriter is a terminal-based writing tool that shows you only 2 lines at a time: the line you're currently typing and the previous line. This "tunnel vision" approach helps you stay in the flow and avoid getting stuck editing what you've already written.

Features

• 2-Line View: See only your current line and the previous line
• Forward-Only Writing: Once you press Enter, that line is locked (no going back to edit)
• Auto-Save: Your work saves automatically every 5 seconds
• Simple Controls: Just type, press Enter for new lines, and Backspace to fix the current line
• Distraction-Free: Minimal UI keeps you focused on writing

Installation

Install from Crates.io (Recommended)

The easiest way to install DoggyWriter:

cargo install doggywriter

This requires Rust to be installed.

Install from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/meltingscales/DoggyWriter
cd DoggyWriter

# Install locally (puts binary in ~/.cargo/bin/)
just install
# or
cargo install --path .

Usage

Running DoggyWriter

# If you have 'just' installed:
just run

# Or with cargo:
cargo run

First Launch

1. You'll be prompted to enter a filename for your writing
2. Type a name (e.g., my-story) and press Enter
3. The app automatically adds .txt extension
4. Start writing!

Controls

• Type normally: Characters appear on the current line
• Enter: Create a new line (locks the previous line)
• Backspace: Delete characters from the current line only
• Ctrl+S: Manually save (though it auto-saves every 5 seconds)
• Ctrl+Q: Quit the application (auto-saves on exit)

The Interface

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Previous: The quick brown fox jumped    │
│ Current: over the lazy dog█             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ my-story.txt | Lines: 42 | Chars: 1,234 │
│ Ctrl+Q: Quit | Auto-saved 2s ago        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Development

Building

# Debug build
just build

# Release build (optimized)
just release

Running Tests

just test

Code Quality

# Format code
just fmt

# Run linter
just lint

# Check code without building
just check

Publishing

# Publish to crates.io (make sure you're logged in)
just publish

Why DoggyWriter?

Sometimes the best way to write is to just write. By removing the ability to constantly edit and re-read what you've written, DoggyWriter keeps you moving forward and helps you:

• Beat analysis paralysis: Can't overthink what you can't see
• Maintain flow: Keep writing without breaking your creative momentum
• Focus on drafting: Save the editing for later (that's what second drafts are for!)

Perfect for:

• First drafts
• Freewriting sessions
• Brainstorming
• Journal entries
• Stream-of-consciousness writing

License

MIT OR Apache-2.0

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Feel free to open issues or pull requests.