Hearth is a plain text editor especially designed for anyone passionate about writing fiction. Featuring a distraction-free interface, the tool allows you to focus on the content you are about to create without having to worry about formatting, style, fonts, and other elements specific to standard text editors.
Distraction-free, but you do have the option to customize it
The application comes with a simple interface that you can customize to fit your style. Before you get started, it may be worth taking some time to explore the Set menu and adjust various elements or remove them altogether. You can select a general theme, an editor font, tab stop distance or a wrap style that you are accustomed to, among other things.
The Toggle menu is another way you can personalize the interface so that it suits your needs and preferences. Take a moment and check or uncheck tools that you consider might help you with your writing project, including here editor shadow, pane, status bar, indicator or if you prefer a line number area. Other features that may come in handy include having the tool always on top, adding a timer and staying awake, which will keep the screen on without any input.
While you may argue that the numerous features defeat the purpose, keep in mind that you don’t have to even configure the aforementioned elements and use the tool with its default settings. Then again, the configuration itself is not time-consuming or very complex, so you can just do it once and forget about it.
A tool worth exploring if you are into creative writing
The content created via the tool is stored in specif STORY file formats that you can also access via 7-Zip. The developer points out that although you can rename, move or delete via 7-Zip, you will also need to delete the story.xml file so that the changes can take place.
By eliminating common distractions, Hearth can provide an environment where you can focus more and tap into your imagination. Overall, the minimalist environment could help let the creative ideas run freely and hence, you may be awarded with a more fulfilling writing experience.