A Writing Tool for the Digital Minimalist

June 20, 2025 · By Josh

Clutter Creep

We are inundated with clutter. Tabs overflowing. Apps slamming us with features. Our minds are swimming with the possibilities and potential. Yet we accomplish very little.

What if the answer wasn't more?

What if the answer was less?

What if what you needed was an app that got out of your way and just let you write with no distractions?

That is what TypeSlate is.

I built this program as an answer to my own ADHD. If I were drafting this post on anything other than TypeSlate, there is a strong chance I would get distracted before it was finished. In the back of my mind, there is a version of me clawing at my attention—asking me to check some stats, prompt GPT for some nonsense, or just watch YouTube.

But here I am. Writing. Following one singular line of thought. The reason this is possible is TypeSlate. My screen is completely black (night mode crew for life!), and there are no tabs or editing features. There is no spell check reminding me how poor of a student I was in elementary school.

The time for editing is not now. This is the time for flow.

Digital Minimalism is the guiding principle for TypeSlate.

Your files are stored as .txt or . md . You can't get more minimal than that. They are stored wherever you put them. Your stats are stored as a . db file. The program runs locally and offline. Its only connection to the internet is if you choose to upload your stats to the community. Even then, I set it to lazy-load the internet connection so that it doesn't slow down the program.

What about monthly expense creep?

I am guilty. I pay annually for a few programs, and in the back of my mind, they stress me out all year. ChatGPT, Claude, Canva, and Apple Music—those are my skeletons. The last thing I need is a writing tool that costs me a monthly expense as well.

TypeSlate is free. You can't get more minimal than that.

From the very first line of code and my first iteration of the program, minimalism has been the guiding principle. Keep it simple, stupid. "Great advice—hurts my feelings every time."

If you are looking for a simpler process and want to get more words on the page, you need to download TypeSlate and start writing.