I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about Universe as a tool for writing. I figured writing a post about it would be a good way to poke and prod around what I think we should do about it.

Some of my thoughts so far

- A dedicated writing experience (as in a mode of input that extends beyond the text block actual in the grid editor) feels like the right thing to do. I think this would make writing more enjoyable. You need unobstructed space to write and the grid doesn’t currently provide this. But it is super great for seeing what you write in relationship to other elements on the page.

- Drafts are critical. Writing takes time, and having to publish to save my writing doesn’t feel great.

- I think there are two modes for text: composition and arrangement. The text block as it is currently sits in between those two modes.

- Inline styles are a no-brainer.

- Semantic markup would unlock more sophisticated templating.

- Sometimes you just want to write. It would be great if we could decouple composition from the grid. Imagine being able to take notes, capture photos, and save links through the app without having to think about where to place them at the same time. I still need to think about this one a little more.

I’ll keep adding here as I have more thoughts/time 🤓