John Gruber on His Writing Workflow, Tools, and Influential Blog

The Core Device and Workflow

• 💻 MacBook Pro is John Gruber's most important device, essential for his writing on Daring Fireball.
• 💡 Despite reviewing newer models, he finds his 2021 M1 Max MacBook Pro still performs exceptionally well for his needs.
• ✍️ His writing process is not a strict adherence to systems like 'Getting Things Done,' but rather a more organic, sometimes scattered approach.

Capturing and Organizing Ideas

• 📓 A pocket notebook (Field Notes) is a constant companion for jotting down ideas and outlining articles.
• 📌 A custom shortcut system called Totark is used for saving bookmarks and quick notes, leveraging the minimalist Tot app.
• 📁 A dedicated folder in Apple Notes stores ideas for longer articles, currently containing 282 entries.

The Writing and Editing Process

• ⏳ Gruber often procrastinates on large articles, viewing the writing process itself as a form of bracing for cold water.
• ✍️ He aims to write the final draft directly, obsessing over word choice from the outset rather than extensive revision.
• 📄 Printing articles and editing them with a pen and paper is a crucial step for catching errors, especially homonym typos.

Publishing and Promotion

• 🚀 Publishing is typically done directly from his writing app, with a slight delay before automatic social media posting to allow for corrections.
• 🚫 Promotion is minimal; he relies on his established audience and the quality of his work to spread organically.
• 🗣️ He acknowledges his influence but consciously tries to underestimate it, aiming for fairness and avoiding sensationalism.

Tools and Habits

• 🖱️ He uses an Apple Extended Keyboard II (from 1990) with an ADB to USB adapter and a simple ThinkPad mouse, often mousing with his left hand.
• 📝 Writing primarily occurs in MarsEdit, with BBEdit used for more complex text editing and find/replace operations.
• 📧 His iPhone's Mail app shows tens of thousands of unread emails, a badge he finds more symbolic than actionable.
• 📚 Apps like Tot, Sequel, Sofa, Callsheet, Tapestry, NetNewsWire, Ivory, and Things are used for various organizational and content consumption purposes, though some are aspirational.
• 🧠 He emphasizes that writing is thinking, and the act of writing is essential for truly processing and understanding complex ideas.