Flowstate

Flowstate is a writing mode that keeps you moving forward, designed to break the habit of endlessly re-editing what you just wrote. As you write, Flowstate protects each finished sentence (temporarily; everything unlocks during editing time, and you can always pause to make changes).

Flowstate never deletes or changes your writing — when it ends, all your text is right where you left it, fully editable.

It works on a simple timer that alternates between Writing Time and Editing Time. During writing time, your sentences lock once you finish them. When the timer switches to editing time, everything unlocks so you can revise. Then you go back to writing time.

Getting Started

Click the Flowstate button on the right side of the toolbar (the row of buttons at the top of your writing area), or press Ctrl+Shift+F (Cmd+Shift+F on Mac). The button changes to show your current mode and a small timer bar appears above your writing area. The default is 15 minutes of writing followed by 5 minutes of editing, but you can change these anytime in the settings.

If the keyboard shortcut feels like too many keys, just use the Flowstate button instead.

To stop Flowstate, click the Stop button (square icon) in the timer bar, or press Ctrl+Shift+F again (Cmd+Shift+F on Mac). The timer bar stays on screen after you stop, so you can adjust your settings or start another session straight from the play button. To tuck the bar away, click the Flowstate button.

Writing Time

During writing time (shown in orange), each sentence locks after you finish it. Penpoint recognizes sentence endings (periods, question marks, and exclamation points) and is smart enough to ignore abbreviations (Dr., Mr., etc.), decimals, web addresses, and ellipses. It also handles dialogue punctuation, so a period inside quotation marks won't accidentally lock mid-sentence.

A brief countdown appears at the end of each sentence: you have about 1.5 seconds before it locks. Made a mistake? Press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) within 5 seconds to unlock and fix it. Locked text fades slightly so you can tell it apart from editable text (you can turn this off in settings), and your cursor stays at the end, ready for your next sentence. Everything unlocks when editing time starts, and you can pause Flowstate anytime to make changes.

When the writing timer runs out, Flowstate automatically switches to editing time. You'll see a visual countdown on the timer so the transition never catches you off guard.

Editing Time

During editing time (shown in blue), all your text is fully unlocked. Use this time to fix typos, rearrange sentences, or revise your work.

When editing time runs out, a visual countdown on the timer lets you know writing time is about to resume. Everything locks back in place and then you go back to writing time.

Pause & Resume

Click the Pause button to freeze the timer and unlock all text temporarily. This is useful for stepping away from your writing. Click the Resume button (a right-pointing triangle) to continue where you left off.

Flowstate also pauses automatically if you switch away from Penpoint, and picks back up when you return.

Settings

Click the Settings icon (gear) in the timer bar to customize:

• Write: How long you write before switching to editing time (5 to 120 minutes, default 15)
• Edit: How long you can edit before going back to writing (5 to 120 minutes, default 5)
• Fade Locked Text: When turned on, locked sentences dim so you can easily tell them apart from text you can still edit. When turned off, locked text looks the same as everything else but is still locked.

What Changes on Screen

When Flowstate starts, Penpoint clears away distractions so you can focus:

• The chapter list on the left side of the screen and Minipen (the reference panel on the right) tuck themselves away (they come back when Flowstate stops)
• Formatting buttons in the toolbar fade out (they still work if you click them)
• The navigation bar at the very top of the window fades during writing time, and the chapter list fades if you reopen it
• Find & Replace (Ctrl+F, or Cmd+F on Mac) still lets you search, but Replace is only available during editing time. If you need to do a replace right away, just pause Flowstate first.

When Flowstate Stops on Its Own

Flowstate automatically turns off if you switch to a different chapter or scene, add a new scene or chapter break, or merge scenes or chapters (combining two scenes or chapters into one). These kinds of changes reorganize your manuscript, so Flowstate steps aside and lets you start fresh when you're ready.