prosaic-app 1.5.1

A writer-first terminal writing app

Prosaic

A writer-first terminal writing app built with Python and Textual, built with the assistance of LLM/Copilot tools.

Landing page

Motivation

I write on multiple devices (an iPad, a laptop, even more), and I wanted a quick way to start every day, get some frontmatter ready for my daily pieces on journal.coffee, jot down notes and even work on books. I have tried several software, some stellar, some half-assed, some bloated, some minimal, but I felt like I needed something of my own.

So, I decided that the best way to go about it is to have a TUI. I can access it from anywhere, and mostly, it will do the job. This way, I can access it from a terminal app on the iPad or Windows (cue: Termix on a browser) and on the Macbook. Hence, Prosaic was born.

Full disclosure: I did rely on LLMs to make it, but as much as I could, I tried to get it to follow best practices, good architecture, and clean code principles.

Publish with Ode

Looking somewhere to publish your writing that is philosophically compatible with Prosaic? Check out Ode. You can also go to the GitHub directly.

Ode is for writers who want to publish in an aesthetically pleasing website, ignoring the bells and whistles of the modern internet. It is opinionated, minimal, and easy to use, guided by an Ethos that prioritizes the craft of writing and the joy of reading over metrics and engagement.

Screenshots

Installation

# Install (requires Python 3.11+)
pipx install prosaic-app

# Upgrade to latest version
pipx upgrade prosaic-app

# Run (first launch runs setup wizard)
prosaic

# Re-run setup wizard anytime
prosaic --setup

Usage

prosaic [OPTIONS] [FILE]

Option	Description
--light	Use light theme (default)
--dark	Use dark theme
--profile <name>	Use a specific profile
--profiles	List all profiles
--setup	Run setup wizard again
--reference	Show reference
--license	Show MIT license
--help	Show help message

Open a file directly:

prosaic ~/writing/draft.md
prosaic --dark ~/writing/draft.md

Features

• Markdown-first: Live outline, word counting
• Focus mode: Hide everything except your writing
• Reader mode: Distraction-free reading
• Start writing: Quick writing session with all panes open
• Continue writing: Resume your last edited document
• Daily metrics: Track words and characters written each day
• Profiles: Separate workspaces for different projects
• Git-ready: Archive is Git-initialized for versioning

Profiles

Profiles let you maintain separate workspaces for different writing projects (personal, work, fiction, etc.).

# List profiles
prosaic --profiles

# Use a specific profile
prosaic --profile work

# Create a new profile (runs setup wizard)
prosaic --profile fiction

Each profile has its own:

• Archive directory
• Git remote (optional)
• Theme preference

Manage profiles from the dashboard menu (m key) or edit in ~/.config/prosaic/settings.json.

Upgrading from v1.1.1 or older? Your existing setup is automatically preserved as the "default" profile. On first launch after upgrading, you'll be offered the option to set up additional profiles or rename your default.

Books

Books are long-form writing projects stored as directories in your archive's books/ folder.

my-book/
  chapters/               Individual chapter files
    chapter-one.md
    chapter-two.md
  chapters.md             Chapter reading order (one filename per line)
  manuscript.md           Auto-generated compilation (read-only)

Working on a book:

1. Press b on the dashboard to open book selection
2. Select an existing book or create a new one
3. Select an existing chapter or create a new one
4. The manuscript auto-compiles on every save and when you leave a chapter
5. Press m in chapter selection to compile manually at any time

The manuscript is read-only in Prosaic — edit your chapters, not the manuscript directly.

Upgrading from v1.3.4 or older? Legacy books (single .md files) are automatically migrated to this structure on first open. Your original file is preserved with a .bak extension.

Keybindings

Category	Key	Action
Dashboard	s	Start writing (quick session)
Dashboard	c	Continue writing (if last file exists)
Dashboard	p	Write a piece
Dashboard	b	Work on a book
Dashboard	n	Add a note
Dashboard	r	Read notes
Dashboard	f	Find files
Dashboard	?	Help
Dashboard	m	Manage profile
Dashboard	q	Quit
Editor	Ctrl+e	Toggle file tree
Editor	Ctrl+o	Toggle outline
Editor	Ctrl+p	Key palette
Editor	Ctrl+s	Save
Editor	Ctrl+m	Compile manuscript (books only)
Editor	Ctrl+q	Go home
Editor	F1	Help
Editor	F5	Focus mode
Editor	F6	Reader mode
Editor	F7	Toggle spell check
Writing	Ctrl+z	Undo
Writing	Ctrl+y	Redo
Writing	Ctrl+x	Cut
Writing	Ctrl+c	Copy
Writing	Ctrl+v	Paste
Writing	Ctrl+a	Select all
Writing	Ctrl+k	Toggle markdown comment

Pane Defaults

Mode	Tree	Outline
write a piece (default)	shown	hidden
start writing	shown	shown
add a note	hidden	shown
read notes	hidden	shown
work on a book	hidden	shown
focus mode	hidden	hidden
reader mode	hidden	hidden

Themes

• Prosaic Light (default): Warm white background with brick accents
• Prosaic Dark: Deep charcoal with warm tan accents

# Light mode (default)
prosaic

# Dark mode
prosaic --dark

Configuration

Config location (in order of priority):

1. PROSAIC_CONFIG_DIR env var (explicit override)
2. $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/prosaic/ (Linux standard)
3. ~/.config/prosaic/ (default)

Override with environment variable:

PROSAIC_CONFIG_DIR=~/custom/path prosaic

Git Integration

If your chosen archive directory already contains a git repository, the wizard will:

• Detect the existing .git directory
• Inherit the repository (no re-initialization)
• Read the remote URL if configured
• Prompt for a remote URL if none exists
• Store this info in settings.json

Example settings.json:

{
  "app_version": "1.2.1",
  "setup_complete": true,
  "active_profile": "default",
  "profiles": {
    "default": {
      "archive_dir": "/Users/you/Prosaic",
      "init_git": true,
      "git_remote": "[e-mail]:you/writing.git",
      "theme": "light",
      "last_file": "/Users/you/Prosaic/pieces/2026-03-03-example.md"
    }
  }
}

Archive Structure

~/Prosaic/              # Default archive (configurable)
  pieces/               # Pieces with preloaded markdown frontmatter
  books/                # Long-form projects with Outline already open
  *.md                  # Drafts (loose files in root)
  notes.md              # Quick notes with auto date headers
  metrics.json          # Daily statistics for archival and display
  .git/                 # Version control

License

MIT