Re:Org-Mode for Writing: Structure and Focus
by luxpir on Tuesday January 19, 2016 @03:21AM
(#10929358)
Sounds like it works for you (almost as much as you work for it :) - don't suppose you'd ever consider a simple textfile setup to capture and sort the same data?
Re:Org-Mode for Writing: Structure and Focus
by spinchange on Tuesday January 19, 2016 @06:42AM
(#10930047)
Org files are regular text. Editing them in emacs' org "mode" makes certain text plain text elements behave dynamically (like cycling through or folding parts of an outline open/closed, etc, and more). The emacs text editor is super robust & extensible so you see people talk about custom set-ups, configurations, and workflows (which is a feature not a bug!) so it almost sounds over-the-top & superfluous to a non-user. The hardest part of using it for a non-coder is probably not getting bogged down with all that you can do and trying to follow how experts are using it before fully understanding the basics.
Re:Org-Mode for Writing: Structure and Focus
by Arcanum-XIII on Tuesday January 19, 2016 @06:55AM
(#10930105)
It is a simple text file, that's the beauty of it. The markup, that would necessary manually, is used by org-mode to help you the various possibilities (link, note, todo, outline...)
I use org-mode for my entire GTD workflow (calendar Agenda, next-actions, tickler, maybe, and projects), I use it for capturing quotes or blocks of text that I really want to save for later (my spark notes file), I use it for capturing my "recipes" of anything (software, realizations, food, etc...) in my grimoire file, I use it for capturing notes or thoughts while I'm reading books (with nice capture templates for guiding me through setting the page # and paragraph # in the property drawer), I use it for all of my web bookmarks (I have a bookmarklet integrated in Chrome that auto-fills fields in the capture template for the website), I use it for articles in my To Read list with a Chrome bookmarklet for auto-filling the capture template, AND I use it for my spaced repetition routine with org-drill.
I also use it extensively for work on-top of all the above. I have a capture template for my team's weekly standup meetings, I use it for taking notes during meetings and structuring action plans, etc...
The capture templates, org-protocol for external programs to activate a capture template and pre-fill with data, customized Agenda views (so I get a nice "HUD" for long-running tasks + my 4 day agenda), and refiling (this is one of my favorite parts of org-mode!!!) are absolutely invaluable and an incredible tool for my productivity.
Nothing matches it in breadth and depth, nothing. And as is the case w/ Emacs, you can customize everything to suit your workflow or make tweaks - maybe you have a great idea for improving something! For me I was able to create a highly customized Agenda view specific to my personal deficiencies (I forget about long-running important tasks that aren't a "SOLVE IT TODAY" task).