The beauty of the kitty terminal for writing fiction
~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf: font_family Flexi IBM VGA True (437)
I've recently discovered that the kitty terminal makes a surprisingly nice environment for fiction writing.
One feature I really appreciate is that the look and feel is totally configurable from kitty.conf (in the ~/.conf/kitty directory). Changing the font and line height completely changes the writing experience.
See both screenshots; in one I use the "Flexi IBM VGA True (437)" font, which gives it a nostalgic DOS word processor like vibe, and in the other the "Courier Prime" font, which feels more like writing on a typewriter.
Other relevant settings I used in both configs are:
allow_remote_control yes
mouse_hide_wait -3.0
modify_font cell_height 150%
"allow_remote_control yes" enables Kitty's remote control interface, which allows external programs (like your writing app) to communicate with the terminal. I use it because my editor can send commands to Kitty, such as updating the window title while I'm writing.
"mouse_hide_wait -3.0" hides the mouse pointer whenever it enters the terminal window, so there's never a distracting cursor sitting in the middle of the text. Moving the mouse makes it reappear.
"modify_font cell_height 150%" increases the height of each text row by 50%. It doesn't change the font size itself; instead, it adds extra vertical spacing between lines. Combined with a larger font, it creates a page-like layout that's much more comfortable for long writing sessions. This may not be for everyone, but I've found the extra breathing room makes long periods of writing much easier on the eyes.
It's amazing how much typography influences the mood of writing, and being able to switch between styles by editing a few lines in a config file is something I didn't realize I'd enjoy this much.
I've attached both screenshots together with the corresponding `kitty.conf` snippets in case anyone else wants to experiment.
