If you want to increase your writing productivity on your Mac, one sure fire way to do so is to use full-screen mode in a distraction-free text editor program.

Open webpages, scattered Finder windows and the bells and whistles found in many applications can distract us from getting writing done. The following short video compares four Mac writing applications that include useful features for writing in full-screen, or what is known as "composition-only" mode.

Not only is entering full-screen quicker than having to close all other distractions, it's also an excellent feature for helping you focus on writing.

Focus On Writing

The video above covers four applications, each previously reviewed in MakeUseOf. They include the popular text editor and project management application Scrivener, the Markdown-supported writing environment Ulysses 3.0, Apple's word processor, Pages, and the minimalist text editor Byword. I have compared each of their full-screen, distraction-free modes in action to give you an idea which one fits in with your writing workflow.

Each of these programs has its unique features, but only Scrivener and Byword allow you to open and view other applications while in full-screen mode. Pages and Ulysses on the other hand open full-screen mode in a separate Spaces desktop, and as a result don't allow other applications to share that space. These applications don't prohibit the viewing of other programs on a second screen, should you have one.

Let us know what you think of these applications, how you use full-screen mode, and what other features in this area would be helpful to you as a writer.

Do you use distraction-free full-screen writing techniques? How else do you get work done?

Download: Scrivener ($45.00), Ulysses 3 ($44.99), Pages ($19.99), Byword ($9.99).

Image Credits: hackNY.org Via Flickr