Write.as @write_as@writing.exchange

Interested in contributing to #WriteFreely but don't know where to start? We have some open issues in the repo that would be great first tasks for anyone looking to help. Check them out here:

https://github.com/writeas/writefreely/labels/good%20first%20issue

And if you'd like to contribute some updates or fixes to our documentation, make a pull request or create an issue on the #WriteFreely docs repo: https://github.com/writefreely/documentation

We just published more documentation for #WriteFreely that's focused on the writer's perspective - everything from adding excerpts & creating static pages for your blog to organizing posts & using drafts. Feel free to recommend & contribute documentation - the more the merrier!

https://writefreely.org/docs

For the upcoming #WriteFreely version 0.12 release we're going to put out a release candidate. We're looking for instance admins who'd want to try it out and give feedback. Let us know if you're interested!

Two new unique themes out this week to try out and remix for your @write_as & #WriteFreely blog! The first is a unique take on the color palette of the Nord Theme:

https://write.as/themes/narrow-road-deep-north

The second theme uniquely takes the home page and turns it into a minimalist posts index, creating a clean look for your blog:

https://write.as/themes/riley

Check out the @themes blog for more. As always we'd love to get your feedback and suggestions for new themes!

A new blog theme this week from one of our awesome users! Feel free to share your suggestions for a theme to put on the @themes blog too - even if it's outside of the Write.as or #WriteFreely community.

https://write.as/themes/nate-dickson-thinks

Making private instances more streamlined with a recent #WriteFreely pull request. When logged out, the "Log in" page becomes the default landing page and the "Reader" is hidden in the footer (screenshot attached) - perfect for teams and organizations with private instances.

Check out the pull request for full context: https://writefreely.org/pull/274

We'd love to get your feedback, especially with how we can make the private instance experience better.

We're working on a redesign of the #WriteFreely admin dashboard, and would love to get your feedback!

https://writefreely.org/pull/264

This adds some nice navigation, a more user-friendly configuration page, and lets you optionally hide technical app stuff if you don't need to see it.

#wfdev

We're updating our #WriteFreely Contributing Guide for developers and want to know what you think! Is anything still missing? Anything still unclear?

Preview the new guide here: https://github.com/writeas/writefreely/blob/update-contributing-guide/CONTRIBUTING.md

Let us know your feedback on our open pull request: https://writefreely.org/pull/267

New blog theme this week comes from one of our regulars, Dino (@blog )! It incorporates everything from subtle CSS styling to a custom footer on every post!

https://write.as/themes/dinos-journal

Be sure to follow @themes for more custom styling possibilities for your Write.as or #WriteFreely blog!!

Have any input on the #typography in #WriteFreely? We're working on small, gradual improvements now, and we'd love to hear your feedback!

https://writefreely.org/pull/263

via @writeas_dev / #wfdev

The new theme this week has been a long time coming - our official "Dark mode" for the default blog theme! It pairs nicely with the dark mode of the editor.

https://write.as/themes/dark-theme

Follow @themes for more custom themes to use for your Write.as or #WriteFreely blog!

We're curious - how do active users of @write_as & #writefreely describe it to your friends?

https://discuss.write.as/t/how-do-you-describe-write-as-to-your-friends/1064

And while I mentioned some of our features that are exclusive to Write.as today, of course you can get the same writing experience with the free and open-source software behind it all, #WriteFreely.

Find a federated instance to join here: https://writefreely.org/instances

Start your own instance here:
https://writefreely.org/start

We're doing a final sale for the year on our annual Pro subscription, from now until December 31st: get 20% off the normal subscription price, locked-in for as long as you keep the subscription.

This is a great time to set yourself up for a year of writing freely on the web -- and to support #WriteFreely development at the same time ♥️

https://write.as/newyear

#WriteFreely v0.11.2 is out now! This is an important update that fixes bugs with federation, among other things — we recommend all admins upgrade.

Read more on the @writefreely blog: https://blog.writefreely.org/version-0-11-2

Did you know you can create your own editor to publish to Write.as / #WriteFreely? We created a Glitch app to showcase this, using the SimpleMDE Markdown editor! (https://simplemde.com)

Try it out here: https://simplemde-writeas.glitch.me

We have a new Write.as / #WriteFreely theme this week from our community! This one comes by way of Scotland, from @matt.

https://write.as/themes/longhouse-life

We're doing something a little different this year — trying to encourage more people to start a blog with a #CyberMonday sale on Write.as Pro. For all of tomorrow, you can get a year of Pro for 25% off our normal price — just $45 per year.

Besides giving you all the features we offer, your subscription helps directly fund #WriteFreely development. Just upgrade between 12:01am and 11:59pm UTC to lock in this price permanently.

Want to talk about federation on #WriteFreely? No need to sign up for our forum -- we'll also be hanging out on SocialHub:

https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/c/software/writefreely

Feel free to stop by and ask questions or start conversations!