Writing Desk opens Word files (.docx) and markdown files (.md) as they are, so you can carry on writing straight away. When a piece needs more, such as a novel you want to plan with Story Plotter, you can turn it into a project in a couple of clicks.
Open a file
- On the home screen, click Open File. In the Projects window, use Open existing.
- Choose your .docx or .md file.
The file opens in the editor and saves back in its own format. A Word file stays a Word file, and a markdown file stays a markdown file.
From Google Docs, choose File → Download → Microsoft Word (.docx) first, then open the downloaded file.
Check your headings
Writing Desk recognises headings by their Word heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3). If the author made headings by making text larger or bold, those lines arrive as body text.
To fix them, put the cursor in each heading and press ⌥⌘1, ⌥⌘2 or ⌥⌘3. In a novel, Heading 2 marks the start of each chapter.
Turn it into a project
A project gives you chapters, The Pad, Story Plotter, comments, chapter variants and version history.
- Open the file in Writing Desk.
- At the bottom of the sidebar, click the project control (it reads Not in a project).
- Choose Convert to Writing Desk project…, then Set up project.
Writing Desk copies your manuscript into a new project and leaves the original file exactly where it was. See Turn a document into a project for the details.