New in Ellipsus: Q2 2024

We've always been proud of the how Ellipsus supports your first few drafts—it's simple to get your ideas into the tool. But refining longer works was another story. So this past quarter, we focused on making it easier to view progress and put the finishing touches on your docs.

View word count while you write

Whether you have a daily writing goal, do your writing in sprints, or just like to quantify your progress, having your word count handy can be incredibly helpful.

Originally, word count was tucked under Document info in the right-hand panel—so it was there, but easy to overlook. After lots and lots of feedback and feature requests, we've moved it to the top of the editor so you can see numbers go brrr while you type. Click on the word count to reveal detailed information like character count and reading time. As a bonus, when you highlight a section of text, you'll see its word count up top.

If seeing your word count makes you anxious, you can scroll down slightly, and the top navigation will hide. When you're ready to reveal it again, scroll up slightly.

Check your spelling—when you're ready

One thing that's become clear via interacting with our community on Discord is that there is a distinction between writing and editing. (Obvious in retrospect. But as a self-proclaimed "person-who-writes-but-not-a-writer" I'm often guilty of smooshing the two phases together.) So when they're working to bang out key plot points and expand on dialogue, the last thing they want to see are distracting squiggles.

In Ellipsus, spell check is off by default. When you're ready to edit, you can switch it on and scan for typos in your document. Right now, it supports 10 languages: four variations of English, then German, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, and Polish. (If you need another language, reach out at support@ellipsus.com and let us know!)

Manage hyperlinks with less fuss

Previously, you could paste a URL onto a selection of text to hyperlink it, but it was impossible to see what was linked. Now, there's a bit more UI to support the experience. You can add a link (and title text) via the right-hand panel and select a link in your text to view, edit, or remove the URL.

Ellipsus is minimal by design. We want the UI to mostly stay out of the way so that you can focus on your ideas. Our next batch of updates are designed to make it easier to get around your document and the editor, whether you're a point-and-clicker or a keyboard maestro.

Stay organized with outlines

Ellipsus writers write a lot. (Like pushing-the-limits-of-our-tech-stack a lot.) And navigating a 100K-word document in a browser window (let alone via a smartphone) in Ellipsus was frankly starting to become a real pain in the ass.

Now, any headers in your document will automatically appear in outline mode so that you can click to jump to any point in your document. In addition to flexibility in navigation, it also offers an at-a-glance view of your document's structure, so you can check for consistency and balance.

Outline mode is also visible in view-only links, so that your readers can easily browse your document. And if you want to get their input on a specific chapter or section, just right-click on the heading in outline mode to copy and share a direct link.

Enjoy a slimmed-down sidebar

We’ve refreshed the right-hand sidebar to create more logical groupings. So functions related to formatting and navigating your document are up top, functions related to collaborating and sharing your document are in the center, and your doc info and support options are at the bottom.

Missing focus mode? You'll find your favorite espresso icon at the top of your editor, right next to your word count.

Get to know our keyboard shortcuts

We’re making our available shortcuts more visible. Click the game controller icon in the left-hand panel to reveal all the shortcuts we support for editing, formatting, collaborating, and more.

One of the things writers love most about Ellipsus is that they can pick up on their writing wherever they are, no matter the device. But important information about the syncing status was hidden under Document info, so a writer wouldn't always know if work stopped syncing changes to the server.

We've moved your connection status to the left-hand panel of the editor, right next to the dashboard icon. Click on it to see the current status as well as when content was last edited and synced.

As summer (finally) descends upon Europe, the Ellipsus team has one thing on our minds (aside from where to find the best Hugo Spritz): getting ready for our public launch. Before we cut that metaphorical ribbon, there's lots to do and lots for you to look forward to, like folders, better notifications, and improvements to merging.

Join our Discord to stay up to date on the latest developments, share your feedback, and meet other writers.