About Diarist

Diarist is a live writing platform where every keystroke is broadcast in real time to anyone with the link. Writers open a piece of writing and share it; readers watch every word, every hesitation, every rewrite as it happens.

How it works

• A writer starts writing and shares a link. Everything they type is immediately visible to anyone who has that link, character by character, in real time.
• Readers follow along as the writing happens. They see pauses, corrections, and second thoughts. There is no polished, finished version, just the writing as it actually unfolds.
• When the writer is done, the piece can be published to their public profile or kept private. Readers who follow the writer get notified when they go live.

What you can write

• Diary entries, the intimacy of being witnessed while you write makes you more honest on the page.
• Letters, write directly to someone and let them read every word as it arrives, more present than an email, more personal than a text.
• Essays and articles, bring readers into the thinking process, not just the conclusion. Let them watch the argument take shape.
• Anything, the surface is the same for all writing. The purpose is yours.

The idea behind it

Most writing tools are designed to produce finished things. Diarist is designed for the opposite, for writing that doesn't need to be finished, edited, or performed. The reader isn't there to judge the result. They're there to witness the process.

There is something that happens when you write knowing someone might be reading mid-sentence. You become more honest. You stop reaching for the right word and start writing the true one. That's what Diarist is built for.

Frequently asked questions