Markdown Basics: A Guide for Writers

Markdown is a simple, powerful tool that can transform your writing process. Here's what you need to know:

• What it is: A lightweight markup language for easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text formatting
• Why use it: Focuses on writing, not formatting; works everywhere; future-proof content
• Key features: Headers, lists, links, code blocks, and more
• Where it's used: GitHub, WordPress, Stack Overflow, and many writing apps

Quick Start Guide:

1. Choose a tool (any text editor works, but try Shy Editor)
2. Learn basic syntax:

• Headers: Use # (more # = smaller header)
• Bold: **text**
• Italics: *text*
• Lists: Start lines with - or numbers
• Links: [text](URL)

3. Start writing!

Pros and Cons:

Markdown simplifies writing and content creation, letting you focus on your message. It's the go-to choice for many writers and developers. Give it a try and see how it can streamline your workflow.

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a simple markup language created in 2004 by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz. It's designed to be easy to use, letting content creators focus on writing without getting stuck on complex formatting.

Here's the deal:

Markdown is basically a text-to-HTML converter. You write in plain text, and it turns into styled and formatted text (or valid HTML or XHTML, if you want to get technical).

What makes Markdown cool?

• It's SUPER simple
• It's easy to read (even in raw form)
• It can do headers, lists, links, code blocks, and more
• You can use it on any device with a basic text editor

John Gruber, who created Markdown, says:

The overriding design goal for Markdown's formatting syntax is to make it as readable as possible. The idea is that a Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it's been marked up with tags or formatting instructions.

This idea caught on. Now you see Markdown used all over:

• GitHub docs
• WordPress blogs
• Stack Overflow posts
• Tons of writing apps

Why do writers love it?

1. You can focus on writing - No need to mess with complex formatting. Just write.

2. Formatting is quick - Want to style your text? It only takes a few keystrokes.

3. It works everywhere - Your Markdown files will work on any device or system.

Here's a quick look at some basic Markdown:

So, if you want to write content that's easy to create and looks great, Markdown might be your new best friend.

Starting with Markdown

Let's get you writing in Markdown quickly.

Tools and Setup

You can use any text editor for Markdown. But these options make it easier:

Online editors: Try Shy Editor for real-time formatting and intelligent assistance, or something simpler such as Dillinger or StackEdit.

Desktop apps:

• Typora: Clean interface with live preview. Costs $19.99.
• Visual Studio Code: Free, feature-rich. Add the Markdown Preview extension.

Mobile apps:

• iA Writer ($29.99) for iOS and Android
• 1Writer ($4.99) for iOS

Save your files as .md or .markdown.

Main Markdown Elements

Let's look at the key Markdown elements you'll use to structure your text.

Headings

Create headings with hash symbols (#):

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Always add a space after the hash.

Text Formatting

For emphasis:

• Bold: **bold text**
• Italic: *italic text*

Use asterisks for consistency.

Lists

Unordered list:

- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3

Ordered list:

1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item

Links and Images

Links:

[Link text](https://www.example.com)

Images:

![Alt text](image-url.jpg)

Blockquotes

Use > for blockquotes:

> This is a blockquote.
> It can span multiple lines.

Code Blocks

Inline code: code

Code blocks:

```
function example() {
  return "Hello, Markdown!";
}
```

Add syntax highlighting by specifying the language:

```ruby
require 'redcarpet'
markdown = Redcarpet.new("Hello World!")
puts markdown.to_html
```

These elements will help you create well-structured, readable Markdown documents.

Advanced Markdown Features

Markdown's got some cool tricks up its sleeve. Let's check 'em out.

Tables

Want to show data neatly? Use tables. Here's how:

| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Row 1, Col 1 | Row 1, Col 2 | Row 1, Col 3 |
| Row 2, Col 1 | Row 2, Col 2 | Row 2, Col 3 |

Align columns with colons:

| Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| Left | Center | Right |

Pro tip: Use a table generator tool for complex tables. It's a time-saver.

Task Lists

Need to track progress? Try task lists:

- [ ] Do this
- [x] Done that
- [ ] Do that

Looks like this:

• [ ] Do this
• [x] Done that
• [ ] Do that

GitHub makes these interactive in issues and pull requests. Pretty handy, right?

Horizontal Lines

Want to break things up? Use horizontal lines:

---

Looks like this:

Footnotes

Got extra info? Use footnotes[^1]:

Here's a sentence with a footnote.[^1]

[^1]: This is the footnote.

Great for adding context without messing up your main text.

[^1]: Like this!

Tips for Writers

Here's how to make the most of Markdown for content creation:

Focus on Structure

Use Markdown's heading syntax to organize your content. As Ian Lurie says: "Structure > Format And Design". This keeps your content consistent across platforms.

Use Version Control

Shy Editor is great for tracking changes in your Markdown files. You can:

• Manage different versions
• Go back to old versions if needed

Make It Readable

Keep your Markdown docs easy on the eyes:

• Short paragraphs
• Bullet points for key ideas
• Bold or italic for important stuff

John Gruber, who created Markdown, puts it this way: "Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read and easy-to-write as is feasible."

Keep It Organized

Stay on top of your Markdown files:

• Use clear file names
• Put images in their own folder
• Stick to a folder structure

Convert and Publish

Markdown is great for publishing on different platforms:

• Use Blot.im to make websites from Markdown files in Dropbox
• Turn Markdown into ebooks with Shy Editor

Fixing Common Problems

Markdown's simple, but it has its quirks. Let's tackle some common issues:

Special Characters

Want to show Markdown's formatting characters as-is? Use a backslash () to escape them:

For example, to show *text* without italics, write it as \*text\*.

Line Breaks

Line breaks in Markdown can be tricky:

• For a single line break, add two spaces at the end of a line
• For a new paragraph, press Enter twice

Still having issues? Try these:

1. Use the HTML <br /> tag:

First line<br />
Second line

2. Use a backslash at the end of the line:

First line\
Second line

Formatting Errors

Messy Markdown? Here's how to fix it:

1. Headers: Add a space after the #:

# Correct Header
#Incorrect Header

2. Lists: Keep indentation consistent:

- Item 1
  - Subitem A
  - Subitem B
- Item 2

3. Code blocks: Use consistent syntax:

```python
def hello_world():
    print("Hello, World!")
```

Conclusion

Markdown is a game-changer for writers. It's simple, portable, and flexible.

The beauty of Markdown? It's dead simple. Once you start using it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

FAQs

How do you write content in Markdown?

Markdown is super easy to use. Here's the basic stuff:

• Italics: *italics*
• Bold: **bold**
• Headers: # Main Header, ## Subheader
• Lists: - Item 1 or 1. Item 1
• Links: [Link text](URL)

It's designed to be readable even in its raw form. You'll pick it up in no time.

Which text editors support Markdown?

Tons of editors work with Markdown. Here are some popular ones:

Each one has its own perks to make writing in Markdown easier and more fun.

Should writers use Markdown?

Absolutely. Here's why:

1. It's dead simple. You can focus on writing, not fiddling with formatting.

2. It works everywhere. Any text editor can open Markdown files.

3. It's flexible. You can turn Markdown into HTML, PDF, you name it.

4. It's fast. Once you get the hang of it, you'll write quicker than ever.

5. It plays nice with version control. Great for tracking changes and working with others.