WriteRoom only works on Macs. Q10 only works on PC. PyRoom only works on Linux. But most people need to be able to jump from system to system — or at least be able to recommend one full-screen application to everyone. Spreading Funkyness has solved these need with Focused. It’s an Adobe Air application, so it runs on Mac, Linux and Windows — as long as you already have Adobe Air installed.

While you’re first reaction might be to question the need for another full-screen writing application, it’s worth noting that Focused offers an easy-to-use interface that will block out your distractions in a matter of minutes. Focused offers some key customizations, including the ability to change the size of the text field in which you’re typing — with just a moment’s worth of adjusting. I used to rely on WriteRoom: making a similar change took me some trial and error, but focused allows you to just drag a slider to create a text field of just the right size. The standard abilities to adjust typeface, font size and color are also available through the settings menu.

The only feature that I really miss when using Focused is having a word count. Some full-screen writing applications have made word counts a matter of course. However, if you take a look at the list of features that will be added to Focused in upcoming versions, you’ll notice that word counts are right at the top of the list. Cesare Rocchi, the man behind Spreading Funkyness, has been willing to add new features to his todo list.

There are certainly other full-screen writing applications out there with more bells and whistles. But some of those features have proven just as much a distraction for me as desktop icons and alerts from other programs: if you’re interested in a program that doesn’t invite you to do anything but write, Focused is it. After all, you can only change the color of your text so many times before you actually start putting together a few words. The fact that the application is identical across platform is an added bonus. When I’ve switched between WriteRoom on a Mac and DarkRoom on a PC, I would have to reorient myself to a certain extent. But Focused is identical no matter which computer I’m working on. If, however, you’re interested in trying out the features of other full-screen writing applications, Samuel’s post on Zen Computing: Toward a Distraction-Free Desktop has some great leads.