GoKawiilDeveloper writes two unpublished novellas, typeset entirely with groff
A programmer blogger describes completing two personal novellas, a roughly 15,000-word story and a roughly 40,000-word story, both typeset using the groff/troff system typically associated with Unix manual pages. The author notes the first took over seven months to write while the second took just ten days, and says neither work will be published or shared.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The post illustrates how niche technical tools like groff, built for manual pages, can be repurposed for creative writing projects, suggesting that longstanding Unix utilities retain unexpected versatility among developer communities. It also reflects a personal shift from aversion to fiction toward heavy reading and writing, which the author attributes to discovering around 30 novels read since mid-2025.
- The author completed two novellas (~15k and ~40k words) typeset with groff.
- Writing speed increased drastically, from seven months for the first to ten days for the second.
- The author will not publish or share the works, keeping them strictly personal.
reMarkable 2 Paper Tablet — For a writer drafting novellas and getting lost in long-form fiction, a distraction-free e-paper writing tablet like the reMarkable 2 is a great companion for outlining and drafting without the pull of notifications. It pairs nicely with the article's theme of rediscovering deep, sustained creative writing after years of technical-only work.
See reMarkable 2 Paper Tablet on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: movq.de, 2026-11-01
Published there as: “Novellas with Groff”
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