Effective. Efficient. Secure. These are the hallmarks of Ubuntu and GNU/Linux.

GNU/Linux is the go-to operating system for advanced software developers world wide, and yet may not be seen as a good fit for creative writers.

Why is this? After all, what is one of the basic tasks performed by software developers?

That's right.

Writing.

Code. Specifications. Documentation.

Communication, of one form or another - that's all it is.

GNU/Linux - including Ubuntu - is used for software development - which requires a lot of focused writing - and so it can be used as the basis for the ultimate writing platform.

Ubuntu is arguably one of the easiest versions of GNU/Linux available to a new user, and so it makes a perfect starting point for a creative writer wishing to switch.

A Real-World Example
Meet Cory Doctorow. Cory is a successful and very prolific author. He writes for and is an editor at http://boingboing.net/ - his weapon of choice?

Ubuntu, on a ThinkPad.

He has spoken about the writing process he uses in today's distracting environment, and how he is able to accomplish his writing goals in about 20 minutes a day at Locus Online.

He does this by leveraging the power of Ubuntu, which allows him to focus and get on with his work.

The Setup
Here's how you can do it for yourself:
1. Download and install Ubuntu from here http://www.ubuntu.com/download
2. Open up gedit or LibreOffice Writer
3. Start writing

If you wish to customize things to suit your own preferences, it is very simple to do this with Ubuntu.

From the default installation, as you can see from the screenshots, I have made some minor customizations to the Background, the Launcher and the colour scheme of gedit.

Other than that, I can and do use Ubuntu to write effectively.

My own personal preference is to use a text editor like gedit, and run it full screen (typically by pressing F11). I prefer to write in plain text, and LibreOffice Writer is too heavy with too many features for my tastes.

If you wish, you can do so much more with Ubuntu, and make it your very own - from different graphical shells (GNOME, KDE, Xfce) to different writing tools (pyroom, Sublime Text 2, Scrivener).

Conclusion
As you can see, it is very simple to use Ubuntu as a creative writing platform. And because you can customize Ubuntu in any way you wish, you can make it into the ultimate creative writing platform!