A new terminal UI called 1667 for writing fiction with language models appeared on Hacker News, where the post earned 32 points and 87 comments. The tool runs entirely in the terminal and connects to existing LLM APIs for story generation and editing.
What 1667 Is and How It Works
1667 presents a split-pane TUI with a prompt input, live story buffer, and model controls. Users type scene instructions or dialogue prompts, then the selected model appends or revises text directly in the buffer. Context management stays local, so writers can mark sections for regeneration without leaving the terminal.
The interface supports common models through standard API keys. No web browser or Electron wrapper is required.
Key Numbers from the Launch
Early users report average generation times of 2–4 seconds for 150-token continuations on GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Memory footprint stays under 80 MB when running the TUI alone. The project is open source and available at 1667.ai.
How to Try It
Install via the provided binary or build from source. Set environment variables for your preferred provider, then launch with a single command. The README includes example key bindings for inserting model output, undoing a generation, and exporting Markdown.
No additional plugins are needed for basic use.
Pros and Cons
- Runs offline once the model response arrives
- Keyboard-driven workflow matches existing terminal habits
- Lightweight compared with browser-based writing suites
- Limited visual formatting during composition
- Requires comfort with command-line tools
- API costs remain the same as any other client
Alternatives and Comparisons
| Tool | Interface | Context Length | Export Options | VRAM/API Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1667 | Terminal | Model limit | Markdown, plain | API only |
| NovelAI | Web | 8k–20k tokens | EPUB, PDF | Subscription |
| Sudowrite | Web | 8k tokens | DOCX, Markdown | Subscription |
| Claude Artifacts | Web | 200k tokens | Copy-paste | API or web |
Terminal users gain speed at the cost of rich preview features found in the web tools.
Who Should Use This
Developers already comfortable in tmux or Vim benefit most. Writers who prefer distraction-free environments and already manage projects with Git also see immediate value. Users who need heavy visual formatting, collaboration, or mobile access should stay with web platforms.
Bottom Line / Verdict
1667 fills a niche for terminal-native fiction workflows that existing GUI tools leave open. It delivers fast iteration without leaving the command line, provided the writer accepts the trade-off in visual polish.
The project shows that focused, lightweight interfaces can still compete when the core loop—prompt, generate, edit—stays simple and fast.
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