diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 41f4836..fe97363 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # hugoext
 
-Utility to parse a hugo config file and create the same file structure for content through an
+Utility to parse the hugo config file and create the same file structure for content through an
 arbitrary output pipe extension.
 
 Hugo parses primarily markdown files and go templates. The initial motivation for this utility was
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Features
 To illustrate what this program does, run the following in the hugo directory.
 
 ```
-hugoext -proc="" -ext txt
+hugoext -ext txt -pipe=""
 ```
 
 The markdown files from `./content` will be written as `.txt` files to the `./public` directory. We
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 780dca3..2b4351a 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ const (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	var ext, processor, source, destination, cfgPath string
+	var ext, pipe, source, destination, cfgPath string
 	var uglyURLs, noSectionList, withDrafts bool
 
 	flag.StringVar(&ext, "ext", defaultExt, "ext to look for templates in ./layout")
-	flag.StringVar(&processor, "proc", defaultProcessor, "processor to pipe markdown content through")
+	flag.StringVar(&pipe, "pipe", defaultProcessor, "pipe markdown to this program for content processing")
 	flag.StringVar(&source, "source", defaultSource, "source directory")
 	flag.StringVar(&destination, "destination", defaultDestination, "output directory")
 	flag.StringVar(&cfgPath, "config", defaultConfigPath, "hugo config path")
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&withDrafts, "enable-withDrafts", false, "include withDrafts in processing and output")
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	fmt.Printf("converting markdown to %v with %v\n", ext, processor)
+	fmt.Printf("converting markdown to %v with %v\n", ext, pipe)
 
 	osfs := afero.NewOsFs()
 	cfg, err := config.FromFile(osfs, "config.toml")
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func main() {
 	// call proc and pipe content through it, catch output of proc
 	for i, file := range tree.Files {
 		// fmt.Printf("%s -> %s (%d)\n", file.Source, file.Destination, len(file.Body))
-		extpipe := exec.Command(processor)
+		extpipe := exec.Command(pipe)
 		buf := bytes.NewReader(file.Body)
 		extpipe.Stdin = buf
 
@@ -113,44 +113,50 @@ func main() {
 		//fmt.Printf("%s -> %s (%d)\n", file.Source, file.Destination, len(file.Body))
 
 		outfile := "index." + ext
-		outdir := filepath.Join(destination, file.Destination)
-		if file.Destination != "index" {
-			newpath := filepath.Join(destination, file.Destination)
-			if err = os.MkdirAll(newpath, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
-				log.Println(err)
-				continue
-			}
-			// TODO: change dir^
-			// TODO: consider links
-			if uglyURLs {
-				outdir += ".gmi"
-				outfile = ""
-			}
-		} else {
-			outdir = destination
+		outdir := file.Destination
+
+		if uglyURLs && file.Destination != "index" {
+			// make the last element in destination the file
+			outfile = filepath.Base(file.Destination) + "." + ext
+			// set the parent directory of that file to be the dir to create
+			outdir = filepath.Dir(file.Destination)
 		}
 
-		fullpath := filepath.Join(outdir, outfile)
+		if file.Destination == "index" {
+			outdir = "."
+		}
+
+		// ensure directory exists
+		newpath := filepath.Join(destination, outdir)
+		fmt.Printf("mkdir %s\n", newpath)
+		if err = os.MkdirAll(newpath, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("cannot directory file %s, error: %v", newpath, err)
+		}
+
+		// create file based on directory and filename
+		fullpath := filepath.Join(newpath, outfile)
 		newfile, err := os.Create(fullpath)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Println(err)
-			continue
+			log.Fatalf("cannot create file %s, error: %v", fullpath, err)
 		}
 
-		n, _ := newfile.Write(file.NewBody)
+		n, err := newfile.Write(file.NewBody)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("cannot write file %s, error: %v", fullpath, err)
+		}
 		newfile.Close()
 
 		fmt.Printf("written %s (%dbytes)\n", fullpath, n)
 	}
 
 	// TODO
-	// ugly urls
 	//
 	// append section listings
 	// => link title line
 	// date - summary block
 
 	// TODO
+	// in watch mode, compare timestamps of files before replacement, keep index?
 	// check/replace links
 	// write rss?
 	// write listings from template?