So in my day job, I spend my time doing lots of writing and editing. When I write, it’s really not a big deal for me to produce a rough draft and then work to improve it. I know this rough draft is really just outline 2.0. So I don’t get that worked up about getting sentence after sentence down on paper (or screen). Writing a rough draft is an easy, almost casual thing. Maybe it is because I have to generate a lot of content, so there is no time to think about it? Or maybe it is because I know the I will have to get the approval of several people along the way, so I know not to be precious? I really wish I knew.
Because when I get home and sit down to write, I have so much more difficulty writing a rough draft. When it’s just me and my novel, that internal editor jumps into high gear. Production drops dramatically, and I end up well below my daily word count or revising yesterday’s work instead. Basically, I’ve been living out just about every rough draft habit lately. Until the other night. I think I may have found a solution (and frankly, even if it’s just a temporary fix, I’ll take it if it means I can crank out some words more regularly).
One Sentence at a Time
That’s it. That’s my new mantra. I don’t need to write a novel, a chapter, or a scene. There’s no need to focus on cranking out a couple thousand words tonight. I just need to write one sentence. One clear, true sentence. And then another, and another, and another.
And just like that, I was able to produce. The idea of writing over 100,000 words blending plot, character arcs, a three-act structure, theme, voice, and everything else fell away. So long as I knew what the larger scene was meant to accomplish, I could focus on a very small moment in my character’s life, make it true, link it to the sentences that came before, and then move forward.
![Bird by Bird Lamott](https://eric-christensen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/bird-by-bird.jpg)
Now, this isn’t an original idea. Anne Lamott describes a similar technique in her wonderful book, Bird by Bird.
Now when I sit down to write, the work is manageable. So long as I know what the larger scene is meant to accomplish, I can go small. I only have to focus on a very small moment in my character’s life, make it true, and link it to the sentences surrounding it. The daily word count goals take care of themselves.
I won’t say the fear or the internal editor were gone, but they had been reduced to a simmer. My new immediate goal is a single sentence. It’s so much easier to get started. And because I can meet my goal with each sentence I write, it’s easier to keep going.
It may not be the most groundbreaking or earth-shattering idea. But if it helps me write more and stay in the zone longer, then I’ll take it. So long as I keep coming back to write one sentence at a time, the rest should take care of itself.