One good sentence

I struggle to write well. Or more honestly, I struggle to write altogether. I overthink and want my writing to be precise, logical, and clever. I want it to withstand rigorous argument. However well-meaning my intentions, they have become requirements I struggle to meet. I'm too aware of the flaws of my writing, the lack of pacing and flow. The natural transition from one paragraph to another. In other words, I've discovered writer's block without being a professional writer.

Some years back, when my curiosity towards writing grew, I read The Elements of Style, On Writing, and On Writing Well. Furiously flipping pages and writing notes, I thought I was prepared to write better, and, to some extent, I was right. I did write better. My taste for good writing was improving.

But my newly improved taste came with side effects. The books about writing helped to recognize quality, not necessarily produce quality. I felt paralyzed. I know embracing friction is part of the journey, but it was challenging, as I couldn't even get started.

While troubleshooting the issue, I realized I struggle to separate writing from editing. With that realization came an idea: what if I wrote an article with a simple goal of ending up with one good sentence? Just one. The rest of the words, sentences, and paragraphs could come as they are; mere thoughts spilled on a digital paper. That way, I reasoned, I could break through the barrier of perfection that's been holding me back.

I tried that method with this article. The first version came to life in fifteen minutes. I wrote without barriers. Only after the draft was complete did I proceed to edit. Not only did I feel better writing, but I also think the result is better. Maybe there's even more than one good sentence, who knows.

With plenty of this year still left, consider this a premature New Year's promise: I'll begin to just write, and edit later. I set the goal to one good sentence. As only a handful of people will read these words anyway, I might as well consider writing for an audience of one: myself.