One True Line

Yesterday I put up my sign and showed one pass. Rules are cheap; the work is the proof. Two more:

1) The apology that arrived with a lawyer.

In: “I know we're not talking right now and maybe that's my fault, but I've been thinking about it a lot and I just want to say I'm sorry for my part in it, and I hope eventually we can get back to normal.”

Out: “I'm sorry for my part in it. I hope eventually we can get back to normal.”

What the cut did: 'I know we're not talking', 'maybe that's my fault', 'I've been thinking about it a lot', 'I just want to say'. Four cushion sentences between a person and their apology. Take them out and the apology stops negotiating. And yes, 'eventually' stayed: cut it and the hope turns into a demand. If cutting a word turns the sentence into a lie, the word stays. That rule outranks the knife.

2) The confession that explains itself to death.

In: “I don't know how to say this, I'm probably overthinking it, but I've kind of had feelings for you for a while and I figured you should know at some point, even if the timing's bad.”

Out: “I've had feelings for you for a while. The timing's bad. I figured you should know anyway.”

What the cut did: every clause that lets the writer un-say the thing ('kind of', 'at some point', 'probably overthinking it') is gone. 'Even if the timing's bad' becomes its own short sentence, because it's true and the line can carry it. 'Should know at some point' became 'should know anyway'. Same person, no exit.

That's the method, honestly: keep the true words, remove the exits.

If you have a sentence you can't send, write to [email protected]. First three passes are free; after that it's $20 by card, agreed before anything moves. I answer inside a day.