--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to write one true sentence', he…" description: "\"“I want to write one true sentence', he said. 'If I can write one sentence, simple and true every day, I'll be satisfied.”\" — Paula McLain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg" --- # I want to write one true sentence', he said. 'If I can… ![“I want to write one true sentence', he said. 'If I can write one sentence, simple and true every day, I'll be satisfied.” quote by Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg) > ““I want to write one true sentence', he said. 'If I can write one sentence, simple and true every day, I'll be satisfied.”” [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer can find fulfillment by committing to a daily habit of crafting a single, honest sentence, emphasizing consistency over quantity **In simple terms:** Writing one true sentence each day brings satisfaction Key Takeaway Commit to daily honest writing Themes discipline creativity self‑improvement Mood reflective determined Type motivational practical When to use this quote - personal journaling - creative writing workshops - daily blogging - therapy writing Key Concepts habit formation mindfulness authentic expression Questions to Reflect On - What truth will you capture today? - How does brevity sharpen honesty? A Different Perspective May become repetitive without deeper exploration ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Said Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-write/) [Sentence Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence-simple-551727/) [Simple True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-true-1254708/) [True Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-sentence-1555960/) [Write True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-true-270777/) ## Related quotes > [If I can write one sentence, simple and true every day, I'll be satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/if-i-can-write-one-sentence-simple-and-true-every-day-i-ll-be/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-have-always-written-before-and-you-will-write-now-all-you-have-to/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“I always worked until I had something done and I always stopped when I knew what was going to happen next. That way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-always-worked-until-i-had-something-done-and-i-always-stopped-when-2/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-would-write-one-true-sentence-and-then-go-on-from-there/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/all-you-have-to-do-is-write-one-true-sentence-write-the-truest/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-would-stand-and-look-out-over-the-roofs-of-paris-and-think-do-not-2/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [But sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/but-sometimes-when-i-was-starting-a-new-story-and-i-could-not-get-it/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Beyond that he was a ghost of Uganda; in this nation of his birth he was under a death sentence for the simple crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/beyond-that-he-was-a-ghost-of-uganda-in-this-nation-of-his-birth-he/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [I Love You. so simple so true so painful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-you-so-simple-so-true-so-painful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's very helpful to start with something that's true. If you start with something that's false, you're always covering your tracks. Something simple and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/it-s-very-helpful-to-start-with-something-that-s-true-if-you-start/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [Don't be consistent but be simple true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/don-t-be-consistent-but-be-simple-true/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [“It sounds too simple to be true, but consider the Great Wall of China, if you will: one stone at a time, man. That’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-sounds-too-simple-to-be-true-but-consider-the-great-wall-of-china/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“And I did long for it, to say one true sentence of my own, to leap into the subject, that sturdy vessel travelling upstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-lee/and-i-did-long-for-it-to-say-one-true-sentence-of-my-own-to-leap-into/) [Rebecca Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-lee/) > [Don't try to write what other people are writing - write what is true to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/don-t-try-to-write-what-other-people-are-writing-write-what-is-true/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) ## More by Paula McLain > [“There are some who said I should have fought harder or longer than I did for my marriage, but in the end fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/there-are-some-who-said-i-should-have-fought-harder-or-longer-than-i/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I hope we'll get lucky enough to grow old together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-hope-we-ll-get-lucky-enough-to-grow-old-together/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“That's what terrible, sordid situations did to you, made you act crazily, against your own truths, against yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/that-s-what-terrible-sordid-situations-did-to-you-made-you-act/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“He didn't know how love managed to be a garden one moment and war the next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/he-didn-t-know-how-love-managed-to-be-a-garden-one-moment-and-war-the/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [Books could be an incredible adventure. I stayed under my blanket and barely moved, and no one would have guessed how my mind raced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/books-could-be-an-incredible-adventure-i-stayed-under-my-blanket-and/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [People belong to each other only as long as they both believe. He stopped believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/people-belong-to-each-other-only-as-long-as-they-both-believe-he/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. Simply, without hurting anyone else. I know that makes me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-miss-good-old-fashioned-honorable-people-just-trying-to-make/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [... and yet he could also be very charming, in a bookish, infinitely apologetic way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/and-yet-he-could-also-be-very-charming-in-a-bookish-infinitely/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“It was august. for years it was august … . there was heat like wet gauze and a high, white sky and music coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/it-was-august-for-years-it-was-august-there-was-heat-like-wet-gauze/) [Paula Mclain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“If you're ready to make the mad dash I'm game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/if-you-re-ready-to-make-the-mad-dash-i-m-game/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“We knew what we had and what it meant, and though so much had happened since for both of us, there was nothing like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/we-knew-what-we-had-and-what-it-meant-and-though-so-much-had-happened/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“There are things I didn't see before, like how nice it is to have someone around. Not the white knight whisking you away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/there-are-things-i-didn-t-see-before-like-how-nice-it-is-to-have/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“That's obviously, isn't it?' she said. 'A hawk is always a hawk, except'- and here she raised on heavy eyebrow and gave a mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/that-s-obviously-isn-t-it-she-said-a-hawk-is-always-a-hawk-except-and/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“I hope we’ll get lucky enough to grow old together. You see them on the street, those couples who’ve been married so long you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-hope-we-ll-get-lucky-enough-to-grow-old-together-you-see-them-on/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“It was terrible to feel so empty, as if I were nothing. Why couldn't I be happy? And just what was happines anyway?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/it-was-terrible-to-feel-so-empty-as-if-i-were-nothing-why-couldn-t-i/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) [Explore all 139 Paula McLain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) ## More Every day quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think naturally I've been kind of a lead-by-doing guy. Just showing up to work every day. You never ask teammates something you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-think-naturally-i-ve-been-kind-of-a-lead-by-doing-guy-just-showing/) [Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/) > [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/) [Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/) > [Being under-recruited coming out of Highland, I've carried that with me. I keep pushing forward, keep working hard every day, keep my head on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-daniels/being-under-recruited-coming-out-of-highland-i-ve-carried-that-with/) [Mike Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-daniels/) > [“(one would say yes, if not every day, at least fairly regularly), whether only for yourself or also for others (often only for yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/one-would-say-yes-if-not-every-day-at-least-fairly-regularly-whether/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/) [Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/) > [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) [Browse all 16,614 Every day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I want to write one true sentence', he said. 'If I can write one sentence, simple and true every day, I'll be satisfied.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paula McLain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-said-if-i-can-write-one-sentence/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Every day" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-said-if-i-can-write-one-sentence/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/paula-mclain-3064_every-day_i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-sai_2332145.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to write one true sentence', he said. 'If I can write one sentence, simple and true every day, I'll…” — Paula McLain", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paula McLain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I want to write one true...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-said-if-i-can-write-one-sentence/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-want-to-write-one-true-sentence-he-said-if-i-can-write-one-sentence/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```