Writers' Show-and-Tell: That One Line

Join us as we nurture the memoirist spirit, courage and craft behind unforgettable sentences

When I think about “that one line” in writing, my mind immediately goes to the memoirists on Substack.

The ones who wrestle with their stories for months or years to capture a single sentence — a deceptively simple, raw, beautiful, surprising sentence.

So much of a writer’s life, courage and contemplation can be wrapped up in these one lines, even if readers might never realize it.

But today, I want to change that.

This month’s Writers’ Show-and-Tell is all about That One Line.

We host Writers’ Show-and-Tell events every month. Sign up to read The Editing Spectrum to join us, share your work and get feedback from a longtime editor and our community.

Whether you’re a memoir writer or not, this is your chance to spotlight a sentence you hold close to your heart.

→ Maybe it’s a line that took years of courage to write.

→ Maybe you workshopped it for months in an online class or felt a bolt of inspiration strike.

→ Maybe it’s your sharpest, most surprising insight — or a sentence that you hope makes readers pause and say, “I’ve been there, too.”

Here’s how to join in:

• Share your best line (whether or not it made it into your final essay, poem or book) in the comments below.

• Give us a peek at the context behind it (2 to 4 sentences max, please) — or let the words stand on their own.

• Give others some love and restack this post so others can join in.

🕯️I’ll be here with you, sharing your best lines

Today I’ll be restacking some of my favorite submissions throughout the day with notes from my editor’s desk on what makes them shine (and why I want to read more).

As I mentioned at the start of today’s post, I’m feeling especially inspired by the memoirists on Substack. And the capital-W Work they do to write memoir deserves to be celebrated. Memoirists are doing the creative, courageous, connective labor of telling their stories and inviting us into our own, often wondering if anyone notices.

So let’s notice. Let’s reflect. Let’s connect.

Share your one line below and restack this post to invite others into the circle.

Note: Comments are open for 24 hours on Writers’ Show-and-Tell, and they’re now closed. (But we’ll be back next month!)

There are more chances to share this month! Sign up to let us hear your voice.