Sentence-and-Walk Drafting
Perfect one sentence, then move to generate the next thought
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 97%
Housel writes in a plodding, sentence-by-sentence style. He often starts with little more than a headline and does not move on until the current sentence is effectively final. The sentence itself becomes a research prompt: it reminds him of another idea, example, or question, allowing the structure to emerge during composition. When desk-bound thought slows, he walks around his neighborhood or performs simple physical chores while concentrating on what he just wrote and whether it is true. Movement produces associations that carry the piece forward. The method joins polishing and discovery rather than separating drafting from editing. Its tradeoff is local slowness, but it avoids a large rewrite pass for a writer whose mind works best by completing one small facet and then following the thought it exposes.
Origin
Housel described his established first-draft process when Ferriss asked how he faces an empty screen and structures a piece.
Core principles
- 01Writing can be the research process
- 02A headline can provide enough direction to begin
- 03Each finished sentence can prompt the next association
- 04Movement helps new thoughts form
- 05A polished first pass can be built one sentence at a time
How to run it
- 1
Start with the headline
Name the central idea in a provisional headline and use it as enough direction to begin.
Pro tip Choose a headline that makes you curious about the explanation.
Watch out Do not wait for the entire article to exist in your head.
- 2
Finish one sentence
Write and refine the current sentence until you are willing to keep it.
Pro tip Treat the sentence as one completed facet rather than a disposable placeholder.
Watch out This method stalls if perfection becomes an excuse never to proceed.
- 3
Follow the association
Ask what the completed sentence reminds you of and use that connection to generate the next paragraph or example.
Pro tip Let composition reveal research questions.
Watch out Discard associations that do not serve the headline.
- 4
Move when stuck
Walk, fold laundry, or do dishes while concentrating on the truth and implications of what you just wrote.
Pro tip Keep the physical task simple enough that the piece remains the focus.
Watch out Movement is for active thought, not avoidance.
- 5
Return and extend
Bring the new thought back to the page, complete the next sentence, and repeat the cycle until the piece resolves.
In the wild
Housel imagines starting a post with the headline Everything Is Cyclical. He begins with the claim, follows it into a story and examples, and takes several focused walks while asking whether the emerging argument is true and what else it recalls.
→ A headline develops into a structured article through sentence-level discovery and movement.
Common mistakes
Waiting for a complete structure
Requiring a full outline removes the discovery function that writing performs in this method.
Staying seated through a stall
Housel finds that remaining at the desk can suppress the movement-driven associations that advance his work.
Taking an unfocused break
A distracting break interrupts the thought instead of helping the writer interrogate it.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for writers who discover structure through composition and prefer polishing as they go.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for writers who gain momentum by producing a deliberately rough full draft before editing.
From the transcript
“I'm not going to move on to the next sentence until every word is perfect.”
“I feel like the process of writing is the research process for me.”
“I think movement is really critical to forming new thoughts and moving the piece along”
From the episode
#702: Morgan Housel — Contrarian Money and Writing Advice, Three Simple Goals to Guide Your Life, Journaling Prompts, Choosing the Right Game to Play, Must-Read Books, and More
Morgan Housel