diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2f08020..115b79c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
 .SUFFIXES:
 .SUFFIXES: .o .c
 
-CFLAGS    += -Wall -Werror
+CFLAGS    += -Wall
+CFLAGS    += -Werror
 CFLAGS    += -Iinclude
 
 hdrs      += include/gemtext-parser.h
diff --git a/gemtext-parser.c b/gemtext-parser.c
index fa162d9..f873883 100644
--- a/gemtext-parser.c
+++ b/gemtext-parser.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <errno.h>           // errno
 #include <stddef.h>          // NULL, size_t
 #include <stdio.h>           // fclose
 #include <stdlib.h>          // calloc, free
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ gemtextLine* gemtextLineQueuePop(gemtextLineQueue *lq) {
     return line;
 }
 
-lineBuffer* lineBufferInit() {
+lineBuffer* lineBufferNew() {
     char *buf;
     lineBuffer *lb = calloc(1, sizeof(lineBuffer));
 
@@ -81,6 +82,16 @@ lineBuffer* lineBufferInit() {
     return lb;
 }
 
+int lineBufferInit(lineBuffer *lb) {
+    char *buf = calloc(1, LBUF_SIZE);
+    if (buf == NULL) return 2;
+    lb->len = 0;
+    lb->capacity = LBUF_SIZE;
+    lb->buf = buf;
+    lb->cursor = buf;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 void lineBufferDeinit(lineBuffer *lb) {
     free(lb->buf);
     free(lb);
@@ -143,6 +154,7 @@ void lineBufferReset(lineBuffer *lb) {
 
 gemtextLink* readLink(FILE *stream, lineBuffer *lb) {
     char c;
+    char *buf;
     int  ret = 0;
     gemtextLink *link = calloc(1, sizeof(gemtextLink));
 
@@ -154,14 +166,16 @@ gemtextLink* readLink(FILE *stream, lineBuffer *lb) {
         case '\t':
             if (lb->len == 0)
                 continue;
-            link->url = strndup(lb->buf, lb->len);
+            buf = strndup(lb->buf, lb->len);
+            link->url = buf;
             break;
         case '\n':
             if (lb->len == 0) {
                 free(link);
                 return NULL;
             }
-            link->url = strndup(lb->buf, lb->len);
+            buf = strndup(lb->buf, lb->len);
+            link->url = buf;
             return link;
         default:
             ret = lineBufferAppendChar(lb, c);
@@ -190,11 +204,6 @@ gemtextLink* readLink(FILE *stream, lineBuffer *lb) {
     return link;
 }
 
-int parseNormal(gemtextParser *parser, gemtextLineQueue *lq) {
-    // todo
-    return 0;
-}
-
 int parsePreformatted(gemtextParser *parser, gemtextLineQueue *lq) {
     // todo
     return 0;
@@ -205,6 +214,130 @@ int parseQuote(gemtextParser *parser, gemtextLineQueue *lq) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+int parseNormal(gemtextParser *parser, gemtextLineQueue *lq) {
+    char         c;
+    int          ret;
+    gemtextLine *line;
+    gemtextLink *link;
+    lineBuffer   lb;
+    char        *buf;
+
+    ret = lineBufferInit(&lb);
+    if (ret != 0) return ret;
+    while (1) {
+        ret = fread(&c, 1, 1, parser->stream);
+        if (c != 1) {
+            line = calloc(1, sizeof(gemtextLine));
+            if (line == NULL) return errno;
+            line->lineType = endOfStream;
+            line->prev = line->next = NULL;
+            line->str = NULL;
+            gemtextLineQueuePush(lq, line);
+        }
+        switch (parser->state) {
+        case lineStart:
+            switch (c) {
+            case '=':
+                ret = lineBufferAppendChar(&lb, c);
+                if (ret != 0) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    return ret;
+                }
+                parser->state = firstLinkChar;
+                break;
+            case '>':
+                parser->mode = quoteMode;
+                ret = parseQuote(parser, lq);
+                if (ret != 0) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    return ret;
+                }
+                break;
+            case '#':
+                ret = lineBufferAppendChar(&lb, c);
+                if (ret != 0) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    return ret;
+                }
+                parser->state = firstHashChar;
+                break;
+            case '`':
+                ret = lineBufferAppendChar(&lb, c);
+                if (ret != 0) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    return ret;
+                }
+                parser->state = firstBacktickChar;
+                break;
+            case '\n':
+                line = calloc(1, sizeof(gemtextLine));
+                if (line == NULL) return errno;
+                line->lineType = normalLine;
+                buf = strndup("\n", 1);
+                if (buf == NULL) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    return errno;
+                }
+                line->str = buf;
+                gemtextLineQueuePush(lq, line);
+                break;
+            default:
+                ret = lineBufferAppendChar(&lb, c);
+                if (ret != 0) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    return ret;
+                }
+                parser->state = normalState;
+                break;
+            }
+            break;
+        case firstLinkChar:
+            ret = lineBufferAppendChar(&lb, c);
+            if (ret != 0) {
+                free(lb.buf);
+                return ret;
+            }
+            if (c == '>') {
+                parser->state = secondLinkChar;
+            } else if (c == '\n') {
+                // todo - send a 'normal' line to the lineQueue and reset the
+                // lineBuffer
+            } else {
+                parser->state = normalState;
+            }
+        case secondLinkChar:
+            line = calloc(1, sizeof(gemtextLine));
+            if (line == NULL) return errno;
+            link = readLink(parser->stream, &lb);
+            if (link == NULL) {
+                line->lineType = normalLine;
+                buf = strndup(lb.buf, lb.len);
+                if (buf == NULL) {
+                    free(lb.buf);
+                    free(line);
+                    return errno;
+                }
+                line->str = buf;
+                gemtextLineQueuePush(lq, line);
+            } else {
+                line->lineType = linkLine;
+                line->link = link;
+                gemtextLineQueuePush(lq, line);
+            }
+            lineBufferReset(&lb);
+            break;
+        case firstHashChar:
+        case secondHashChar:
+        case thirdHashChar:
+        case firstBacktickChar:
+        case secondBacktickChar:
+        case thirdBacktickChar:
+        case normalState:
+        }
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int parseGemtext(gemtextParser *parser, gemtextLineQueue *lq) {
     // todo
     return 0;
diff --git a/include/gemtext-parser.h b/include/gemtext-parser.h
index e2a6567..c8d741f 100644
--- a/include/gemtext-parser.h
+++ b/include/gemtext-parser.h
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef GEMTEXT_PARSER_H
 #define GEMTEXT_PARSER_H 1
 
-#include <pthread.h>
-#include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
+#include <pthread.h>  // pthread_mutex_t, pthread_cond_t
+#include <stddef.h>   // size_t
+#include <stdio.h>    // FILE
 
 #define LBUF_SIZE 512
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ typedef enum {
 typedef enum {
     lineStart,
     firstLinkChar,
-    firstLinkWord,
+    secondLinkChar,
     firstHashChar,
     secondHashChar,
     thirdHashChar,
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ struct _gemtextLine {
     struct _gemtextLine *next;
     struct _gemtextLine *prev;
     gemtextLineType      lineType;
-    char                *line;
+    union {
+        char            *str;
+        gemtextLink     *link;
+    };
 };
 
 typedef struct _gemtextLine gemtextLine;