diff --git a/include/mrk/lexer.h b/include/mrk/lexer.h
index 525f0bb..cfd6269 100644
--- a/include/mrk/lexer.h
+++ b/include/mrk/lexer.h
@@ -20,12 +20,10 @@ typedef enum mrk_token_type {
   mrk_token_type_none = 0,
   mrk_token_type_backtick,
   mrk_token_type_triple_backtick,
-  mrk_token_type_dash,
   mrk_token_type_underscore,
   mrk_token_type_double_underscore,
   mrk_token_type_star,
   mrk_token_type_double_star,
-  mrk_token_type_equals,
   mrk_token_type_newline,
   mrk_token_type_line_break,
   mrk_token_type_right_angle_brackets,
diff --git a/src/_include/mrk/lexer_internal.h b/src/_include/mrk/lexer_internal.h
index 08cdea9..d2c9bff 100644
--- a/src/_include/mrk/lexer_internal.h
+++ b/src/_include/mrk/lexer_internal.h
@@ -78,4 +78,21 @@ void mrk_lexer_emit(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer, mrk_token_type type);
  * special character.
  */
 bool mrk_is_special_char(char c);
+
+/**
+ * Lex a token at the start of a line (including after 1 or more indents).
+ */
+void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer);
+
+/**
+ * Lex a token that starts in the middle of a line.
+ */
+void mrk_lexer_lex_middle_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer);
+
+/**
+ * Advance the lexer until it encounters a character that's always parsed as a
+ * separate token, regardless of context (e,g. newlines, brackets).
+ */
+void mrk_lexer_advance_text(mrk_lexer *lexer);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lexer/lexer.c b/src/lexer/lexer.c
index 770e559..8b819a6 100644
--- a/src/lexer/lexer.c
+++ b/src/lexer/lexer.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "mrk/lexer.h"
 #include "mrk/lexer_internal.h"
@@ -131,12 +132,17 @@ void mrk_lexer_emit(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer, mrk_token_type type) {
   lexer->last_emitted = type;
 }
 
-/* void mrk_lexer_advance_text(mrk_lexer *lexer) { */
-/*   const char */
-/*   /1* while (!mrk_lexer_done(lexer)) { *1/ */
-/*   /1*   /2* switch () *2/ *1/ */
-/*   /1* } *1/ */
-/* } */
+void mrk_lexer_advance_text(mrk_lexer *lexer) {
+  const char *special_chars = "*\n[]()\\";
+
+  while (!mrk_lexer_done(lexer)) {
+    if (strchr(special_chars, mrk_lexer_peek(lexer)) == NULL) {
+      mrk_lexer_advance(lexer);
+    } else {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+}
 
 void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
   char c = mrk_lexer_advance(lexer);
@@ -149,7 +155,8 @@ void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
     if (lexer->token.end - lexer->token.start <= MRK_MAX_HEADER_LEN) {
       mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_header_start);
     } else {
-      // TODO match rest of text and emit
+      mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+      mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
     }
     break;
   case '-':
@@ -163,7 +170,8 @@ void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
           mrk_lexer_peek(lexer) == '\n') {
         mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_horizontal_rule);
       } else {
-        // TODO match rest of text and emit
+        mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+        mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
       }
     }
     break;
@@ -172,7 +180,8 @@ void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
       mrk_lexer_advance(lexer);
       mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_list_item_unordered);
     } else {
-      // TODO match rest of text and emit
+      mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+      mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
     }
     break;
   case '_':
@@ -251,9 +260,8 @@ void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
 
       mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_line_break);
     } else {
-      /* mrk_lexer_advance_eq(lexer, ' '); */
-      /* mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_spaces); */
-      // TODO match rest of text and emir
+      mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+      mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
     }
   } break;
   case '\n':
@@ -269,19 +277,22 @@ void mrk_lexer_lex_start_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
         mrk_lexer_advance(lexer);
       }
 
-      if (mrk_lexer_peek(lexer) == '.') {
+      // Ordered list item numbers should be followed by a dot and then a space
+      if (mrk_lexer_peek_str(lexer, ". ")) {
         mrk_lexer_advance(lexer);
         mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_list_item_ordered);
       }
       // Doesn't end with a dot, so it's just a word that happens to start
       // with a number
       else {
-        // TODO lex text and emit
+        mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+        mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
       }
     }
     // Any other special scenarios we simply parse as a word
     else {
-      // TODO lex text and emit
+      mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+      mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
     }
   } break;
   }
@@ -325,17 +336,20 @@ void mrk_lexer_lex_middle_of_line(mrk_token *out, mrk_lexer *lexer) {
     break;
   case '!':
     mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_bang);
+    break;
   case ' ': {
     if (mrk_lexer_peek_str(lexer, " \n")) {
       mrk_lexer_advance_n(lexer, 2);
 
       mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_line_break);
     } else {
-      // TODO match rest of text and emir
+      mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+      mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
     }
   } break;
   default:
-    // TODO lex text and emit
+    mrk_lexer_advance_text(lexer);
+    mrk_lexer_emit(out, lexer, mrk_token_type_text);
     break;
   }
 }