Write First, Then Edit
Advice from a renown comedy writer
John Swartzwelder, comedy writer known for The Simpsons, is quoted in the Farnum Street Brain Food newsletter as saying that he finds writing hard and editing, easy. “I always write my scripts all the way through as fast as I can, the first day, if possible, putting in crap jokes and pattern dialogue….”
I’ve always done this, and I teach it in my workshops. Writing is creative and trying to write well invites writer’s block. The goal is to write as fast as you can without regard for how good or bad it is. You just want to get the words onto the page, so you can fix it.
Editing is where we craft what we have written to make it work. Swartzwelder says, “I’ve taken a very hard job, writing, and turned it into an easy one, rewriting, overnight.” Try it for yourself and discover how much easier writing can become.
