Trusting the writing the process and following it where it goes takes strength and dedication. Finishing the song, putting it down to the record, then turning to the next tune is a cycle that meant they learnt so much in their process, and were open to new ideas to weave into the songs the next time around.
John Swartzwelder is a reclusive writer best known for writing a huge amount of the strongest early Simpsons episodes. He also wrote for Saturday Night Live. Now he writes novels. His writing process involves getting the idea out quick. Finish the first draft as fast as possible. Then work deeper in the rewrite.
When you give away what you think you should be hiding, the story becomes something else. Sometimes the structure falls apart. You need to have things happen in a particular order. But sometimes changing it takes away the scaffolding that was just there to build the important structure. It’s worth experimenting.
Writing a book – or a film script, or an album of music – is a marathon effort. It’s a long game and the end is rarely in focus or in sight. Pacing yourself is essential.
But sometimes throwing in a quick sprint can shake things up.
Writing quickly, without worrying about what goes down, for a short amount of time can get you past a hurdle. It can push you to focus on something other than the scene or issue that’s obstructing your flow. And it can give a quick breath of new inspiration.
Once you do the sprint, step back.
This part is essential. Get some space. Let the dust settle. And when you return, check again for the path forward.
There are always things that will go wrong. There are things that will make that particular creative moment – the draft, the acted scene, the musical take – unique. The chaos in seeing how an artist reacts is what makes a performance interesting. There are some strategies you can use to welcome chaos into your own creative process.
When we work within limitations that we set ourselves, we rely on our inspiration and creativity to find solutions. This makes the story work. There are problems we could get around by breaking our own rules. But these rules keep us honest as writers. It forces us to find an answer that draws from the world we’ve written.
The legend goes that while recording When Doves Cry, Prince was unhappy with the mixing process. He said to the another singer that he wished he could remove the bass line. The singer asked why he couldn’t?
This clip with Steven Wright from Conan O’Brien’s podcast is a wonderful moment of two comedians talking about creativity.
It’s more than about writing jokes. It covers a core point about the creative process.
I have this picture of the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight on the wall of my studio.
The brothers struggled for years to get an aircraft to take off, to be controlled, to be powered. They changed designs, drew inspiration from other discoveries, and they crashed often. Orville broke his leg and four ribs. They failed multiple times. After another crash, Wilbur said that flight wouldn’t be able to be achieved for a thousand years.
