How to write like you've got a carrot up your 🐴

Shel Silverstein's secret to writing one-act plays                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 October 13, 2023 | [Read Online]( How to write like you've got a carrot up your ass Shel Silverstein's secret to writing one-act plays [Cole Schafer]( October 13, 2023 [fb]( [tw]( [in]( [email](mailto:?subject=Post%20from%20The%20Process.&body=How%20to%20write%20like%20you%27ve%20got%20a%20carrot%20up%20your%20ass%3A%20Shel%20Silverstein%27s%20secret%20to%20writing%20one-act%20plays%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.getthesticky.com%2Fp%2Fone-act-play) Shel Silverstein was an idea machine. He wrote children’s books, Playboy cartoons, hit country tunes and one-act plays. Below you will find a short snippet from [this article](, where I share Shel’s process for coming up with a never-ending stream of ideas. Decades ago, a country music singer by the name of Chris Gantry caught wind that his friend Shel Silverstein was having quite a bit of success as a playwright. So, he asked him how the hell he did it. "Do exactly what I tell you to do," Shel told him. "When I tell you to go, start writing with no preconceived notions about what your play is about. I’m going to time you and give you a little more than an hour. The first thing that comes into your mind is the title of the play." As Gantry nodded along, Shel continued to divulge his secrets, "Then you’ll write about a man and a woman, use ‘M’ for man and ‘W’ for woman. Start writing free-form, free association and don’t take your pen off the page. The key is not thinking about it." Shel went on to explain that if Gantry found himself stuck, to write the first thing that came to mind, "If… the first thing that comes in your head is 'I have a carrot and stick up my ass’, then you write that down, that’s your line." Shel smacked the timer and he started writing. An hour later, Gantry had written a one-act play. [Keep reading.]( By [Cole Schafer]( P.S. Did this newsletter leave you feeling inspired? Tell someone to [subscribe](. [tw]( [ig]( [in]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here]( © 2023 The Process 228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United States [[beehiiv logo]Powered by beehiiv](