Jack Grapes, Artist, Writer, Author, Instructor: I’m going to say “I’ve
never written a first draft that was perfect” and you're going to say “Why?”
Film Courage: Okay.
Jack: Okay and then I’ll give you the answer that I give my students.
Film Courage: Okay.
Jack: I’ve never written a first draft that was perfect…So anyway I've said this to my students
and they're always surprised because everyone has this notion that sometimes you just write
something and it's perfect as soon as you write it. It happens, everyone assumes that happens,
that everybody gets lucky sometime and I said to them I have never written
something in a first draft that was perfect that never had to have any changes and what do they say
to that no you will say why is that oh that's right okay sorry whose line is it why do they
say that no why is that oh sorry okay let me try that again why is that this is funny this is a j
this is a funny joke the way you okay let me try sorry let's why is that well wait no let's see a
little digression here okay so you're going to interview me okay okay and make sure you speak
loud so they can hear you sure you have to say I understand you're the world's greatest comedian
okay Mr. Grapes I understand that you are the world's greatest comedian and I say
yes then you say to what do you attribute your great success let me hear it to what do you do
sorry you're going to say yes or no to what do you attribute right but you're going to say right
yeah yes okay to what do you attribute your great success good let's just rehearse that
one let's do it and then we'll do it for the camera okay okay all right start okay
you are the world's greatest comedian Mr. Grapes no it's I understand oh okay
you got to get the lines exactly right sure Mr. Grapes, thank you for taking my question.
Karen with Film Courage. I understand you are the world's greatest comedian yes okay to to what do
you attribute that successor no to what do you attribute your great success okay to what do you
to what do you attribute your great success, sir? great are you are you ready to shoot it
oh I thought we already were no we we were rehearsing right now okay okay sorry no I
mean I know he's running it but right right okay this is the joke okay sure sure so
have you got it down have you got your line yeah I think so I think so okay
okay um mr graves thank you for taking my question Karen with Film Courage,
I understand you're the world's greatest comedian yes to what do you timing okay there you go
you get it I do yeah uh-huh okay so um um I'm gonna say
I've never written a first draft that was perfect and you're gonna say
why okay okay and then i'll give you the answer sure that I give my students okay I've never
written a first draft that was perfect why because I'm too good for that okay now what does that mean
oh many that's the thing because they're not expecting that they think that if you write a
first draft it means you're good and I said I never get a perfect first draft
because I'm too good for that that flips it on its head they're going too good you mean if you're too
good all your first drafts are not good I would think that if you're good your first some of
your first drafts might be really good but you're saying I’m too good to have a perfect first draft
why do you think that would be oh modesty nope I just said I'm too good for that okay delusion what
delusion the the what delusion delusional no no I wrote it and I go this is not perfect and I've
never had a perfect first drive I see I don't know because I can see where it can be improved
and the person who's not that good doesn't see where it can be improved
but I'm good I'm too good to have a perfect first draft because I can see where it can be better
that's half the answer the other half of the answer is and I know how to make it better
because sometimes you can go this first draft it's not quite perfect I know it
needs to be fixed but I don't know how what I'm saying is I'm too good for that
because one I can always see how anything can be made better and two I know how to do it so
that dispels that notion that a lot of people have that if you really know what you're doing you
should be able to write that first draft and it's perfect and I'm saying well no because if you're
really good you will always see how something can be made better and you have the tools
and the knowledge to make it better you know how to do it so again that to me is a little paradox
which I kind of like because hopefully what I'm saying to my students is
don't don't think that the first draft of anything you write is going to be perfect
because if you are really good you will see that it can be better and
if you know how to make it better that's that's that's that's what you want you want to be able
to go hmm this thing is not perfect but if I do this this this and this it'll be perfect
and so at what point does someone know where the weaknesses are
at what point do they know where the weaknesses are or at what point do they get to where
they go well it's not perfect but I'm done the latter there's a famous saying that poets never
finish writing a poem they only abandon it that at some point you might still feel well it's not
perfect but enough is enough I got to move on to my next one you know so um maybe there's always
going to be a point where you think well this is as good as I can make it and you you go on
I mean I don't think you can say to someone there's a point where you will always know
where you can make it better and I mean you know we're human beings sometimes what we send out is
imperfect and sometimes we got to go well that's enough you know I got to move on to the next thing
this is not the best soup I ever made but it'll do
you know there's an old saying writing is rewriting
so first drafts are usually that's all their first drafts um I've never written anything that didn't
go through more than one draft I in other words I've never written anything that was perfect
the first time out now you're supposed to ask me why…
Question For The Viewers: Have you ever written a perfect first draft?