When one chef is too many

Doing this is a lot easier than when I first started doing anything that might be called creative writing. Of course, that was more than 20 years ago. Back then, I did not conceive of having my own computer, and had never heard of "word processing," let alone something called the Internet. However, Sen. Ted Stevens would no doubt that be glad to know that, due to the existence of pneumatic mail deliver systems in large office buildings, I was familiar with "a series of tubes," which he taught us the Internet is.

Back then, when I wrote, it was in pen on paper. Corrections were more cumbersome and sloppy. I recall whole paragraphs crossed out and replaced by very tiny writing crammed into the margins. I'd think a little more before writing than I do know, and I definitely did less editing.

Of course, it's much easier to edit now. A Backspace here, a little click and drag there. It's like it never happened. And that's a good thing - up to a point. I'm finding it's easy to overdo... overthink... overcorrect... overperfect. I worked for more than half an hour on last night's post. I'm happy with the way it came out, but part of it lost some of the flavor of the initial draft. I over-cheffed some of it. Not because all of the changes were improvements, but because they were easy to do before really thinking it through.

I like Reno 911!, Whose Line..., This is Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest's movies. They're improvisational. The actors have a general idea of where the scene is supposed to go, and they'll do several takes and use the best material, but they come out more natural, more real, than written and re-written and edited and re-re-written scripted fare. My ink-and-paper writing was more closer to the improv stuff. Writing like this comes closer to Ethnic Mis-Match Comedy # 618.