Copywriter Interviews The Onion’s Founding Editor About Writer’s Block, Learns A Lot
CHICAGO—Saying he was ‘more than happy’ to jump on the call, Scott Dikkers, The Onion’s longest-serving editor-in-chief, graciously gave time out of his day to talk to a copywriter about how to overcome writer’s block. “So, I was hired by NBC to write a pilot script,” said Dikkers, who is also a film screenwriter and the author of several books, including the critically acclaimed masterpiece, How to Write Funny, which is hailed as ‘one of the finest comedy manuals ever conceived.’ “I was The Onion’s editor at the time so, mainly, I was just punching up or rewriting other people’s work. And so when I sat down to write the pilot, I was like, ‘Shit! I have writer’s block! I got nothing!’” At press time, Dikkers recounted the process he used to overcome his writer’s block, enabling him to write ‘the entire hour-long draft of the pilot in one day.’