"Don't get it right, just get it written"
About this Quote
The intent is survival. Writing, for him, isn’t a ceremony; it’s a job with a deadline, a stubborn page, and a mind that would rather tinker forever than risk looking foolish. The subtext is permission: you are allowed to be clumsy in public, but only if you keep moving. “Written” also implies a later stage - revision - without saying it. Thurber isn’t rejecting craft; he’s insisting on sequence. Draft first, judge later. Get something on the page that can be argued with.
Context matters: Thurber came up in the magazine world (most famously The New Yorker), where wit had to arrive on time. A comedian’s authority here isn’t theoretical; it’s earned through repetition and failure. Humorists know the draft is where the bad jokes go to die and the good ones learn to breathe. The line’s economy mirrors its advice: a brisk sentence that refuses to romanticize the process, then nudges you back to work.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Thurber, James. (2026, January 15). Don't get it right, just get it written. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-get-it-right-just-get-it-written-142852/
Chicago Style
Thurber, James. "Don't get it right, just get it written." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-get-it-right-just-get-it-written-142852/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Don't get it right, just get it written." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/dont-get-it-right-just-get-it-written-142852/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.







