diff --git a/scripts/bench.py b/scripts/bench.py
index 99bf2376..113f986d 100755
--- a/scripts/bench.py
+++ b/scripts/bench.py
@@ -362,17 +362,18 @@ def compile(bench_paths, **args):
     # write generated bench source
     if 'output' in args:
         with openio(args['output'], 'w') as f:
-            _write = f.write
-            def write(s):
-                f.lineno += s.count('\n')
-                _write(s)
-            def writeln(s=''):
-                f.lineno += s.count('\n') + 1
-                _write(s)
-                _write('\n')
+            # some helpful file functions
             f.lineno = 1
-            f.write = write
-            f.writeln = writeln
+            f.write_ = f.write
+            def write(self, s):
+                self.lineno += s.count('\n')
+                self.write_(s)
+            f.write = write.__get__(f)
+            def writeln(self, s=''):
+                self.lineno += s.count('\n') + 1
+                self.write_(s)
+                self.write_('\n')
+            f.writeln = writeln.__get__(f)
 
             f.writeln("// Generated by %s:" % sys.argv[0])
             f.writeln("//")
diff --git a/scripts/codemap.py b/scripts/codemap.py
index d026a4c9..66ae1ed3 100755
--- a/scripts/codemap.py
+++ b/scripts/codemap.py
@@ -951,11 +951,11 @@ def main_(ring, paths, *,
         label=False,
         no_label=False,
         **args):
-    # give ring an writeln function
-    def writeln(s=''):
-        ring.write(s)
-        ring.write('\n')
-    ring.writeln = writeln
+    # give ring a writeln function
+    def writeln(self, s=''):
+        self.write(s)
+        self.write('\n')
+    ring.writeln = writeln.__get__(ring)
 
     # figure out what color should be
     if color == 'auto':
diff --git a/scripts/codemapsvg.py b/scripts/codemapsvg.py
index 110aad81..9be108e3 100755
--- a/scripts/codemapsvg.py
+++ b/scripts/codemapsvg.py
@@ -1174,10 +1174,10 @@ def main(paths, output, *,
 
     # create svg file
     with openio(output, 'w') as f:
-        def writeln(s=''):
-            f.write(s)
-            f.write('\n')
-        f.writeln = writeln
+        def writeln(self, s=''):
+            self.write(s)
+            self.write('\n')
+        f.writeln = writeln.__get__(f)
 
         # yes this is svg
         f.write('<svg '
diff --git a/scripts/dbgbmap.py b/scripts/dbgbmap.py
index 8da5a587..d9ecf29b 100755
--- a/scripts/dbgbmap.py
+++ b/scripts/dbgbmap.py
@@ -4421,11 +4421,11 @@ def main_(ring, disk, mroots=None, *,
         title_littlefs=False,
         title_usage=False,
         **args):
-    # give ring an writeln function
-    def writeln(s=''):
-        ring.write(s)
-        ring.write('\n')
-    ring.writeln = writeln
+    # give ring a writeln function
+    def writeln(self, s=''):
+        self.write(s)
+        self.write('\n')
+    ring.writeln = writeln.__get__(ring)
 
     # figure out what color should be
     if color == 'auto':
diff --git a/scripts/dbgbmapsvg.py b/scripts/dbgbmapsvg.py
index e303eea4..c1a77a92 100755
--- a/scripts/dbgbmapsvg.py
+++ b/scripts/dbgbmapsvg.py
@@ -4512,10 +4512,10 @@ def main(disk, output, mroots=None, *,
 
     # create svg file
     with openio(output, 'w') as f:
-        def writeln(s=''):
-            f.write(s)
-            f.write('\n')
-        f.writeln = writeln
+        def writeln(self, s=''):
+            self.write(s)
+            self.write('\n')
+        f.writeln = writeln.__get__(f)
 
         # yes this is svg
         f.write('<svg '
diff --git a/scripts/dbgtrace.py b/scripts/dbgtrace.py
index d063d0b3..d2a75336 100755
--- a/scripts/dbgtrace.py
+++ b/scripts/dbgtrace.py
@@ -1284,10 +1284,10 @@ def main(path='-', *,
                         if wear else ''))
 
         # give ring a writeln function
-        def writeln(s=''):
-            ring.write(s)
-            ring.write('\n')
-        ring.writeln = writeln
+        def writeln(self, s=''):
+            self.write(s)
+            self.write('\n')
+        ring.writeln = writeln.__get__(ring)
 
         # figure out width/height
         if width is None:
diff --git a/scripts/plot.py b/scripts/plot.py
index 1ea58ea6..a2b49443 100755
--- a/scripts/plot.py
+++ b/scripts/plot.py
@@ -1243,11 +1243,11 @@ def main_(ring, csv_paths, *,
         subplot={},
         subplots=[],
         **args):
-    # give ring an writeln function
-    def writeln(s=''):
-        ring.write(s)
-        ring.write('\n')
-    ring.writeln = writeln
+    # give ring a writeln function
+    def writeln(self, s=''):
+        self.write(s)
+        self.write('\n')
+    ring.writeln = writeln.__get__(ring)
 
     # figure out what color should be
     if color == 'auto':
diff --git a/scripts/prettyasserts.py b/scripts/prettyasserts.py
index b49b7fa1..603d3455 100755
--- a/scripts/prettyasserts.py
+++ b/scripts/prettyasserts.py
@@ -583,10 +583,10 @@ def main(input=None, output=None, *,
         p = Parser(in_f.read(), '')
 
         with openio(output or '-', 'w') as f:
-            def writeln(s=''):
-                f.write(s)
-                f.write('\n')
-            f.writeln = writeln
+            def writeln(self, s=''):
+                self.write(s)
+                self.write('\n')
+            f.writeln = writeln.__get__(f)
 
             # write extra verbose asserts
             mkheader(f, limit=limit)
diff --git a/scripts/test.py b/scripts/test.py
index 948401ac..f48d739b 100755
--- a/scripts/test.py
+++ b/scripts/test.py
@@ -374,17 +374,18 @@ def compile(test_paths, **args):
     # write generated test source
     if 'output' in args:
         with openio(args['output'], 'w') as f:
-            _write = f.write
-            def write(s):
-                f.lineno += s.count('\n')
-                _write(s)
-            def writeln(s=''):
-                f.lineno += s.count('\n') + 1
-                _write(s)
-                _write('\n')
+            # some helpful file functions
             f.lineno = 1
-            f.write = write
-            f.writeln = writeln
+            f.write_ = f.write
+            def write(self, s):
+                self.lineno += s.count('\n')
+                self.write_(s)
+            f.write = write.__get__(f)
+            def writeln(self, s=''):
+                self.lineno += s.count('\n') + 1
+                self.write_(s)
+                self.write_('\n')
+            f.writeln = writeln.__get__(f)
 
             f.writeln("// Generated by %s:" % sys.argv[0])
             f.writeln("//")
diff --git a/scripts/treemap.py b/scripts/treemap.py
index 07a62067..3b0b7d31 100755
--- a/scripts/treemap.py
+++ b/scripts/treemap.py
@@ -964,11 +964,11 @@ def main_(ring, csv_paths, *,
         label=False,
         no_label=False,
         **args):
-    # give ring an writeln function
-    def writeln(s=''):
-        ring.write(s)
-        ring.write('\n')
-    ring.writeln = writeln
+    # give ring a writeln function
+    def writeln(self, s=''):
+        self.write(s)
+        self.write('\n')
+    ring.writeln = writeln.__get__(ring)
 
     # figure out what color should be
     if color == 'auto':
diff --git a/scripts/treemapsvg.py b/scripts/treemapsvg.py
index dd59869f..63ac4029 100755
--- a/scripts/treemapsvg.py
+++ b/scripts/treemapsvg.py
@@ -877,10 +877,10 @@ def main(csv_paths, output, *,
 
     # create svg file
     with openio(output, 'w') as f:
-        def writeln(s=''):
-            f.write(s)
-            f.write('\n')
-        f.writeln = writeln
+        def writeln(self, s=''):
+            self.write(s)
+            self.write('\n')
+        f.writeln = writeln.__get__(f)
 
         # yes this is svg
         f.write('<svg '