diff --git a/1998/fanf/try.sh b/1998/fanf/try.sh
index 8622bfb10..8e0bfc016 100755
--- a/1998/fanf/try.sh
+++ b/1998/fanf/try.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
+# 
+# try.sh - demonstrate IOCCC winner 1998/fanf
+#
 
-make all || exit 1
+# make sure CC is set so that when we do make CC="$CC" it isn't empty. Doing it
+# this way allows us to have the user specify a different compiler in an easy
+# way.
+if [[ -z "$CC" ]]; then
+    CC="cc"
+fi
+
+make CC="$CC" all >/dev/null || exit 1
+
+# clear screen after compilation so that only the entry is shown
+clear
 
 echo "$ echo '((\a(\b(\c(d)))) e' | ./fanf" 1>&2
 echo '((\a(\b(\c(d)))) e)' | ./fanf