If you want to make a living as a comedy writer, sooner or later you’re going to expect to spend some time working for the BBC. It’s as true now as it was when I began my comedy writing career writing jokes for BBC shows in 1983. There are no other organisations in the UK …
In the current episode of Sitcom Geeks (https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/sitcom_geeks/episode_157/) James Cary and I talk about the importance of reading. James discusses it in its noblest form – you read to expand your knowledge of the world, not just to confirm your prejudices as you scroll down your reading machine of choice. More important you should read …
Last week we looked at topical comedy as one of the quickest ways to become a professional paid comedy writer. There’s still time to decide if that’s for you – don’t forget you can sign up at funnyup02@gmail.com today for 10 free daily emails. Unfortunately writing topical comedy is also one of the most exclusive …
Less than a week into the new year it’s still time for sweeping announcements of bold predictions. I can still confidently predict that if you want to become a comedy writer then 2021 is going to be a fantastic year to put good habits into place and to learn how to move forward with this …
Every so often there’s a review of a comedy show (invariably in The Guardian) that says something like “this is such a great comedy show and one of the reasons is that they don’t bother with jokes.” I exaggerate for comic effect, but not much. You should see us comedy writers when we all pile …
Welcome back to Part Two of the Holy Grail of Plottery. Yesterday I left you in suspense – all was lost for our main character, everything that could possibly go wrong had gone wrong, the only possible outcomes were humiliation, destitution, isolation, pain, death. Given that this is supposed to be a comedy, we’ll stick …
When I started writing sitcom around 25 years ago there was nothing like the Landfill of Writerly Wisdom currently available, to which I have become a regular contributor. Around that time I wrote five screenplays, not one of which made it beyond first draft and few to final draft, let alone Final Draft, if that …