We’ve heard from many writers and performers in the industry recently about their journey in comedy and we noticed a common theme. So many successful comedians started out in sketch groups. Which got us thinking, what is it about sketch groups that makes them such a great breeding ground for new comedy talent?

We came up with 8 reasons we believe sketch groups work well for creative people looking to make an impact in comedy:

1. It gets you into a routine. It’s easy to say you want to get into comedy, but actually using your spare time to do it is another matter. Even if you love it, sometimes the actual act of doing is harder than it should be. If you are part of a sketch group you will have regular meet ups, performance dates, writing deadlines, and other people to keep you in check and find that inspiration.

2. Learn from people with different ideas. You know what you find funny is funny, otherwise you wouldn’t find it funny, right? Or something like that. But you will be surprised how much you can learn from sharing ideas with other people, and being able to find out what they think of yours. Learning what other creators do well and not so well is such a good way to develop your own skills.

3. Find out which people you work well with and which you don’t. This is a natural thing for everyone. You will work better with some types of people than others. If you are working in a day job outside of comedy you will probably have identified types of people you click with and others you really don’t. The same will be true for your creative side, and there’s no better way to find out than by experimenting. Sketch groups provide the perfect environment to do this as a team of 4 or 5 people will inevitably have different styles but is small enough to work closely together.

4. Learn to create funny content. Sketches are a great way to make sure you focus your writing and keep it consistently funny. By their nature sketches are short, so you don’t have time to indulge. Sketch writing helps you practise getting those laughs out quickly.

5. Try out both performance and writing. If you are a writer who has never performed, how can you appreciate whether actors really understand your script? Similarly if you are a performer who has never written comedy, you are missing out on a fundamental part of the creative process. Sketch groups often have a combination of writers and performers, and giving both art forms a go is a great way to develop your skills.

6. See your writing brought to life immediately. As a writer it is hard to know what parts of your work are really funny until you see them performed. If you are part of a sketch group you can see your work performed immediately by people who understand your style of comedy, rather than having to find a group of actors and writers for a specific read through every time you produce something new. This instant feedback is so helpful and is a major advantage of collaborating.

7. Start at no pressure events. Comedy sketch nights are becoming increasingly popular and are a great way to test out your material in what will probably be a relatively small venue of comedy enthusiasts. There really is no substitute for doing, and performing at these events allows you to learn how an audience reacts to your comedy.

8. Creating with others is great fun and inspiring. The whole point of making comedy is to make other people laugh. As part of a sketch group you will always be trying to make each other laugh through the creative process, and this is just a more entertaining way to create than in isolation.

As we said at the top many great comedians started out this way and went on to make a career in the industry. This certainly doesn’t mean you have to follow the same path, but clearly it has been a great starting point for many people now working full time in comedy. Some of the more famous examples include Hugh Lawrie, Stephen Fry and Rowan Atkinson creating sketches in the Cambridge Footlights, Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. There are too many to list here but reasons 1 to 8 have clearly benefited the skills of many great comedians who have become legends in the genre.

So if you want to develop your comedy skills, have some fun, and start to make an impact, joining a sketch group will be a great place to start. Give it a try, you never know where it could lead.

To make sure you stay up to date with the latest opportunities and insights in the world of comedy, join thousands of creators and fans receiving our free weekly newsletter:

This is a question a lot of comedy writers struggle with. You know what you find funny. Can’t you just write in that way rather than having to make it fit a derived formula?

After all the reason a lot of people start out making comedy is because they have seen and identified things that they find funny, and have experienced the amazing buzz from being able to convey that to other people. So if you already know what’s funny to you, why should you compromise your style to fit someone else’s view on how things should be done?

I’m going to argue that you don’t necessarily have to write in the style wanted by production companies and commissioners, but you absolutely have to make sure that your style and content is funny and engaging.

Decide where you want your comedy to go

When you are writing comedy you need to consider where you are taking it. You may be entering a competition, writing for a specific actor, or writing for a sitcom or short film that is personal and means something to you.

If you are writing for a competition that means pitching your show for a particular platform, say BBC1, then you increase your chances of success by identifying what they are looking for and considering your entry in the context of that. For example at the moment (and this may change depending on when you read this) BBC1 are primarily looking for mainstream studio audience sitcoms that can take over from Mrs Brown’s Boys.

Studio audience sitcoms are not the preferred creative style of many comedy writers, but this is what BBC want for their prime time comedy (to understand more about what is meant by a studio audience sitcom and why it works for a mainstream audience, read this blog by Andrew Ellard). In an interview with Simon Caine in his Ask The Industry podcast, Head of BBC Writersroom Anne Edyvean says as much, explaining that in the Writersroom they are looking for talent rather than a specific show to commission, and if someone demonstrates that they can write for a main audience show rather than something less conventional they may well be more likely to be considered. That said she also adds that they are not looking for people to repeat what has been done before. (The same is true for radio – check out this blog from Comedy Crowder Simon Miller where he talks about successfully adapting his competition entries for Newsjack).

This logic also applies to production companies. If you are going to send off your work to a production company in the hope they will come on board and help turn it into a final product, then you probably will need to either find one that knows and likes your style of comedy, or tailor what you have made into something that aligns to what they make.

We have spoken to many production companies recently who have told us the worst thing they get is a generic request to read a script that has not been considered in the context of their work and where the email or letter they receive is part of a mass mailing with no specific reference to why they have been approached.

You may be thinking “that’s annoying, I don’t want to change my work to make it fit a style that suits the taste of a production company or commissioning body”. Well nowadays there are alternatives, but before we consider them its worth mentioning that there is value in trying out different styles of comedy to understand what works best for you. After all, its unlikely that your first ever script will be your best, and you can only learn by doing.

The great thing about the internet and modern media platforms is that you now have options for making your comedy and you can find the audience who appreciate your style by starting simple and testing regularly.

People Just Do Nothing is a great example of this, whereby they made rough cuts of their show in the style they found funny and attracted an audience through YouTube. It was later picked up by BBC3 and has been successful there, but it is highly unlikely to end up being shown on prime time mainstream TV due to the nature of the content.

Another topical example is 90s comedy The Mrs Merton show. Rather than being pitched directly to TV bosses, Mrs Merton, performed by the late Caroline Aherne, built up an initial cult following on a local radio show before appearing as a secondary character on another TV comedy. It was only after success had been proven through these channels that the prime time TV slot was offered.

The important thing to take from this is that if you are going to approach an established production company or commissioning body directly without proof of an audience to back up your creation, then it will help to tailor it to meet their style. If you start developing characters and building up an audience first then you are more likely to have success with your own unique style of comedy.

So do I have to play by any rules?

Here’s some quotes from people working in comedy:

“Make us laugh on the first page” – Anne Edyvean, Head of BBC Writersroom, speaking on the Ask The Industry podcast

“Is it a funny idea with characters that I engage with that actually makes you laugh”- Sioned Wiliam, BBC Radio 4 Comedy Commissioner, speaking on Sitcom Geeks podcast

“You only have to read the first 5 pages to see if its worth reading the rest of it. Assume its about 1 minute per page, if it was on the TV and you are 5 minutes in and don’t laugh, you will turn over” – Henry Normal, co-founder of Baby Cow Productions and writer for The Royle Family, Mrs Merton and many other hit comedies, speaking on the Ask The Industry podcast

The common theme with all successful comedies is that they are consistently funny. The humour may not always be to your taste, but it is there right from the start and keeps going throughout. So while you definitely can stay true to your unique style of comedy, you should make sure your work is funny.

The most important thing is to engage your audience quickly and keep them engaged. Work in your style, but be critical not to indulge in moments that don’t result in a laugh or high audience engagement.

Here’s what to do

So in answer to the question “do I have to compromise my creative style to make it?”, the answer is no, but it may help if you go down a particular route. Be sure to keep these two things in mind when starting out writing your comedy:

1. Have a think about where you want your comedy to go. If you want to send a script or idea to a commissioning body or a large production company then you probably stand the best chance if you align the content to what they are looking for. If you want to express your own comedy style then the best option may be to start making it yourself, keeping it simple while developing characters and building up your audience online. Both are a great way to learn as long as you are getting feedback as you go. Which brings me to point 2.

2. Get feedback. Whichever route you take its best to do this early and regularly, to find out how funny and engaging your work is, learn what works, and tighten your script. We developed the Ask The Crowd to help you do just this in an affordable, productive way, but however you choose to do it getting feedback will ensure you have the best chance of making something that people really engage with. After all, we wouldn’t be making comedy in the first place if we didn’t want to make other people laugh.

Before I say anything about entering this years BBC Writersoom (comedy), let me just say that I’m no expert. I’m young, inexperienced and most of the advice I’m offering has been handed down to me by far more knowledgeable people.

I entered my script for the BBC Writersroom scriptroom 9 (comedy) back in March. At the time I was living in Melbourne, and I actually wrote the script whilst sitting on a park bench as I had no internet at my flat. I wrote a pilot called Leonard’s Having A Baby, about a twenty-something who discovers his girlfriend is pregnant just before he can break up with her.

This story has been covered before but I guess what was original about my script was my take on a familiar subject. The writersroom are looking for your ‘voice’ to come across in the scripts they read. You might be writing a flat-share comedy or a sitcom set in a hotel, that’s okay as long as you make sure you have something new to say about that tried and tested subject.

Entering is really easy as well, you just go the writersroom website, click submit, create an account and upload your pdf. Don’t worry about including a layout of the whole series, I didn’t and it didn’t affect my chances. Just make sure your script is as good as it can be. Make it funny, make the characters stand out, the dialogue zing and the story surprise.

There were over 2,200 scripts entered so I didn’t hear anything until July. I was invited for a meeting at Salford’s BBC. I met with the head of the writersoom and one of their producers. We talked for a long time, our meeting ran over a bit, which is usually a good sign. They told me they liked my ‘voice’ –- there’s that word again — and we spoke about my writing plans for the future. I made sure that they saw how passionate I was about writing and the other projects I had been working on. That takes me onto my first tip.

1. Make sure you have written other scripts before entering a competition. If you win something you want to be prepared for people who say, ‘okay, we liked that, but what else do you have?’ I’m not saying you need to have written tons of stuff but at least have a few scripts and a couple of ideas in the pipeline.

2. As this is comedy, make the reader laugh on the first page. You only have ten pages to impress them but lots of readers will make a decision on a script after only reading the first few.

3. Get to the story as quickly as possible. Don’t spend the first ten pages introducing your characters. Put them in a situation, give them a goal. Be as economical as possible. This mainly applies to sitcom as you only have 25-30 pages to tell a story but if you’re entering a 90 page script then you have a bit more leeway.

4. Make sure it looks like a proper script. If you don’t want to shell out a hundred pounds for Final Draft download Celtx for free. I used it for years and it’s great.

5. Great characters make great comedy. Think of all the great sitcoms, it’s the characters not the situation that keeps you coming back week after week. Make sure all your characters have different points of view. Comedy comes through difference, not just conflict. An easy way to highlight their differences is to get them talking about the same subject.

6. Finally. Have an active protagonist. This is probably the most important piece of advice I can offer. Passive characters are the death of a comedy script. It’s the characters who get themselves into tricky situations (David Brent, Alan Partridge, Mark and Jez) that make comedies.

But at the end of the day, what do I know? Some people break all these rules and get hailed as geniuses. You might disagree with everything I’ve said and get chosen as one of the 2016 winners. But trust me on the sunscreen.

Laurence Tratalos

@loztrat

Dan Page is a script-editor, writer and producer of comedy shorts, sketch, and sitcom with credits on NewsRevue, Newsjack and The Sitcom Trials. Here are his tips on the key pointers people often struggle with when starting out writing comedy:

• Let your characters do the talking.  Even the simplest of phrases can be used to show the audience who your characters are and their relationship to each other.  How might each of them say a simple ‘hello’?

“Hello Ben” – Fred doesn’t know Ben well or is cross with him

“Wassup Benny?” – laidback Luke doesn’t care what Ben thinks

“Hiya Ben!” – excitable Emma likes Ben

• Show emotion.  Are your characters angry, happy or sad when they speak?  Actors will look for cues as to how to play the emotion in each line – why not help them out?

“Just sod right off Ben”

“Get your gorgeous eyes out of here Ben”

“Maybe you should just go Ben”

• Avoid dialogue that starts or ends with ‘Anyhow’, ‘Look’ or ‘Also.  These words suggest to the audience that any preceding lines were unimportant.  Try finding a more natural conclusion to that segment or explode what you’re doing by having another character burst in, ask a question, or interrupt.

• Punctuation and pauses are your friend.  When writing for radio, think about conveying how a character feels through adding emphasis…or pauses…within their dialogue.

“Yeah Ben… I’m really up for that…’’

“Yeah Ben!  I’m really up for that!”

“Yeah Ben?  I’m…really up for that?”

• Keep it short and punchy.   Try to have your characters addressing one emotion/question/problem at a time unless it’s crucial to the plot/a joke.  Watch/listen to some shows, outside of joke laden monologues do characters often say more than one or two sentences at a time?

If you’ve got a script you’d like Daniel to take a look at, then visit www.coiledslinky.strikingly.com for details of how he can help.

Maybe too much of my time is spent making cartoons of myself

There is a whole industry developed around the topic of productivity. Typically a ‘thought-leader’ will advocate a particular system of working that they use (it’s often debatable that they do…) and if followed will boost your output by x% and so unlock the door to your dreams.  I’ve tried many of these systems myself. Why wouldn’t I?  Its a formula for getting more done, who wouldn’t want that?  The problem is that the ‘one size fits all’ approach just doesn’t work.  People are different, what motivates them is different, what distracts them is different, and perhaps most crucially the work they’re doing is different.  What works for improving output for non-creative tasks is unlikely to be successful for an artistic endeavour like writing, and what works for one writer won’t work for another.  In recognition of that, this article is going to concentrate solely on a few free tools and that could help you as a writer.

Of course the irony is that time spent researching productivity is time you aren’t being particularly productive…  so I’ll keep it short.

1. Evernote

Evernote is a fantastic tool, particularly for the disorganised amongst us.  It’s essentially a digital notebook on which you can record your thoughts, take photographs, store web-links and scan documents across all your devices.  It reads text from photos and scans to save you duplicating work, and means you can simply take a picture of a whiteboard session or a business card and have the contents forever stored.  Everything on Evernote is fully searchable, so if you don’t enjoy filing documents you can simply keep one continuous note and tag each entry.  For example, I might tag all my sketch ideas ‘SI’ and then I can simply search for that term whenever I want to review them.  This has been great for me because I’m not an avid organiser but if you are, Evernote does gives you the facility to create separate documents.

Evernote is useful for writers because we never know when inspiration may come.  The fact that it works across all platforms means that you can use phone or tablet when you’re on the move to make sure you record an idea as it comes to you.  It even has voice recognition that allows you to talk through an idea and have it recorded for you to revisit later.  Like the Partridge dictaphone this ensures you have one place for all your best ideas…

Jet from Gladiators to host a millennium barn dance at Yeovil aerodrome.

— Alan’s Dictaphone (@AlansDictaphone) July 14, 2011

Evernote is free up to 60 mb, beyond that there are paid plans, but so far I’ve found the free version to do everything I need.

2. Freedom

Writing is often a sole pursuit and being your own master can lead to numerous, tempting distractions, particularly with the abundance of social media feeds available. Freedom is an application that removes the temptation by blocking sites that you tell it to for a set period of time. It’s highly customisable and effective – the only way you can override it is by rebooting your computer, which few can be bothered to do.

This works for me for short periods of time when I want to concentrate but it is a commitment device, and these don’t work for everyone.  A commitment device requires you, during a period of rational thinking, to recognise what you should be doing and set systems in place to make sure you follow through.  Essentially its the logical part of your brain trying to outsmart the more instinctive part (if you’re interested in learning more about commitment devices I strongly recommend this Freakonomics podcast).

Freedom has a free version which, similar to Evernote, has all the functionality I need, but if you have serious procrastination issues you may have to look at the paid plan.

3. The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique is based upon the idea that by breaking work into 25 minute intervals with short breaks in between we can avoid burnout and be more productive.  I like it because it provides structure, and I need that to discipline myself.  Where I find this method particularly useful is on those mornings where I know there’s a piece that I’m struggling to write and against my better judgement I look for ways to avoid it.  The Pomodoro method breaks it into a small, attainable chunk of time – and this makes it far less intimidating to get started on. Invariably I find that once I’m into it, it isn’t anywhere near as problematic as I first envisioned, and the hardest bit was overcoming that initial inertia and actually getting myself to start.  So often writing is just about the process of actually committing thoughts to paper rather than thinking about it.

So what’s the tool here? Well it could just be a stopwatch.  If you want to spend an inordinate amount of money of a stopwatch shaped like a tomato then that’s your choice. There are lots of free resources out there that you can turn to to learn more about this method, and an app which does some of the work for you.  I’ve listed a couple in the comments section below but I would be lying to say I use anything other than a watch…

To summarise I think the main thing learnt from this blog is that I’m a disorganised, procrastinating, weak minded individual who needs tools to keep me on track.  I hope one or two may be useful for you too.  If you possess more self control you may find they aren’t required, but in that case what are you reading this article for anyway? Stop time wasting…

Peter Wright

At the Comedy Crowd we provide the contacts, resources and inspiration to allow comedy creators with an idea to turn it into something amazing. Hearing the experiences of other creators is a great way to learn and spark ideas for your own work, and that’s why we invited the creators of two of our favourite new comedy shows to share their stories.

Steve Stamp is the writer and co-creator of BAFTA winning BBC sitcom People Just Do Nothing (PJDN), a show focussed on the key protagonists at pirate radio station Kurupt FM.

Emma Rasmussen, Natasha Velyn Goldup, and Heather Darcy form sketch trio Don’t Shoot The Mermaid, a brilliant new series of comedy sketches observing the modern world of dating and social media.

People Just Do Nothing and Don’t Shoot The Mermaid are at different stages of their development, but the stories behind both shows demonstrate some common messages that really get to the heart of what aspiring comedy creators should be doing.

The five key messages that stood out to us are:

1. Collaborate
2. You don’t have to be a full time comedian
3. Practise makes perfect
4. Find your core audience
5. The value of making it

While there were many more inspirational and practical tips for people starting out in comedy, these are the five points that we think should be the foundation for creators looking to make their own comedy show.

1. Collaborate

It’s impossible to take a comedy beyond an idea on your own.  To film or record requires people with technical skills, but we also should consider collaboration as an essential part of the creative process.  Collaborating at this stage allows you to:

• Come up with more ideas
• Test characters and lines
• Gain insights by improvising characters or situations
• Combine skills to enhance the overall product.

Steve Stamp is a writer, but rather than writing alone and creating a masterpiece that no one would read, he worked with the skills of his friends. Funny friends with characteristics that made him laugh. One was a DJ, one made films, two were MCs. They all loved comedy. Kurupt FM was born.

It would have been easy not to collaborate. Steve could have written about people he found amusing without their input, or Allan Mustafa (MC Grindah) could have made people laugh through humorous voices and skit MC sets with no vision, plot or character story to aid development, and with no one to record it.  By collaborating, the creators of PJDN were able to take inspiration from one another, get immediate feedback on ideas, and produce visual creative content that ultimately would form the basis of their sitcom.

What if you aren’t lucky enough to have a group of friends who share your comedy style?  Don’t Shoot the Mermaid met because Emma put out an advert looking for people to form a sketch group.  Now you can also use The Comedy Crowd events to find people to collaborate with.

2. You don’t have to be a full time comedian

You have to be dedicated to be successful but it’s possible to make great comedy while balancing other life priorities. Most people who want to make comedy are not already working in the industry, and don’t have the luxury of going at it full time.

Despite developing PJDN over a number of years, working with a highly regarded production company, and filming a pilot with the BBC, Steve Stamp didn’t quit the day job until the first full BBC series was commissioned.

The Mermaids are the same. In fact they are still making critically acclaimed sketches and growing their audience while doing full time jobs.

Both Steve and The Mermaids utilised the free time they did have by building a routine into their weekends, meeting to discuss characters and plot scenes. This really resonated with Pete and I as we had a similar experience writing and filming a teaser for our sitcom script during weekends and holidays.

Be resourceful and use the tools at your disposal. Emma Rasmussen has produced professional looking sketches for Don’t Shoot The Mermaid using iMovie.  When additional support is required with the filming, The Mermaids have called upon people they know or have hired people at a low rate to work as additional cameramen.  If someone can give you access to a venue, equipment, actors or props, take advantage of it!

3. Practise makes perfect

It is vital to take action on your ideas.  Not only does this show a portfolio of material, it develops your skills and your project.  It is part of the learning process.  There’s no point working for months to refine your script before you take the idea off the page and play with it. If you incorporate the ‘making’ of your comedy into the creative process, you will learn quickly what works, and you will get better at production.

By the time People Just Do Nothing was picked up by independent production company Roughcut TV, they had a bank of material they had filmed themselves. It wasn’t all top quality, but the fact that they had practised and showcased the characters in different scenarios meant they had enough good material to put a great pitch together. And that’s what happened. Roughcut took the best bits of the People Just Do Nothing webisodes and sent it to the BBC. Next thing they knew they had a series on BBC3.

The Mermaids make one sketch at a time, and try to make them as often as possible.  This enables them to learn and develop each time.  Each sketch stands alone as being funny and well produced, but as they learn and get access to greater production resources (by virtue of evidencing their quality) they can be more ambitious.  Their first sketch ‘Champagne and a Shit Sandwich‘ is simple to produce, using one fixed camera.  More recently they made ‘Does this mean we’re going to have sex?‘, a far more challenging but superbly executed sketch. The skill and experience required to make a content like this can only be gained through practise.

4. Find your core audience

Roughcut TV were able to find PJDN because they had built a YouTube following and word of mouth was spreading. Roughcut could see from number of views, comments, and posts about the show that people liked it, and that the early fans were really engaged with the content. Finding and demonstrating your core audience allows you to get feedback and suggestions from engaged viewers, and to prove that:

• The show has strong appeal to at least a very specific audience, and is therefore likely to have potential to appeal to a wider audience if given the right platform
• You are serious about your project and are not looking for someone else to do all the work building an audience

5. The value of making it

What stood out to us when watching the original People Just Do Nothing footage was how similar the characters and the Kurupt FM ‘world’ was in the early days and by series 2 on the BBC. Even the cast is the same, with only one or two additions to help develop the storyline. When pressed by Comedy Crowders about BBC interference, Steve had very few examples of how they had changed the creative content.

This is a far cry from stories of writers pitching a script to a broadcasting company, receiving a positive response, and then seeing the creative content completely changed. So why did this happen for PJDN? Even Steve admitted he did not expect it, and at best thought he may be able to demonstrate enough skill to get a job as a writer on something else with the BBC.

The reason is that they had already created the world. The characters were written specifically for the actors, who had mastered their roles and were bought into the process through collaboration from the start. The core fan base was in place and ready to see more. A commitment had been demonstrated from the creative team. It was possible for Steve and his fellow creators to clearly show their vision.

Making it yourself does not mean writing a full 6 part series of sitcom scripts and shooting an entire episode to match the plot. In his excellent podcast “Sitcom Geeks” James Cary often discourages people from making their own show because “it will never look as good as a professional production”. We agree with James in so far as what you make will probably not look as good as a professional product (although Don’t Shoot The Mermaid sketches actually do!).  The point is to practise and experiment enough to develop your characters and comedy style, learning and taking feedback as you go along, and ultimately being in a position to showcase your comedy.

To make sure you stay up to date with the latest opportunities and insights in the world of comedy, join thousands of creators and fans receiving our free weekly newsletter.

Here’s a quote from the Channel 4 comedy commissioning website:

“Individual talent or emergent writers will inevitably need the backing of a production company. A fantastic script is the first crucial stage in making a great show, but you’ll also need skilful casting, production, direction and post-production. The production company and you can then pitch the idea, as a full package, to the Commissioning Editors. Channel 4 cannot accept unsolicited scripts from members of the public.”

We cannot accept unsolicited scripts. How many times have you read that? We know its frustrating. We’ve been there ourselves as aspiring writers.

But its important to say at this point there is one part of the statement we completely agree with. The casting, direction, production and post-production are just as important as the writing to the quality of a finished product. This is evidently true. If there is a comedy show you particularly like you may well have read the script book for it with the actors and scenes you are so familiar with already in mind. Try reading it again with different characters in mind or from the perspective of someone who hasn’t watched the show (we know this is hard to do!). It can feel like a completely different production.

So going back to the statement, lets think about what Channel 4 are for a second. They are a broadcaster wanting to show great content to attract an audience. Keeping in mind the paragraph above, if you are a writer giving your work to Channel 4 asking them to source all other aspects of the comedy team, what is the likelihood the show will turn out as you or they want it to? You are both likely to have different objectives, and if you have only provided a script then their interpretation of that script will inevitably be different from yours. Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant parody this brilliantly in the sitcom Extras when Ricky’s character Andy Millman works with the BBC to produce his comedy script and he ends up hating the final product. A broadcasting company are also looking for confirmation that a show can attract an audience. You cannot prove this with a script alone, but you can demonstrate views and shares for a video.

Where we disagree with Channel 4’s statement is when they say you need the backing of a production company before developing a product. Many examples show this isn’t true, and looking for a production company you don’t know with no track record to back up your script is very unlikely to happen or be successful. Sticking with the Ricky Gervais Steve Merchant theme, lets briefly explore how The Office was developed.

Ricky and Steve worked together at a London radio station XFM in the late 90s. Ricky invented a “Seedy boss” character while working on the show and Steve went to work at the BBC and did a course for trainee TV producers. Part of the course was producing a piece of work from a one-day video shoot. So Ricky and Steve got together to write and film a short documentary about the delusional boss they called David Brent. A first rough cut of The Office was filmed where Ricky used to work at the University of London Union, and it was this material that was identified as having potential by the BBC.

The point here is that Ricky and Steve didn’t just write a script. They combined writing, production, direction and acting skills to film simple scenes involving one main character. Suddenly people could envisage the final product they had in mind.

If you are starting out in comedy the best way to learn is by doing. You may not have all the skills at the moment, but you can practise making comedy scenes if you start simple. Here’s another blog from us with a few tips on how to get started.

Its also really important to find the right people to work with. You don’t need a huge team to start developing your comedy, but you also can’t do it alone. That’s where The Comedy Crowd comes in. On our platform you can find writers, performers, filmmakers, and fans all interested in comedy and keen to get involved.

So if you want to make a comedy show, find your small, like minded team, start simple, practise making short scenes, respond to feedback from an engaged early audience, and show Channel 4 what they really want to see.

This week we wanted to share 7 great comedy websites that are useful for writers.  In doing so we took the opportunity to contact the creators to ask them to give one piece of advice to our comedy creators.

Beyond the Joke – Bruce Dessau

“Whether you are writing stand-up material, jokes for panel shows or sitcom scripts if your writing is going to be performed don’t just read what you have written to yourself. Read it out loud in front of people or, even better, get somebody else to read it out. It can be painful but hearing your words is one of the best ways of knowing if they are actually funny and make sense. Be prepared to take feedback. However naturally talented you are, however hard you work, be willing to take on board what others say. Reject advice at your peril.”

Bruce Dessau is the comedy critic of the London Evening Standard.  On Beyond the Joke he posts news, reviews, and opinion pieces on all things comedy.  We enjoy reading his superbly written reviews which will resonate with anybody who enjoys intelligent, distinctive comedy. Visit site

Foot in the Door – Matt Tiller

“It’s really hard to give one piece of advice, but the key thing for a comedy writer to discover is whether or not their material makes people laugh. Not your mum or your best mate but genuine, anonymous people. Does it work in front of an audience? Does it actually contain funny lines and/or physical and visual gags rather than just the idea of something that could be funny? Truly knowing this rather than assuming it can give you confidence to pursue a project and if a script is funny then industry people are more likely to want to develop it despite any other flaws in structure etc. It could be great structurally or a brilliant concept but if the writing isn’t enjoyable to read, watch performed live or filmed then it’s not going to go anywhere.”

Matt Tiller is a TV writer and producer whose ‘Foot in the Door’ blog is full of entertaining and useful insights about navigating the comedy industry.  Matt also writes and performs comedy songs like this:

Visit site

Sitcom Geek – James Cary

“Write Stuff Down – As you live your life, make a note of things that happen as you go, especially unique experiences or near misses. The very act of writing it down probably means you’ll never need to refer to it again. Then, when you’re trying to think of a sitcom plot in a particular area, you’ve got ready made anecdotes to draw on.”

James Cary is a comedy writer for BBC TV and Radio.  His blog, and accompanying podcast, Sitcom Geeks, focus on the craft of sitcom writing, and really are a must read/listen for anybody writing comedy. Visit site

Bang2write – Lucy V Hay

“Funny dialogue is obviously very important in comedy writing, but just as important (possibly even more so) are good VISUALS. Good physical comedy – slapstick the most obvious, but not the only tool in a comedy writer’s Arsenal – plus other elements like farce are madly underused in spec scripts. Instead I will receive chains of spoken gags. Some may be hilarious, but as in all screenwriting, characters are what they DO. Whilst we may remember characters like Homer Simpson for his catchphrases, we LOVE him for his madcap antics. Doh!”

Lucy V Hay is the head reader for the London Screenwriter’s festival.  Her website, Bang2write, provides writers with practical writing tips.  We really like how direct and actionable her advice is. Visit site

So it Goes – John Fleming

“Don’t write for a gigantic audience. Imagine you are talking to one person and being read or watched by one person.”

John Fleming has been a writer, producer and director in the UK comedy industry for 25 years.   He organises the Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival, puts out a weekly podcast – ‘The Grouchy Club’ and writes a fantastically unorthodox blog on the comedy industry.  Visit site

Jan McInnes’ Comedy Writing Blog

“My best comedy writing advice is to ASK QUESTIONS. Run through the who-what-when-where-why-how of any subject your’e trying to write on. This makes you come up with funny answers. . .which can be turned into punchlines. For example, just yesterday I was doing an event in which the person working the spotlight switched it off during one of the speakers’ presentations. We had a lot of laughs that night, when we started asking “why would you switch the spotlight off?” To me, questions are the key to finding the funny.”

Jan McInnes is a successful U.S. comedy writer.  In this blog she gives advice on how to find and use humour in any situation – in fact the advice she gives is aimed at anybody who wants to improve their communication.  We think her blogs are a useful guide to writers in understanding the mechanics of comedy.  Jan has written a book on the subject – Finding The Funny Fast: How to Create Quick Humor to Connect with Clients, Coworkers and Crowds

Visit site

Writers helping writers – Angela Ackerman

“One of the best tools in a writer’s arsenal when it comes to bringing humor to the page is a perfectly placed metaphor or simile. In just a few well-chosen words, you can paint a rich, ironic image that immediately distills your comedic idea to readers. Make sure to take your time when choosing a comparison, steering clear of well-used or clichéd pairings, and dig until you find something fresh, bitingly accurate, and unforgettable.”

Writers helping writers is a site aimed at supporting writers in all genres.  There is no particular focus on comedy but it has some great tools and resources.  It’s especially useful for working on creating rich, believable characters such as the Character Pyramid Tool. Visit site

Have we missed any out?  Any sites you find useful as a writer?  Let us know in the comments below.

Nish Kumar is the host of Newsjack, a comedy radio show on BBC4 where you provide the sketches. Check out his video explaining more.

Full submission guidelines can be found here

Sketch, Please! is an open forum for writers and performers to take part in a monthly comedy sketch show. Send your script and the guys at Podcast Adventures will produce, perform and record the script for the world to hear on their monthly podcast! You also have the chance to record the show as a performer.

Here are the submission guidelines:

WRITERS

There are several segments to submit for.

1. Sketches: A straight up, radio-play comedy sketch for a cast of up to 2 men and 2 women. Keep them short and sweet. 2-3 minutes of mirth per sketch.
2. Soapbox Monologues: A 2 minute character monologue. Maybe topical? Maybe with a celebrity? Definitely fun!
3. Answers Corner: Dealing with one of life’s big questions? Rubbish at being a human being? Submit a question to our Answers Corner and receive some unsound advice from our aunt in agony.
4. The News As You Know It: Got a fun view on current affairs? Submit a report (satirical or otherwise) to our news programme.

Just email your sketch with the title Sketch: <Insert Title Here> to mail@podcastadventures.com specifying in the message which segment you are submitting to.

PERFORMERS

Would you like to take part in the recording of Sketch, Please? Be you a writer, voice actor or comedian, send your info with the title Performer: <Your Name Here> to mail@podcastadventures.com and we’ll be in touch if we have right role for you!

NEXT DEADLINE – MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY 28TH FEBRUARY

This is a rallying cry to all comedy creators to think innovatively.

So many TV comedies, particularly in the UK, fall into the category of the ‘stand-up written sitcom’ – a comedian with an established profile gets bored of the panel show scene and decides to spread their creative wings. Except they don’t. They simply perform the exact same exercise we all did in English Lit class – take a product in one genre and convert it to another – observational comedy to sitcom. So naturally they’re the main character, and seeing as most of their material is based around everyday observation or personal experience so is the script. The situations are real world and relatable. There are a few good gags in there and the main character feels authentic because its only a slightly exaggerated version of the comedian themselves. Its usually well crafted even if it’s clear when a stand-up line has been crowbarred in…

As creators, let’s think more creatively and explore the opportunities comedy affords. Here’s my thoughts on how:

1. Good comedy does not have to be ‘realistic’, it has to be authentic. There’s a big difference. The easiest way to engage an audience is by presenting situations that they relate to. However, the key to this working as comedy is not in the actual physical situation the characters find themselves in, but the behaviour and interaction of the characters. Observational comics use situations we all recognise, but what makes them funny is that we felt the same way about them, not simply that it happened to us. If your characters are authentic (i.e. they react logically within the rules you define, see 2.) you are free to experiment with human behaviours outside ‘real’ situations. Consider taking relatable characteristics outside of relatable arenas and you open up a lot more possibilities.

2. Define your rules and be disciplined. Fictional worlds or situations need rules, its just that they don’t have to be the same as here on planet Earth. You need to define what these are and be consistent to them. They might relate to the physical world, to a character, or to the format of the creation. In the video below (4.59) Chuck Jones talks about the way he applied these rules to the Looney Tunes cartoons.

If you decide your rules, and your characters act authentically within them, you are free to be creative with your setting. Red Dwarf is a great example of a show that created a fantasy world, but also had clearly defined restrictions for each character.

3. Play with format. We can get trapped into a linear way of thinking about situation comedy – try something different in structure or presentation. Play around with time – maybe even give your character the ability to rewind or fast forward. How about telling your story from a different perspective, like Peep Show, which broke the mould by using the inner dialogue of the characters.

Why not break away from the traditional narrative approach and create a new structure for the show, like Review, where the character presents a show in which he must review life experiences suggested by viewers.

These are some of our ideas on how to think differently. Often innovation is about taking a base idea and being willing to explore different ways of executing it for best effect.

What do you think?  Let us know by leaving a comment.

Many people dream of writing comedy as a career, but very few do it straight out of school.   What if you want to write but have a job to work around?  Realistically you aren’t going to be handing in your notice immediately so here’s 5 tips to make it work.

1. Keep an ideas book with you.  A notebook is a great way to keep track of all the little sparks of inspiration you get during the day.  We’ve all had moments in which we mentally bookmark – ‘He could make a great comedy character’, ‘That situation would have made a funny sketch’.  We tell ourselves we should develop them when we next have some time off.  The reality is that we rarely do, because we’re busy and our minds aren’t built that way. Try keeping a notebook, scribble down your thoughts as they happen, and review them once a week.  You’re likely to find that you start observing more keenly than you did before…
2. Enjoy being in the ‘everyday’.  At its core, all good comedy understands human behaviour.  While working you’re more likely to be exposed to those regular encounters that enhance your understanding of people – what motivates people to do what they do?  Sometimes the more mundane the environment, the more genuine and interesting the behaviour. You’re also more likely to experience a diverse range of emotions yourself while you have varied pursuits, and your writing will be all the richer for it.
3. Take advantage whenever you’re in the zone.  It’s logical to set aside time in your schedule to write, but writing is not a linear activity.  Writing productivity fluctuates far more than most other tasks, so be prepared that you’ll have days when you can’t seem to thread it together and don’t let it get you down.  There are things you can do to improve your chances – it helps to do whatever gets you in a good mood (humans are far more creative when happy) – but it’s not an exact science.  If other work can wait (it usually can) take advantage of those times when you are ‘in the zone’ and the ideas are flowing, and even if you can’t – get them written down! (see 1)
4. Learn to write anytime/anywhere.  We all have our favourite places to write.  Some have a quiet room at home, others prefer the coffee shop – we tend to seek out the same place once we associate it with our best work. Unfortunately, writers with a day job don’t have the luxury of heading to this place whenever they get the time.  Learn to write whenever and wherever you get the chance – on the bus, in the waiting room, in the park on your lunch break – you will get more done and you might just find your writing improves with new stimuli.  I get a buzz whenever I write somewhere new or at an unusual point of the day.  It feels like a bonus, or even like I’m stealing time…
5. Don’t be an island.  The writer’s existence is often solitary.  Many like it that way, but the fact is that yours is only one biased opinion on whether your work is funny.  Seek out others who share your style of comedy to bounce your ideas off, and ask for feedback (try to avoid people who won’t want to offend).  You don’t always have to show someone a script, try out an idea on them, play one of your characters and mess around if that’s your style.  If you’re writing around a day job, you don’t want to be wasting time with a dud idea – test things quickly and be prepared to change it or move on – don’t wait until you’ve written a whole script to find out the premise isn’t as funny to others as to you.

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