Series 16 of BBC Newsjack is upon us, so I thought how better to start the month (and my first ever Funny Women post) than share some advice on getting some of your hilarious comedy one liners and sketches on to BBC Radio 4 Xtra, as well as the other comedy writing opportunities out there ready and waiting for your comedy genius.
The list of credits on the end of an average Newsjack episode has far too few female names on the list, and it’s high time we readdress that balance!
I mean, it’s hard. Obviously. But still. It’s rock hard. That sketch about Trump in a spaceship surrounded by lemmings you’re thinking is comedy gold quickly turns to ash when you don’t get that ‘You’re In’ email of a Thursday evening. But when you do, it’s a massive boost, not only to your comedy writing ego but also to your comedy writing credit bank, not to mention a genuine edge forward of the door you so badly want to be on the other side of.
There are so many comedy writing opportunities out there, so my number one piece of advice (not that you asked, but I’m going to tell you anyway), is to SEND YOUR SCRIPTS. There’s no use having sixteen ‘work in progresses’ and ‘projects in development’ sitting on your desktop, get them sent. What’s the worst that can happen? Just rejection, that’s what.
Rejection is a daily occurrence, and frankly if you can’t handle it, you’re reading the wrong article. On average for every one credit I get, nine more opportunities I submit to fail to succeed. But the beauty is that those nine sketches can be revised, improved upon, transformed into another medium, or, in some cases, resigned to the ‘never look at again’ file on my laptop.
So, in no particular order, here are my EIGHT TOP TIPS for getting those first professional comedy writing credits.
1. Watch, Read and Absorb the News.
Ok, so blindingly obvious for Newsjack, but whatever you’re writing and whatever for, you have to be current. Especially with the madness that’s happening in the world today, people need humorous takes on events more than ever.
After all, if you can’t laugh, you’ve had it.
2. Check Twitter
You’ve written the joke(s), you’re edited them and they’re perfect. As much as we all like to think we possess the most unique and razor sharp of brains, chances are if you’ve gone for the first or second thing you thought of, it’ll already have been re-tweeted a thousand times. You have to know what’s out there and then AVOID it like the plague.
3. Look for Obscurities In The Everyday
Especially for radio but less so for stage, don’t restrict yourself. Think big, think different settings, larger than life characters and absurd situations.
4. The Three E’s – Edit, Edit, Edit.
You’ve written a sketch. Have a cuppa, do something else, then come back to it and revise. Your work will improve ten-fold after having a break from it.
5. Make every line ‘fight for it’s place on the page’
At a Newsjack writers’ briefing at Television Centre a fortnight ago, the producers were keen to repeat this. Be ruthless; if it’s not part of the setup or part of the punchline, get rid!
6. Get in: Make ’em Laugh: Get Out.
Set up sketches immediately, ideally in the first two lines of action. Especially for Newsjack, but a good rule of thumb across the board, is keep your sketch to two pages. Be brief, you don’t NEED much exposition, particularly if it’s a satirical sketch. Get in there and get the job done quickly, in as few lines as possible!
7. Tick The Jokes!
Once you’ve revised your sketch and edited it, I’d say a minimum of five times, print a hard copy and tick the jokes. You want to be seeing as many ticks as possible on each page, else it’s not good enough because it’s not funny enough. Simples.
8. Send Your Script!
There is no point if you don’t send it! I know it sounds obvious, but I’ve met so many people who, for a plethora of inexplicable reasons, decide their sketch isn’t good enough and can’t bring themselves to send it through, lest they be embarrassed and struck off the imaginary ‘FUNNY’ list on a producers desk. If you’ve followed the steps, I guarantee your piece is already better than 50% of the submissions.
The beauty of BBC Newsjack is that they read every single submission; where else can you send your comedy and it be read by a least two BBC producers without leaving your house or parting with any cash! Get writing, get editing, get sending and let’s get more female comedy writers’ names on BBC Radio Comedy credits and beyond!
Now if only there were things happening in the news funny enough to write about…
