How to Break Into Comedy Writing
There's always room for talented and passionate stand-up comedy writers. It's a hard business to break into - long hours spent in night clubs for little to no money - but when you do break in, the rewards are high pay and getting to be funny for a living.
- Difficulty:
- Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Joke Books
- VCR Tapes
- VCRs
- Cassette Tape Recorders
- Cassettes
- Breath Fresheners
-
-
1
Read about the comedians you find interesting.
-
2
Record comedians you see on television and study their style.
-
3
Know a good joke when you hear one. If comedians are the cars, then jokes are the gas.
-
4
Immerse yourself in the business and establish a good reputation; practice the same professionalism you would in any profession in which you want to succeed. Don't steal jokes, and if you're hired, deliver material on time and as promised.
-
5
Find out who's playing in the clubs and who the up-and-coming comics are. Then go see those comedians.
-
6
Go backstage and talk to the comedians about their work. Alternatively, don't hesitate to send a note backstage or approach a comedian at the bar. If a comedian is in the market for jokes, he or she will want to talk to you.
-
7
Make contacts; one of those comedians may one day buy your jokes. Try to develop relationships with a wide variety of performers.
-
8
Know that nobody in show business can see into the future and that most people, particularly those in power, go along with the status quo.
-
9
Feel sorry for the people who turn you down; they're losing the opportunity to work with a great writer.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Realize that "no" means nothing. Persevere.
If you're working hard, luck isn't as big a factor as you think. If you don't get a break from one source, you'll get it from another.
Comedy writers are night crawlers by definition. They have to watch comedians perform in order to master different styles. This may not be a good profession for you if you are a morning person.
There is a lot of rejection in comedy. Acceptance by one comedian probably means umpteen "no's" by others. On my resume I list that I wrote for Phyllis Diller and Bob Hope; I omit the fact that I didn't write for Henny Youngman.
Related Searches
Comments
-
yukyuknet
Apr 10, 2009
My comment went through 3 times and I can delete It! If anyone know how, please let me know. Sorry about this -
yukyuknet
Apr 10, 2009
My comment went through 3 times and I can delete It! If anyone know how, please let me know. Sorry about this
-
thegetupkids14
Apr 28, 2008
You totally didn't steal this material from Gene Perret.
-
Melissa Maroff
May 18, 2007
Most comedians nowadays right their own jokes, except for a few bigger names who tour and run out of material. If they do buy jokes it's normally from other comics they know or writers who are established or have been in the business a while. Stand-up comics in the modern age normally do their own original material, except in the case of those such as Carlos Mencia who steal. If you want to write stand-up comedy in 2007, you need to become a stand-up comic.
-
Mar 20, 2006
Presuming you have many angles to your routine (or even separate routines), you must read each audience and adjust accordingly. Being able to evaluate the general mind set, spontaneous mood, and make up of your audience (ie. age, ethnic, gender, cultural and geographical background) is crucial. Also, the pacing of your routine is an art. Robin Williams is purposely hyper-energetic with a quick pace forcing his audiences to keep up which calls for more concentration on their part. He doesn't lose them with slow down time nor allow them to be distracted. But, some comedians just aren't their best at a fast pace. Being able to ad-lib and do really funny instant improvisation is an art. The good ones are really funny, the bad ones come off as nervously forced. You have to find your own pace while at the same time adjusting it as much as possible to the audience traits I just mentioned.
