What if you're a fantastic writer with unique ideas and no writing experience, no contacts in the industry and no fancy qualifications? What then eh?
How can we get our Ideas out there in a tangible way? How can we get past the "solicited scripts only" rule? How do writer's without a voice in the social landscape make themselves heard in an industry that say's it's listening but has no way of hearing?
What if you can't use apostrophes correctly?
What if people read 'Opportunities' and expect something that should be in 'Writer's Discussion' or nowhere at all?
Cheers, I'll be on by Tuesday.
Become a freelancer? What I did anyway.
What if someone's a condescending twat? What then?
Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 26th October 2017, 5:07 PMWhat if you can't use apostrophes correctly?
What if people read 'Opportunities' and expect something that should be in 'Writer's Discussion' or nowhere at all?
Cheers, I'll be on by Tuesday.
For me the key thing is to find someone that will perform your work. You'll never know if what you're doing is funny until you put it in front of people, and also producers and directors won't know it's funny until you put it in front of people either.
I say that as from your description it feels like the 'conventional' approach of sending stuff to an open-sub BBC Radio show might not work for you. If it's very different it won't fit into an existing format for new writers so you need to make your own.
In this world of podcasts and many fringe festivals there are plenty of opportunities so find a group of people to perform it or do it yourself. Perhaps find some like minded people and do it together? Or if it works as a solo piece do it yourself?
However you do it you need to ask, how can I show this to people?
Just dicking about, no offence meant.
It's amazing how things have changed over just 10 years. Back then the Internet genuinely seemed like an exciting opportunity, not just for comedy but for writing in general. No one believes me but when I first wrote stuff on the Net I nearly felt like I was publishing; I'd write reviews for Channel 4's 4laughs website and when it was up there, I'd almost feel I was part of the biz. Now it's the opposite - you don't exist if you don't have 35576974 pieces of crap on line. I met a very good stand-up comedian Diane Shepherd and she said a lot of the work isn't writing (she has LOADS of material) but exploiting the media: FB updates, witty comments on Twitter every time anything happens, expansive Youtube channel etc. I know some 'experienced' (this is English for 'old') comedians and they agree: 20 years ago you wanna do Open Mic, they say 'Sure.' 10 years ago, you wanna do Open Mic and say you've got a Youtube clip, they'd say, That's AWESOME.' Now it's the reverse: Just for Open Mic they may wanna check out your credentials (How many 'followers' you got on Twitter? How many hits on FB? etc etc).
SM is right, the work should be performed in some way and if no one else will, do it yourself. I was originally into writing only and cut myself out of the performance side; then I just thought F**k it, I like my stuff, I'll give it a go. Mind you, this attitude has got me banned from one club and co-running another, so what the f**k do I know?
Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 26th October 2017, 7:25 PMBecome a freelancer? What I did anyway.
Yes, but that, if I'm correct, is just doing specific piecemeal copywriting for people. (I've done that myself and you're writing to a brief, not getting your own creative stuff out there per se).
The OP is talking about getting her ideas and written scripts seen/heard.
Twitter isn't great these days, only celebs getting a zillion retweets for saying good morning, but it can be a good exercise for writing short jokes.
Send stuff to Newsrevue and the Treason Show,as this is a good way to see how your stuff is being received, if they use it, then basically it must be funny to them.
As for written sitcoms, there are threads on here re the competitions, open submissions etc. One thing I don't know though and I would be interested to know, is if the winning submissions ever get made into actual sitcoms....
I think you might be thinking of 2002, Michael. Apart from MySpace, 2007 was very similar to 2017.
For me it was a bit later - maybe cos Italy is notoriously slow.
Ultimately I think you have to be aggressively self-confident - not arrogant, but you have to believe this really is the biz for you. You should be writing, people should be coming to see you instead of 456780986764 other acts, people should be writing about you. And I'm not. I enjoy comedy but I can't realistically see it as a career, certainly not out here. There just aren't the venues. Check out Chortle and you can do Open Mic almost any night - in Rome, you're lucky to find one a month, and they aren't really open cos you have to audition, know the right people, avoid certain subjects etc., That's fine, but don't call it OM. The only truly open one is the one I partly run, and that took a lot of persuading.
I think the best idea is to be innovative. The transsexual sitcom for instance, maybe look at foreign markets, podcasts, radio stations, new startup channels like Snapchat? Try, try and try again.
Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 27th October 2017, 3:25 PMJust dicking about, no offence meant.
It's amazing how things have changed over just 10 years. Back then the Internet genuinely seemed like an exciting opportunity, not just for comedy but for writing in general. No one believes me but when I first wrote stuff on the Net I nearly felt like I was publishing; I'd write reviews for Channel 4's 4laughs website and when it was up there, I'd almost feel I was part of the biz. Now it's the opposite - you don't exist if you don't have 35576974 pieces of crap on line. I met a very good stand-up comedian Diane Shepherd and she said a lot of the work isn't writing (she has LOADS of material) but exploiting the media: FB updates, witty comments on Twitter every time anything happens, expansive Youtube channel etc. I know some 'experienced' (this is English for 'old') comedians and they agree: 20 years ago you wanna do Open Mic, they say 'Sure.' 10 years ago, you wanna do Open Mic and say you've got a Youtube clip, they'd say, That's AWESOME.' Now it's the reverse: Just for Open Mic they may wanna check out your credentials (How many 'followers' you got on Twitter? How many hits on FB? etc etc).
SM is right, the work should be performed in some way and if no one else will, do it yourself. I was originally into writing only and cut myself out of the performance side; then I just thought F**k it, I like my stuff, I'll give it a go. Mind you, this attitude has got me banned from one club and co-running another, so what the f**k do I know?
Yeah all good advice. Looks my social media phobia isn't going to come in handy . . .
There are hundreds who probably think the same as you.
If you've got the money and equipment maybe you could film your own stuff and You Tube it.
"How do we get ideas out in a tangible way?"
Well, ideas aren't tangible. I suppose you're asking is how they make money.
Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 30th October 2017, 8:29 AM"How do we get ideas out in a tangible way?"
Well, ideas aren't tangible. I suppose you're asking is how they make money.
Yes in the long run. There's quite a few development schemes which is great but how can a brand new writer get their work read without it being solicited?