Also, to come back to your point, Sootyj, yes; write for the live shows News Revue and Treason. They're always looking for stuff. Gary Beard in particular is desperate for sketches at the moment. When you write for these shows they send out a mailshot of stuff they're looking for, it's definitely a two-way street.
I've had stuff in both shows and it's the best education in getting better as a sketch writer I've had.
Quote: sootyj @ September 21 2012, 1:31 PM BSTthough I'd ask the Huffington Posts subscriber what he thinks.
Or he/she might go off in a Huff 
My one big bit of advice is when your opportunity comes around, make sure you have the skills to exploit it.
And when someone asks to see your CV and your samples. Have something to show them.
The Huff's subscriber is the Hoff.
Wow! There are people contributing to this thread that I didn't even know existed!
On the other hand, there are a handful of people posting in critique. It doesn't take long for new posts to fill the page and posts that are two or three days old get pushed off the end.
It looks to me, a newcomer, as if new people discover the site, post a bit, even get a bit brave and screw their courage to the sticking post and put up a sketch or two, or a few one liners, and get very little in the way of response. There might be one or two replies from old hands, but what is realy dispiriting is the number of posts in critique with no responses at all.
If the people posting here want the critique forum to be a vibrant and encouraging place for people to exchange comments and ideas, and it would seem from their comments that they do, then perhaps they just need to pop in once or twice a week and post a couple of comments.
When the newcomers see how things work, they too might be encouraged...
I think if you want people to read you in critique, you need to hang around other threads. Get people thinking you're a good egg and funny.
And then they'll want to read you.
And frankly keep it short.
People have short attention spans.
I certainly have had a better critique experience since I started less and shorter stuff.
But then Sootyj is the awesome.
Quote: bigger niche @ September 24 2012, 9:05 PM BST... what is realy dispiriting is the number of posts in critique with no responses at all.
I think people have to face facts.
If a sketch is up for more than a day and there are no comments, chances are it's shit - and irredeemably shit, to boot.
I give a cursory read to pretty well everything in Critique.
There are two reasons I won't post a response:
1) Someone has already made my point for me.
2) It's awful and I can see no way of saving it - so why add to the posters misery.
People have to man up and take it on the chin - not moan that Critique is dead just because they're not getting the response they hoped for.
No response = shit work.
Move on.
I agree largely with the last two posts.
It's not enough to show up, dump material in front of a group of strangers and expect a thorough, professional review. If you want people to spend time on you be prepared to make a contribution of your own. Make that effort and you'll be in a much better position to ask a favour.
I take Lazzard's point also, though I think it's fair to say some contributions occassionally get lost between the cracks - particularly when it's radio silly season and Critique is suddenly swamped. By and large though, if a piece doesn't garner any comments the poster can consider that feedback enough.
Garner mark you!
Quote: Marc P @ September 25 2012, 10:47 AM BSTGarner mark you!
Just thank my 'word of the day' toilet paper.
Quote: David Bussell @ September 25 2012, 10:53 AM BSTJust thank my 'word of the day' toilet paper.
We must have similar rolls. I've got "here" today; "garner" tomorrow.
Quote: David Bussell @ September 25 2012, 10:53 AM BSTJust thank my 'word of the day' toilet paper.
Oh. I thought you might have pulled that one out of a rockford file.
Quote: Lazzard @ September 25 2012, 9:43 AM BSTI think people have to face facts.
If a sketch is up for more than a day and there are no comments, chances are it's shit - and irredeemably shit, to boot.
I give a cursory read to pretty well everything in Critique.
There are two reasons I won't post a response:
1) Someone has already made my point for me.
2) It's awful and I can see no way of saving it - so why add to the posters misery.People have to man up and take it on the chin - not moan that Critique is dead just because they're not getting the response they hoped for.
No response = shit work.
Move on.
I think more established posters on here, when writing a "miss", get a bit of sympathetic "I like this" treatment, but basically yea.
The only exception might be the 'posts 1'-types, who maybe get no responses on general principle.
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By the way, can NJ/KI stuff be submitted directly (rather than posted on the forum), if the scetch has already been posted on the forum previously?
IIRC correctly, thread titles cannot be edited, and making a new identical thread to previously, but with "NJ" added to the title would look pretty lame.
Also, are they both topical? Or is that just KI?
Edit: Seems NJ stands for "NEWSjack" and not "newjack", as I had thought. Guess they are both topical then.
Quote: sootyj @ September 24 2012, 9:08 PM BSTAnd frankly keep it short.
Quite. A long sketch requires an investment in time, to use a cheesy phrase. Unless it's well funny from the off the mind tends to wander.