Another course:
Tony Kirwood: Writing Quickies - The Fast Way Into Comedy
"This one-day course will get your mind fizzing and give you some invaluable techniques which could help you make your first sales. As part of the price, I'll read and give my personal feedback on any quickies you post to me up to 2 weeks after the course."
19th April in London. As always see the courses page for full details
I recommend attending any Tony Kirwood course. I learnt a lot from his sketch writing course that I attended.
Me too.
Dan
Another course:
Jan Etherington's Comedy Course
May 17th & 18th, or June 8th in Sunbury on Thames (Middx)
Details: http://www.comedycourse.biz
Just to flag up, it's new writing course season. Lots coming up...
Courses starting this October include Jenny Roche in Manchester, Gill Smith in Reading, Marc Blake at City Uni (London), Jan Etherington in Middlesex and Chris Head at City Lit (London).
More info on them and others: https://www.comedy.co.uk/writers/courses.shtml
Meanwhile Dave Cohen's sitcom course is next Saturday (27th Sept 2008). It is a perfect fit for those on you on this board looking to sell your sitcom. For some general 'making it in comedy tips', more info about the course and for a 10% discount if you are looking to attend, see here: https://www.comedy.co.uk/writers/dave_cohen.shtml
I live in Nottingham and there was one starting in September at Broadway but then I got into wheelchair racing and forgot all about it...
Tony Kirkwood offers a distance learning service to those who are unable to attend classes. The material that he emailed me was very helpful.
Kerching! Money = Old rope.
I did Marc Blake's course a few years back and found it very helpful as I was then starting out. It gave me the boost I needed, he'd be the first to say he can't teach you to be funny, nobody can, but it was a good starting point for me.
He gives a very solid grounding, but that's about it.
Agreed, I've done a couple of writing courses (eg Dave Cohen) and found them very useful.
Courses get you started and especially sitcoms ones stop you making too many rookie mistakes.
But as Stephen King says you gotta write 2 hours a day, every day.
Quote: sootyj @ September 24 2008, 11:35 AM BSTCourses get you started and especially sitcoms ones stop you making too many rookie mistakes.
But as Stephen King says you gotta write 2 hours a day, every day.
Interesting that King's book 'On Writing' pretty much contradicts all other books about writing.
It certainly contradicts everything in my "How To Write Hilarous Sketches" book.
But as Stephen King says you gotta write 2 hours a day, every day.
King is rich and can afford to write for two hours everyday. I write for three full days of the week which I think is a good amount for me right now.