Comedy writers are the people who produce content for comedy shows on television, digital programming, live shows, plays and any other type of content that requires humor. They are the hilarious people who have the ability to make simple things look comical. They craft the jokes that bring the laughs to the projects.
Well the job of a comedy writer comes with a lot of responsibilities yet it is fun. If comedy writing is on your mind but you have no direction where to start from, then you have landed in the right place. A comedy show has no laughter without good comedy writers otherwise it’s just a drama. A great product won’t grab customers without a great commercial or tagline, just look at what Harmon Brothers has done with comedy commercials.
For those who have comedy writing as a career in mind or who are simply fascinated by the life of a comedy writer from the beginning there sadly is no such thing as a direct path. While it does take time and work is it possible for anyone with comedic talent to become a comedy writer. If you are good at joke writing or crafting humorous content, then you only are 5 essential tips away from getting started as a comedy writer.
Now you have an idea of how important these people are to add comedy to the mundane, the question becomes how do you become one?
Learn About Comedy Writing
The right place to start as a comedy writer is to learn about comedy writing, listening to people who have been in this field for quite some time. Not all degree programs have comedy writing as a subject in the syllabus. In that case, you could start surfing the internet, reading blogs, and communicating with the people who have prior experience in this industry.
Reading books, watching interviews, and even taking classes or courses is a great way to understand the basics of comedy writing. Books like Scott Dikker’s How To Write Funny or classes can be done online through groups like Second City.
Times have changed and so are the resources. Today there is so much to refer to. If you explore a little you will come up with so many courses on comedy writing that teach comedy scriptwriting, ways to add humor in your script, comedy sketching, various comedy styles.
You need to possess specific knowledge which means no one can ever replace you from the work you do. If you go into comedy writing then be the best at it so that no one can ever replace you as your voice and comedic style will be unique to you.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
Although comedy writers don’t necessarily need a degree, most employers tend to prefer candidates who have a minimum level of a college education. Even if the degree is in underwater basketweaving showing that you invested time in education and are willing to put in the work to meet your goals.
If you are clear with the idea of you pursuing comedy writing as a full-time career then you could opt for writing-based degree programs. In these programs you’ll be taught about writing fundamentals, style, format, and editing. A Bachelor of Fine Arts is also available in various genres of writing, and nowadays many of these programs provide tutorials specifically for comedy writing.
Considering the requirements of the industry and a good way to get started you are advised to complete your graduation in a course that could provide you with some basic knowledge.
Build A Portfolio
Having a portfolio of work before you start knocking doors or emailing your dream job is important. Building a portfolio will help you show your clients examples of your previous work.
A typical portfolio of a freelance comedy writer would include a number of spec scripts or unpaid writing content. Spec is generally short for speculative, and spec scripts that writers compose to attract the potential buyers. These scripts will help potential employers determine the quality of a writer with respect to the ideas and the style of delivery.
A portfolio is essential for you as it helps you track your progress. If you connect the dots looking backward, you’ll see the change in yourself, how you have transformed from a complete beginner to a professional comedy writer. Armed with a portfolio you can start pitching yourself to potential employers.
Pitch Comedy Ideas
This is another tip to all the readers here. You need to keep pitching ideas no matter what the end result is. You will definitely face rejections and criticism for the kind of ideas to bring. This means looking at job boards, Reddit subs, Craigslist and local comedy venues. Even sites like Upwork have people looking for comedy writers.
Rejection is common but this should not affect your creativity instead it should boost you to come with new and more interesting ideas. Comedy writing comes with a lot of responsibilities but is fun at the same time. There is nothing better than taking a mundane idea and turning it into gut-busting comedic content.
A comedy writer should keep on experimenting and testing creativity to come up with fascinating ideas. Comedy writers are either hired for full-time jobs or their ideas are bought. So, in the end, it is a matter of ideas, the more you have the more you can sell.
Gain Experience
Comedy writers who successfully pitch ideas will definitely be able to build experience through acquiring writing credentials, especially when their work is purchased, published, and produced. With enough credentials and experience, a freelance comedy writer might be able to grab a full-time offer. Although you may seek to be a TV writer writing things for YouTube or other digital platforms is a great step in the right direction.
I was hired to write eight episodes of a Facebook Watch series based on a Brooklyn Nine-Nine spec script I wrote while I was learning the process of TV writing. If you are looking to get settled as a comedy writer then all you need is adequate experience. Any organization will like to work with you only if you have prior experience and have got some good results.
Working with various organizations will help you build up a lot of ideas and will boost your confidence. Spend time writing and creating the kind of content you want to write for a living. No one will pay you to write until you can prove you can already write.
If you want to be a comedy writer the number one thing you have to do is write. If you don’t like writing but love storytelling you could take that humor to a podcast, stand up, filmmaking, or even work with freelance comedy writers to bring your ideas to life. No matter what the road is not easy and takes years of working on projects no one may ever see or even pay for but when you are ready you will be ahead of those just getting started because you already put in the hard work.