Christine Robertson was part of ±«Óãtv Writersroom's first Comedy Room development scheme 2015/16.
As our second Comedy Room kicks off Christine gives an update on what happened for her after leaving the Comedy Room and passes on her top tips for other budding writers.
Christine Robertson
Don’t worry, I haven’t heard of me either – but when ±«Óãtv Writersroom ask you to write a blog, you refuse that opportunity at your peril!
As a graduate of the , I’ve been invited to share What Happened Next but I’m not the most comfortable of horn tooters, so I’ll be burying what happened next amongst some random tips and observations about comedy writing/starting out – the one other thing ±«Óãtv Writersroom said would be acceptable.
GET THEM TALKING
Anyone who’s ever written or read a character biog will know that they can spark extreme tedium and sometimes tears. They can be flat, dry and uninspiring to read, which isn’t where you want to start when writing comedy.
I’m currently developing some sitcom characters as part of the , and remembered this advice from who suggests getting your show’s characters to write each other’s biographies.
I decided to ‘interview’ my two main characters for a fictional magazine that features in the show. Straight away they’re talking and making me laugh. I can hear how they’ll sound on the page before I even begin the script. It’s a lot more fun letting them – not me – tell the reader who they are. Get them talking as soon as you can.
±«Óãtv Writersroom's second Comedy Room development scheme writers with comedy writing guru Andrew Ellard (on the left). Our second Comedy Room began last month.
OPPORTUNITY ROCKS
Things that entering comedy writing competitions/initiatives can lead to include: getting an agent, meeting producers, paid commissions, a year’s mentoring, experience in a writers’ room... I’d have a much bigger hill to climb were it not for opportunities created by individuals and organisations wanting to find/support new writers.
One such individual is (check out his brilliant ) who offered a year’s free mentoring in a bid to help increase the number of working BAME comedy writers. Amazing. Since becoming his mentee in March, Andy’s given me notes on scripts and pitches that have led to meetings and commissions. That’s one person making a huge impact on a new writer’s career.
This effectively boils down to: “Guys, enter competitions yeah?”
C±«Óãtv's The Dumping Ground
DON’T BE DISMISSIVE
Like any new endeavour, an unproduced writer is a risk, so be prepared to spend many, many hours proving that you are worth the risk. As a new comedy writer, your break is more likely to be on an existing show than your own one – and those existing shows are more likely to be on radio or kids TV, so don’t dismiss opportunities here.
I’m currently on a shadow scheme for C±«Óãtv comedy drama . During the scheme, we’ve pitched story ideas, storylined episodes and worked closely with a script editor to produce scene breakdowns and script drafts. I hadn’t watched a minute of the show before the scheme started, but am now more familiar with the show’s characters than many of my own family. It’s been a brilliant, invaluable experience and not one I’d imagined would be part of my trajectory. Basically: rule nothing out.
DON’T BE TOO PRECIOUS
Accept your script might never get made. You have to be OK with this (stay with me). If you’re serious about writing, this won’t put you off. That doesn’t mean you should write with any less care, ambition or originality – because those are the things that will shine through and get you in the room with people who make or commission comedy, aka A General Meeting. General meetings are like dating. You’ve put a script on Tinder, a producer swiped right and now you’re on a first date seeing if this is someone you could Netflix and Chill with (by which I mean, develop a hit show for Netflix together, then take a well-earned rest in separate locations this is a terrible, dated analogy that I’ve not thought through). My point is: even if your script’s never made, the doors it could open are invaluable. Even if your script’s never made, it might still lead to a paid gig. Even if your script’s never made, a third thing to really emphasise my point.
At the heart of this scattershot blog are three things that have got me this far:
- Write characters that make you laugh
- Take every opportunity available
- Don’t be too precious
I’ll think of a better, funnier way to have written this blog once it’s published and I can’t wait to live with that regret for eternity. Good luck everyone!
Our next submission window for Comedy scripts will be in 2017. Our opens on 9th December 2016 and closes on 9th January 2017