B(TN) inspired!

Pro member Dan Sweryt is a comedy writer and script editor whose extensive credits include Breaking The News, The Skewer, Noising Up, The Naked Week, Only An Excuse?, Lewis Macleod's Wired News, Tilt and more.

Right. Breaking The News is back this week with the first brief released to the writers' list today.

And you can do this!

A funny gag. 2.5-3.5 lines long in the format they give you for the brief.

The setup is already written for you! Every sentence in the news reports in the brief is a feed line waiting for a punch! You just need that to lead to a funny twist which you're going to put at the very end, right?

Create that immediate funny visual image that pops into the listener's mind. Then they can't help but laugh.

Don't tell us 'A spokesman said'. Don't tell us 'Apparently'. Don't tell us 'Rumours are'. Fabricate a funny reality where (non-libellous) things actually happen! You're allowed to! It's a JOKE!

Don't repeat words. Use a thesaurus.

Write two pages of gags for each brief they send you.

Then do it again the week after.

AND the week after! Keep doing it! Not because you'll get on, but because you will become a better writer! You'll find churning out jokes a lot easier! And you'll start to get the rhythm of the show!

And, like I said above, you CAN do this! And you should!

Go!

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Find out how to join Breaking The News' writers' list here