No money, no honey

They say money can't buy you happiness. Perhaps not. But it can buy you a house, a car, electricity, warmth and food. It can pay your dog's vet's bills, and clothe your children.

We all need money - which is why the financial reality of breaking into the comedy industry can be particularly frustrating for writers.

In a fair world, we would all be paid for the work we do. Unfortunately, in the world of comedy writing, it doesn't always work like that.

Yes, companies - particularly bigger companies - often commission treatments, sample pages and full scripts. But the...