All but the most heightened, rarest of creative geniuses will experience writer's block - or at least admit to it. But how to get past that empty page, glaring, mockingly back at you? That is the real mark of a writer in control.
If you've decided that you want to be a comedy writer, or if you're already some way down the road to becoming one, you're going to need loads of ideas. But where can you get them from, and what do you need to do once you've thought one up?
As a comedy writer or stand-up you may have heard the phrase "punch up, not down" or a variation thereof. It's an important comedy guideline that concerns both the ethics and funniness of your material.
Simon Allen talks about writing and producing The Watch, the comedy drama based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. There's some great insights from him in this piece.
We asked some full-time comedy writers to list negatives of the job. We caught them on a bad day... they don't hold back as they go through 20 problems that exist within the industry.
Treatments for comedy shows can be deceptively difficult to write. We take a look at the common structure of these documents, and offer some advice on how to write a slick pitch.
In this article we discuss ten ways that comedy writers can deal with writer's block. From questioning your characters to the 45 minute rule, this advice should help you fill that script page.
Top writer Steven Moffat discusses creating characters, plotting, working with directors, dealing with failure, and why writing comedy is harder than drama.
