Comedy Writing Opportunities: How Comedy Writers Actually Break In

Real comedy writing opportunities exist, but they rarely look like job adverts. Comedy writers break in through a handful of routes: studio writing programs, open calls like BBC Writersroom's, late-night packet submissions, sketch teams, humor publications, assistant jobs, and their own work getting noticed. This guide covers each one honestly, including how competitive it is.

We don't list deadlines here. They change every year, and programs pause, rename or close. Always check the official site before applying. For the craft itself, see our guides to comedy writing and comedy writing techniques.

What you need before you apply anywhere

Every opportunity below asks for writing samples. Before you chase any of them, build a small portfolio:

• For TV comedy: an original pilot (half-hour) that shows your voice. Some programs also accept or require a spec script of an existing show.
• For sketch and late-night: a packet of sketches and, for topical shows, jokes written to the show's format.
• For humor publications: a few finished short pieces.
• For everything: proof you write regularly, such as produced sketches, a stand-up set, a podcast or published pieces.

US studio and network writing programs

Several American studios run writing programs designed to train early-career writers and place them on shows. They are free to apply to and extremely competitive, with thousands of applicants for a handful of places.

• NBC TV Writers Program (NBCUniversal Launch): NBCUniversal's program for emerging TV writers, which replaced its long-running Writers on the Verge. Participants develop material with mentorship and are considered for staff positions.
• Disney Entertainment Television Writing Program: a long-running year-long program in which writers develop material and may be staffed on Disney series.
• WBD Access Writers Program: Warner Bros. Discovery's program for early-career TV writers. The celebrated Warner Bros. Television Writers' Workshop, which ran for more than four decades, was closed after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
• Sundance Institute Episodic Lab: a development lab for writers of original series, including comedy.

Program names, eligibility rules and timing change often. Applications usually ask for an original pilot, a personal statement and sometimes a spec. Read every rule; programs reject applications on technicalities.

Contests and script platforms

• Austin Film Festival runs a well-known screenplay and teleplay competition with categories for comedy. Strong placements get industry attention.
• The Black List is a paid script hosting and evaluation service, where highly rated scripts are seen by industry members. It's useful for some writers, but understand the costs before you start.

Late-night and sketch packets

When late-night and sketch shows hire writers, they usually ask for a packet: a writing sample in the show's format. For a topical late-night show that might be monologue jokes, desk pieces and sketch ideas; for a sketch show, a set of sketches. Shows such as Saturday Night Live have famously hired writers through packets.

Most packet requests go through agents and managers, but some shows have opened submissions more widely. Follow comedy industry news and writers on social media to hear when shows are hiring. Write packets anyway: a good packet is a portfolio piece you can adapt for the next opening.

Sketch teams and training centers

Many TV comedy writers came through sketch and improv theatres. The pipeline is well worn:

• The Second City training center offers a comedy writing program, and the theatre's revue tradition taught generations of writers. See our improv guide for its history.
• Upright Citizens Brigade offers sketch writing classes and has house sketch teams; its focus on "game" is a strong grounding for sketch and TV.
• The Groundlings in Los Angeles trains performers to write and perform original characters and sketches.

Independent sketch groups are just as valuable. Write and produce a show with friends; film the best sketches. A produced sketch is a better sample than an unproduced one.

UK and Ireland opportunities

• BBC Writersroom runs open calls for unsolicited scripts during specific windows and targeted schemes, including ones for comedy writers. Its website also has a free script library of produced BBC scripts, one of the best free resources for learning sitcom format.
• BBC comedy development schemes, such as the BBC Comedy Collective bursary and regional sitcom calls, appear periodically. Watch BBC Writersroom and comedy news sites such as Chortle.
• NewsRevue in London, a long-running topical sketch show, has a history of taking material from new writers.
• The Writers' Guild of Great Britain offers advice, agreements and resources for writers in the UK.

Humor publications

Short humor writing remains a good way to build a portfolio and a readership. Long-standing outlets that accept unsolicited submissions include McSweeney's Internet Tendency and The New Yorker's "Shouts & Murmurs" humor column (very competitive). Read each outlet's guidelines carefully and read what they publish before you submit.

Staff jobs, assistants and rooms

Many TV writers start as writers' assistants, script coordinators or production assistants, learning how rooms work from the inside. These jobs are usually filled through contacts and industry job boards. They are demanding and often low-paid, but they put you next to the people who hire writers. Our piece on showrunners with alt comedy roots shows how many of them started at the bottom of a room.

In the US, professional TV and film writers are generally represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA West and WGA East), which sets minimum terms for covered work. You join when you sell or are employed on qualifying work. The guild's websites are also good sources of information on credits, rights and contracts.

What makes a sample stand out

Readers for programs and shows go through large piles of scripts quickly. The samples that get through tend to share a few qualities:

• A clear voice on page one. Readers decide fast. Open with a scene only you could have written, not with throat-clearing setup.
• A strong premise you can say in a sentence. If you can't pitch the pilot in one line, the reader won't be able to either.
• Jokes that come from character. Gags anyone could say are easy to cut. Lines that only work for this person in this situation show you can write a show.
• Clean formatting and the right length. A half-hour comedy pilot that runs far over the usual page count signals inexperience before the reader has laughed.
• Feedback before submission. Do a table read with friends. Where nobody laughs, rewrite.

Making your own opportunities

The most reliable route of all is to make things. Many of the most distinctive comedy writers of the last two decades got noticed through work they produced themselves: web series, podcasts, sketch videos, Fringe shows and stand-up. A finished piece that people have watched is more persuasive than any application.

Frequently asked questions

How do I become a comedy writer?

Write a lot and get it performed or published: sketch teams, stand-up, humor pieces, a TV spec or pilot. Then build a portfolio and use writing programs, contests, packet submissions and assistant jobs to get into professional rooms. Most writers combine several routes.

What is a late-night packet?

A packet is a writing sample submitted to a late-night or sketch show when it's hiring, usually a set of topical jokes, desk pieces and sketch ideas in the show's style. Packets are usually requested through agents or managers, sometimes through open calls.

Are TV writing fellowships worth applying to?

Yes, if you have strong samples. Studio programs such as the NBC TV Writers Program and Disney's writing program are highly competitive but can lead directly to staff jobs. Application windows and rules change, so check official sites each year.

Does the BBC accept unsolicited comedy scripts?

BBC Writersroom runs open calls during specific windows rather than accepting scripts year-round, and it also runs targeted schemes for comedy writers. Check the BBC Writersroom website for current opportunities.

Should I pay to enter screenwriting contests?

Only established ones with a track record of helping writers, such as the Austin Film Festival competition. Be wary of contests with high fees and no notable alumni.