10 Tips to Get Hired Writing for Late Night TV by NOT Following the “Rules.”

I'm here to tell you there are NO RULES in this business for getting work. In fact, I think I know more people in the business who have gotten a job working as actors, writers, and comedians who basically wrote their own rules.

So I have put together 10 tips for getting a hired writing for Late Night TV by NOT following the rules.

“The Nightly Show” with Larry Wilmore Canceled by Comedy Central Provides New Opportunities

Where some people see failure, I see amazing opportunity!

I mean what a perfect time to self-produce a show that has that edge.

If I was new writer trying to break in, not only would I be writing and submitting packets every three to six months, I would be collaborating and self-producing a 5 min. edgy variety/talk show just like the Daily Show with the same type of enthusiasm and gusto that was ever-present at that show.

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What Does Apple Stock Teach Us about Writing for Late Night TV?

The same thing that happens at Apple happens in Late Night TV all the time!

A writer interested in writing for Late Night TV, should be paying close attention to the movements that happen behind the scenes just like a market investor eyes the NYSE or the NASDAQ.

Because turning $11k into $200k over a period of 11 years is a sweet investment, but a job writing in Late Night TV can turn $0 into $200k in a year, because that's the minimum salary for a staff writer working in Late Night.

So a writer should be paying close attention to the Late Night TV market, because drama is happening big time over at CBS.

Don’t Suck! The 9-minute Comedy Mastermind Session

This could be the most important 9-minute comedy lesson of your life.

In the next 9 minutes you're going to learn a lot! I mean a ton! I'm calling this article my 9-minute Comedy Mastermind Session.

When it comes to comedy writing and theory, my argument always focuses on structure.

"Structure is king!" I'll usually say.

Getting to the point and getting the laugh with a strong point of view while saying something that actually means something is crucial but structure is where the laugh occurs, not just...

Conan O’Brien Just Could be a Stand-up’s Best Friend

Doing your stand up on Late Night T.V. can be your big break as a comedian. Well, unless you're Madonna doing stand-up on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. I won't get into that face-plant into a steamy pile of dog food by-product. I think that gimmick--at least for me--dropped my opinion of Fallon's show; certainly with regard to it's appeal for comedians. When Johnny Carson was still on the air. The Tonight Show was the pinnacle. If a comedian could get on the Tonight Show and get that nod from Johnny to sit on the couch, then you could almost write your own ticket. Currently, for comedians and their futures, it seems that Late Night has lost that sizzle... Or has it?
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Jon Stewart to Step Down From The Daily Show

Oh Snap! If things weren't explosive already when it comes to Late Night T.V. and variety T.V. If you remember, the middle of last year I wrote about the changes in the Late Night T.V. scene are unprecedented in T.V. history with changes in The Tonight Show and Late Night on N.B.C. Now things are heating up even more with the news of Jon Stewart announcing that he is stepping down from The Daily Show! What? Say it ain't so! Jon Stewart has been the most trusted name in news and comedy for the last twenty years, while also developing and introducing some of the most talented people in comedy, like Stephen Colbert, who's now replacing David Letterman and of course John Oliver, who now has a show on HBO. And now the landscape in Late Night is changing drastically. This spells opportunity.