So BBC Radio Scotland got back to me. Here's their advice if you're submitting work:

- Punchlines are all important, so try to work your script backward from a strong ending.
- Sketches should be between 30 seconds and 3 minutes 30.
- They're looking for strong characters that can be developed over a series of sketches.
- It's preferable to structure your sketch so that it goes line - joke - line - joke - with each joke being stronger than the one before, building to the punchline.
- Try to avoid giving a block of dialogue to one character. The rhythm of a sketch works better in short bursts from each character.
- Comedy is typically built around conflict and surprise.
- Avoid sick humour, filth & surrealism. Apparently only very experienced comedy writers can pull this off.

I expect a lot of you will have the same reaction as me - that a lot of successful comedy breaks all these rules. However, from what I understand, if you want to get your foot in the door you should try to follow these rules, and only when you're established can you break out.

It was actually pretty hard to hear all that, becuase I don't write like that at all. But I do want to sell sketches, so it looks like I'm going to have to try writing two different types of material - stuff I like, and stuff I think will sell.

Hope this was helpful - best of luck to all!

I heard that bbc radio scotland was looking for new sketch writers too and e-mailed some stuff. Was invited to a workshop, but couldnt go, but was told a producer was going to call me for a one on one chat. Which is all very exciting. E-mail 'em more stuff, and ignore advice as if you write too much to order your not going to produce good stuff, just write what you think is funny. If it actually is funny then at some point some one else is going to think so too.

Damn! If you'd gone we probably would have met!

so did you go then? if so, was it worth it? BBC man told me it was more just for sparking the writers imagination, that a producer would be getting in touch with people individually anyway so it wasnt that important if i couldnt go. Was he right?

It was definitely worthwhile in that it did spark sketch ideas based on thoughts we had going in.

However, it was mainly to lay out exactly what format they were looking for (which is as I've said above). We're to submit more sketches based on that remit, and will be getting feedback on those.

It was useful in that sense, and also because it gave me a chance to meet their regular writers.

So are they looking to put together a specific show, or is it just to encourage good new writers in general?

wish i heard of this event im trying to get some of my stuff out there. and grats on been asked to go to the workshop mvstott and symon

Hey Cosmos - I've just been sending my stuff everywhere, but so far only Radio Scotland was interested.

The two shows they are looking for writers on seems to be The Why Front (which I've never heard) and Watson's Wind-Up which you can download from the BBC Radio Scotland site. I think that is why the remit is so specific.

Good to see a glimmer of hope, and well deserved too. I have been sending stuff off to the the company that produces Watson's Wind Up (The Comedy Unit). They use sketches for a comedy night called Rough Cuts at The Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow, where four actors act out the sketches that have been accepted.

You don't get paid for the sketches but they say it is a good way of getting noticed, and true to their word they have previously sent me some writers briefs for TV pilot shows they were working on. Some of my stuff was rejected at the first hurdle, but a couple of sketches got down to the final cut before recording the pilots.

If you are from the Glasgow area The Rough Cuts is a good way of hearing your stuff performed, as I am no actor it sounds totally different when I read it back to myself off the page. The man to contact is rosscraig@comedyunit.co.uk

Finally, did it take long for feedback from the BBC as I sent a couple of sketches about the same thing at the end of last week and I have been trembling at my PC since then waiting on a reply.

Nice to hear the above as I am also in Glasgow. Cheers for the info renfrewbankie.

Cheers Bankie - I've sent some stuff to the comedy unit, but not to that address. Which may be why it's been filed in the bin.

It took ages to hear back from the BBC - at least 6 weeks.