Simon Hardeman explains how he balances writing journalism, comedy sketches and songs
Simon Hardeman
Simon Hardeman is a writer and musician. He created and co-wrote The Beginners’ Guide comedy column in The Times and now on the net, and freelances on arts and music features for The Independent and others. He has written sketches and gags for Rory Bremner, Alistair McGowan, along with assorted TV and radio shows, and used to be a stand up comedian. He recently released his debut solo album, Tell The Truth, on Inshore Madman Records. He also lectures in journalism and comedy writing at Greenwich University.
What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always written, whether poetry, songs, comedy. There’s always been a need to record, to communicate, if only with myself. I’m also scared I’ll forget stuff, which is why I write it down.
Did you receive any formal training?
I did a playwriting course at Birmingham University with David Edgar as part of my drama degree. It wasn’t that good. I trained as a journalist on the Evesham Journal. That was a bit better. They didn’t publish any of my plays, though. It was mostly obituaries. Thankfully not mine. But there’s a story…
How did you find your first job in the media?
I came out of the station and turned right, then left. The editor was an old-school journalist whose eyes couldn’t have been more sunken if he’d been six feet under.
How do you make the transition between writing journalism, comedy and song writing?
If someone laughs at what I write, I call it comedy. If they hum along, I assume it’s a song. If they chop half the words out and then don’t publish it for six months then its journalism.
Doing several things allows me great freedom to avoid what I should be doing by doing something else that I can convince myself I should be doing.
How did you come to specialise in those genres?
It’s all I can do. I’m writing a novel at the moment, though, which is, er, novel.
Where are we likely to see your work?
I wish I knew, but you can’t hassle commissioning editors too much or they get fed up with you. The column I created and co-wrote in The Times is now on the net at www.thebeginners.net; my own website has examples and links at www.simonhardeman.com, and there’s also music there (and at www.myspace.com/simonhardeman). The novel… don’t know. I haven’t even shown it to my agent yet.
What are the biggest challenges of the job?
Writing for a market. I’m very bad at this. I have the romantic notion that writing should exist for its own sake. But don’t tell my students that - I lecture at Greenwich University and am forever telling them that they need to know who they are trying to sell their work to, either as an audience/readership, or as a commissioning editor.
What are the biggest perks?
Not being tempted to get fat and unfit as the pay simply isn’t enough.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
I don’t know… playing Hackney Empire as a stand-up comedian, or writing the play Death of a Comedian, or releasing my debut solo album, Tell the Truth (it’s on iTunes), or meeting Eric Morecambe, or having a regular column in The Times… or maybe just writing the song If You Ever Change (it’s on the album), which I know I’ll struggle to match.
What advice would you offer an aspiring writer?
Writing is essential, but not enough. Networking is as important - sometimes more so. I know some terrible writers who get published or produced. I am very, very, bad at it though. See my notes about my romantic notions above…
What are you working on now?
The novel, a romantic thriller story of secrets, lies, and identity involving a musician who meets a girl with exactly the same name as him, and who then disappears (the girl, not the musician - that would make the story difficult to write). And some less mawkish songs. Hopefully.
For more on Simon please visit www.simonhardeman.com, www.thebeginners.net, or www.myspace.com/simonhardeman
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