Joan Smith is working as a writer/producer with a leading UK independent producer to develop and pitch her non-scripted format ideas. In addition, she set up her own company, Clarendon Media Ltd. It all started with a TV Writing course led by Laurie Scheer.

Joan says, "The course gave me the confidence to approach media professionals and I believed that I would be taken seriously."

Joan is working on a new sitcom about a web project manager who works for a large but dysfunctional law firm while the threat of being pink-slipped hangs over her. She advises people just starting out "to have self-belief and be persistent."

--William Battaglia

RELATED: TV Writing Courses at mediabistro.com