How To Become A Comedian?

Question:

How To Become A Comedian?

I Want To Work In The Comedy Business As Anything, Be It Script Writer/Advisor, Performer, Stand-Up, Etc., But I Don't Know How To Go About It!
Are There Any Courses (University/College/Learn Direct/Open University/Etc) I Could Take, So As To Put On CV, For Example?
OR
Should I Dive Straight Into The Deep End, And Start As Stand-Up, And If So....Where To Start? And How Do I Go About Asking For A Spot On A Lineup(EG: In A Seedy Club, Local Pub, High Class Venue, Or Straight To The Fringe Festival?)

(SOZ IF THAT WAS TOO LONG FOR YA! LOL THAT'S ALWAYS MY PROBLEM!)

(NOT ONE OF MY BETTER JOKES!)

Thanks!!!
:D

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: First; keep writing, always keep writing no matter what you're doing.

Stand up is a good place to start. Most comics got their beginnings in stand up. A lot of clubs will have amateur nights. Give them calls and find out if they do. Get about thirty minutes of material though you'll probably only get about ten minutes on stage, you'll only use the best stuff and may forget your act when in front of an audience and you need stuff to fall back on.

The clubs that allow amateurs are smaller. You won't want to work a huge, nationally known club to begin with. Start out small and when you get a feel for it start looking for shows at community groups, local award shows, etc. You'd be surprised how much work is out there.

There are classes available though most can only be found in the major comedy cities (LA, Chicago, NY and Boston). Check your alternative newspaper to see if there is one near you.

I've done shows before and though I've never taken a class, someone gave me a book (Stand-Up Comedy: The Book by Judy Carter) that helped me work on my act. It helps you develop your humor better.

Good luck.