Good day jobs for writers and others
What are good “day jobs” for writers, actors or others looking to break in in LA? Are there certain jobs that provide flexibility and are not entirely draining of the soul?
–Ron
Myrtle Beach, SC
To me, the criteria for a good day job are the following:
1) It should pay enough that you can live, but not much more. If you’re raking in enough money for a nice new car, there’s less motivation to pursue your “real” career.
2) You shouldn’t work with crazy people. Life is too short. There are enough insane people in the film industry; you don’t need them in your day job too.
3) Some flexibility. You need to be able to take a meeting on 24 hours notice.
4) Not too physically, emotionally, or intellectually draining. You need to have enough juice left to do your real work after hours.
5) Tolerable enough that you don’t dread going to work, but you’ll happily quit when given the chance.
Obviously, the cliché for actors is to work as waiters. In truth, this can be a good choice. If you work nights, you have your days free for call-backs and classes, and there’s always the hope that a big producer or director will notice your striking talents while you refill their passion-fruit ice tea. For almost exactly the same reason — being noticed — many actors deliberately avoid restaurant jobs, on the fear that the same guy they auditioned for this morning will recognize them. Writers are in much the same boat, although since writers are almost never good-looking, there’s very little chance they’ll be discovered at Mastro’s Steak House.
The other classic choice is to work as an assistant, answering phones and making copies. This is what I did, as did Rawson and Dana, my two-former-now-powerful former assistants. If you work for the right person, in or out of the film industry, this can be a good job. But for every good boss, there are two or three psychos, so it’s a risk. But you’ll almost certainly learn more as an assistant than as a waiter.
Beyond these two paths, there are a thousand other things people do as day jobs in Los Angeles: dog walkers, tutors, computer fix-it guys. Two of my friends index books, which pays well but is crushingly boring. Another friend is a freelance business manager, handling the daily accounting for rock stars. And many screenwriters work as readers, writing coverage on other screenplays while writing their own.
In finding a day job, ask yourself what other people always say you’re good at. Then do it. But never stop paying attention to your real career: the one you’re not getting paid for yet.
Articles
January 29th, 2004 at 12:33 pm
What if you’re lucky enough to not require a day job in order to make ends meet? At that point, should you focus just on writing or still pursue a day job such as reader or writer’s assistant? Do the education and contacts make up for the lost writing time? I understand this would change based on the situation, but I’m curious to hear your opinion.
January 29th, 2004 at 11:47 pm
i think teaching public school is a complementary job for writers. i teach third grade, get 4.5 months off a year, okay but not lavish pay, and am properly motivated to want to get the fuck out. teaching can be very drainging and maddening if you let it or don’t have the knack for it. but if you’re highly organized, you can waltz in a 7:30 am and leave by 3pm without cracking a sweat.
i have been teaching now for 3 years and during my off track months work like a bandit on my writing projects. it’s good because i know i only have a short amount of time off. like right now, i have 5 weeks left to finish a screenplay for a small company. i have to do it.
when i am teaching i am still able to write but not for hours and hours.
the only drawback to this profession is that you can often get sicknesses from the kids and you have to get a credential which takes 18 months minimum.
a positive is that kids are generally pretty nice to be around, usually more interesting than adult coworkers. and kids are full of unconditional love. mostly.
March 8th, 2004 at 8:57 am
I recommend re-tipping shoelaces during the day. That is how I met my wife and mistress. It doesn’t pay too well but the fringe benefits are amazing.
Plus, it leaves me plenty of time to audition. This is how I landed my upcoming supporting role in “Ishtar…..the Return”.
April 10th, 2004 at 3:36 am
I think a great writing job, day or night, is a sedentary job that requires very little of you.
for example, last year i worked the night shift as a concierge for a luxury condo bldg. i had 8 glorious hours to write/read and i got paid for it! in addition to other fringe benefits, the pros of working that job totally outweighed the cons (the actual job requirements- helping tenants w/packages & taking messages, greeting visitors) in my opinion.
so not only was i able to pay my bills, but i was able to read/write and when i was done, if i wanted to write more i could but it also left me more to get around.
kkm
April 26th, 2004 at 4:58 pm
Drive a school bus! They’re always looking for people, and the people ou’ll work with are almost universally wonderful (and helpful). You’ll start out as a relief driver, but that just means you get a lot of variety. On a BIG bus route you’ll have a long midday break so bring a laptop to the bus-barn (I usually park the bus at home since I live in the district). While driving you have time to mull over your story ideas and plot points. Sometimes it’s just nice to just hang in the bus barn and listen to the conversations (helps w/dialogue). You can time your big project (or trip to L.A.) for July/August when school is out. It’s a very noble job, and you get a chance to connect with kids (especially on the SHORT bus routes)–some of whom may be troubled. You help them — they help you. WIN-WIN.
May 13th, 2004 at 5:00 pm
Work in a Video Store. Thats what I do. I learn heeps about writing screenplays through watching movies and the best ways to set out scenes and intros’s.
I have been working in a video store for 2 years. Although im only 18 I have a love for films and I watch least 10 a week.
Its the perfect job for a screenwriter and you will most likly be doing what you live.
hey..i would work there for free(i dont though)
May 18th, 2004 at 11:44 pm
I don’t live in LA, but working in a bookstore is very beneficial to my writing.
Writers need to read. A lot. All of the major bookstore chains will allow their employees to take home books free for 2 weeks. You’re getting access to thousands of books from a variety of subjects.
You meet many interesting people in a bookstore ( those who didn’t know who was Steinbeck was before Oprah), overhear conversations easily, work with a variety of coworkers ( those who read, and those who don’t ) and the time you spend straightening shelves mindlessly, and stocking books can be used as thinking/plotting time.
June 16th, 2004 at 9:58 am
Office temp work is always a good option. The pay is decent, you’re in a clean, climate-controlled environment, you have access to computers (good for writing or Internet surfing), and you’re doing very basic administrative tasks. The downside to temping is that it can end at any time and you don’t get benefits or paid vacations….but if you register with several temp agencies, they will most likely keep you working with new assignments.
August 17th, 2004 at 3:22 pm
Pity poor TS Eliot–he worked in a soul-sucking bank. How ever did he survive? Great to know that immigrant kids get the benefit of wannabe writers for their education.
August 17th, 2004 at 4:33 pm
I work in the mailroom at a financial company LA and it’s perfect. It seems like a lot of people trying to break into the industry can be cranky about their day jobs. Just like John says, while I’m at the bottom of the barrel I never feel like I have to take things too seriously. If I need to quit, I can quit. And I do about fifteen minutes of actual work per hour and the rest is on writing. The perks: free lunch, free Interent access, cheap supplies and all the time in the world to write. Not to mention I can get away for lunch or breakfast meetings. It’s good to be part of a huge faceless corporation. It’s easy to keep to yourself. Well, works done gotta get home and write!
August 19th, 2004 at 7:11 am
I worked at a video store for four years and now i’m an editor editing small projects on final cut. I just want to know is it better to go to film school and study get the degree and then try get my scripts produced, or do countless crappy job get the experience and write stories around those experiences?
August 26th, 2004 at 12:38 am
Firstly, I should point out that I’m Australian. We don’t really have a film industry to speakof. Its certainly not self-sustaining, and most people here can’t rely on features alone to make a living. Many production companies are involved in TVCs/TV and even high end corporates (industrials in the US). Writers are some what luckier, once established, because there are a number of government programs to fund development. They don’t pay a lot, but you could – if you were good – get around $20K Australian a year development money… if you work 2 days a week, then you’d make a decent income…
However, I’m not quite sure I’m in the perfect job to become a writer. I’m helping establish a production company which specialises in educational + promotional work for the healthcare industries (pharmo, dental, medical, optometrical… :)) There’s an executive producer and there’s me. I do pretty much everything… mostly cut, but I also have to direct, produce, and occasionally write (because its healthcare, we usually are contracted by content companies which are staffed by science writers). On the one hand, its good because I get to practice all the ‘craft’ aspects of the film industry, especially communication (dealing with subcontractors and giving them precise direction so they get it right the first time). On the other, education isn’t storytelling. Education is very literal, while good storytelling is poetic.
I do find the time to write, but working in an industry which is dominated by deadlines, you can work long hours and lose that energy to be creative. You’re also locked in a dark room (“the cave” as the CEO of our parent company calls it) for hours on end…
Because my eventual goal is to co-write + direct, I can justify this because it gives me production experience. However, if I was only a writer… I wouldn’t do it. I’d rather take a low stress job, with reliable hours, that lets me live life and find the creative space to actually write.
Sorry for the length, but just wanted to talk from the ‘other side’…
February 8th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
thanks for all of your advice. right now I am interviewing for an internship with a film production company. its pretty cool. I will get to travel to LA and make some connections.
other than that, I just keep writing in hopes of selling my stuff so I can someday produce my own films. I have certain actors in mind that I want to work with. Actresses as well. especially actresses.
anyway, thanks for the advice.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I’m actually really happy with where I’m at right now…. more so than I’ve ever been. Of course I am an aspiring screenwriter and while writing full time and making a living at it is my ultimate goal – I feel content.
I am an Administrative Assistant at a Private University in Texas. I LOVE my job. I don’t love it enough to not continue to actively persue my screenwriting goals but I love it enough to be proud of what I do and not feel the unhappiness that I once felt before.
Let me explain. In the past I hated telling people what I did for a living because it was no where near my ultimate ambitions nor was it the kind of job that got a “well smell you Nancy Drew” response when I told people what I did for a living. But mention the name of my university and people take notice. This is important becuase it does help to boost my confidence and I feel that is important for struggling writers.
Also I have now rediscovered the passion and joy I have for writing. In the past I had viewed screenwriting as merely my ticket out of a dead-end job and it should never be that.
There’s so many resources availabe on campus. In fact, the writer/producer/director of the Gay independent film “It’s In The Water” teaches here on campus and I’ve made contact with her to pick her brain and there’s several screenwriting courses offered which I can attend at a discount, since I’m on staff.
One question you might have is whether I intend to move to LA anytime soon. The answer is NO. I’ve had too many actor/writer/filmmaker friends leave here for LA just to move back with no luck. My plan is to enter contest and try to build some buzz. Then once a strong opportunity/offer of representation/sale/or option comes along then I will make the move but only once I feel I have strong, credible and enthusiastic contacts in the film industry.