Writer Being Manny (015)

Some people believe that success in any business requires starting from the bottom and working your way up. The path might be unpredictable, but eventually you get where you want to go. You learn on the job, where you develop and refine your skills. Sometimes you discover that what you really want is different than what you planned, but ultimately just as fulfilling.

For the most part, I agree with this philosophy and I believe it can be applied to my field. There are many writers who get their start as a writer’s assistant (WA). I have more than one friend that went from getting coffee to pitching story ideas to writing their own episode of a TV show. In many ways, it appears to be the perfect job to ensure I reach my goals. On the other hand, WA days are long, leaving little time to work on my own material. At the end of the day, there would be no guarantee that the job would lead to career advancement. Even if it did, I might find myself writing for a television show that I hate. When that show gets cancelled three years down the line I could be back at square one.

I still believe that my greatest asset is good material. The more good writing samples I have, the better chance I have of writing before thirty. I’ve only been pondering the pros and cons of being a WA because writing full time without getting paid has resulted in a severe lack of monetary funds. I’ve already passively started looking for WA jobs. They are coveted and not easy to come by. Despite my reservations, if I am offered a WA job, I will take it.

Until then, out of fear of not making next months rent, I am forced to take whatever job presents itself, even if it has nothing to do with writing and even if it means falling behind in my writing schedule. I call these non-writing jobs, “Rent Jobs.”

I have a love/hate relationship with “Rent Jobs.” I absolutely depend on them to survive but I despise them for delaying my larger goals. I’ve had all sorts of “Rent Jobs” in the past few years. Some of the jobs have been film related. I’ve worked as an office PA and as a set PA. I’ve worked in the art department, the props department, the lighting department, and even the wardrobe department. I’ve shot behind the scenes material for independent films, I’ve shot and edited wedding videos, and I have been the personal assistant to a film director.

Other jobs have been completely unrelated to the film business. I’ve catered weddings, I’ve stuffed goody bags for an alcohol promotion party, and I’ve worked a security detail at a cemetery with go-go dancers. I helped load buses during The Kid’s Choice Awards, I’ve worked as a “facilitator” at pharmaceutical trade shows, and I’ve driven around town hanging up posters for a skateboarding exhibition. I’ve moved things, cleaned things, built things and dismantled things. Though most of these jobs pay terribly and completely disregard my college education, I am extremely grateful to all my employers for helping me keep from getting evicted.

This past week I started a new “Rent Job.” I am a nanny for a 7-year-old boy in my neighborhood. My actor friend makes a living as a nanny (he prefers the term Manny) and he was nice enough to pass some extra work my way. As far as “Rent Jobs” go, this one isn’t so bad. I actually have more in common with a 7-year-old than I’d like to admit. I’m also learning a lot about childcare. For instance, young children don’t really understand sarcasm. They just think you are being a dick, which I suppose I was. Childcare lesson #1: Don’t be a dick.


I’ve also learned that children don’t want to do anything that Harry Potter doesn’t do. Luckily, I am aware of Harry Potter’s likes and dislikes. For instance, Harry Potter likes taking his shoes off when he gets in the house and Harry Potter likes washing his hands before eating lunch. Harry Potter dislikes kicking his Manny in the shin and Harry Potter dislikes using a Super Soaker in the living room. Childcare lesson #2: Ask yourself, WWHPD?

I am even learning to be less competitive. We play all sorts of games, but I am especially competitive when it comes to feats of dexterity. (By the way, “Feats of Dexterity” is in competition with “Stone Fruit Season” to become my band name, if I ever start a band.) Seriously though, from finger football to “Whack a Mole,” I am a sore loser. This is one of the things a 7-year-old and I have in common. We both dislike playing games we are not good at. I don’t want to play Star Wars on the Wii and he doesn’t want to have a three point shooting contest on a ten-foot hoop. Childcare lesson #3: Let them win… once in a while.

I’m sure my job as a Manny won’t be my last random “Rent Job.” Then again, if I can find a way to keep up with my writing schedule while working as a nanny, it could be a perfect solution for the time being. If I could write all morning, and take care of a kid after school for a few hours, it could be adequate to pay rent. But is the extra writing time achieved by working as a nanny really more beneficial than the connections and experience of working as a WA?

What I would really like is to sell a screenplay or be commissioned to write a script so I can stop worrying about “Rent Jobs.” I go to Doylestown, Pennsylvania for a wedding next week. When I return I have an introductory meeting with a film company looking to develop a new project. Hopefully I can convince them that my writing talent is exactly what they need for their film. If not, maybe they will have a young child that needs a babysitter.