Just Write

As a (former) improv and sketch performer (I’ve retired from life onstage and have instead been writing and directing these days), I made a lot of friends, particularly at the UCB Theatre in New York, where I took classes.  I got discouraged by the fact that it’s a competitive thing, this business of show, and ultimately, I didn’t think sending headshots and taking on-camera acting classes was my strong suit.  That’s my nerves and thin skin for you.  To me, it’s easier to build a barrier to criticism as a writer when you are not literally putting yourself out there and performing too.

So, even though I didn’t come away with a “successful” career as a performer (i.e. I was not cast on Saturday Night Live, which was the only goal I could visualize for myself — by the way, if you want to be a successful performer, don’t just have one goal for yourself), I met hundreds of people.  Through networking, keeping in touch, and actually forming real friendships with people (and not just phony “No, you’re great! Call me!” type interactions), every job I’ve had in the past six years I got through improv people.  I credit my blog because when no one else would give me a chance to write, I gave myself the chance to write.

I would write every day in my blog (unfortunately/fortunately I have been so busy with other projects that my own site has fallen by the wayside and I’m lucky if I post once a month, but I would never retire it for good) and hope someone would find what I had to say funny or would be able to identify with me.  And people did!  Well, my friends did.  The ones I took that Character class with and the ones from the improv message boards all read it, and eventually, when the New York-based blog Gothamist.com put out a call seeking a comedy listings contributor, the fact that I was in comedy and had some writing experience got me the job.  The job that paid nothing, by the way.  You should get comfortable with that.

Then, when I felt comfortable enough, I pitched the idea of interviewing a writer for Conan O’Brien, and was able to add “Interviews with well-known comedians” to my list of experience.  Then, my friend Dan, who I knew through improv, asked me to contribute to Vulture.com, a part of New York Magazine’s website.  I had slowly but surely built up my credibility and after a while, I didn’t feel like I was lying when I called myself a writer.  While these jobs pay some of the bills (utilities, mostly), I still needed a day job, and my pal Maggie told me about an opening at her company, an ad agency, and I got that job too.  Also, just to clarify I am not a job-getting machine; I’ve been rejected from more jobs than I’ve gotten, but when I get work, it’s usually because there’s an insider pulling for me.  Like at TheGLOC.net, which was founded by one of my closest friends, Glennis McMurray.  TheGLOC.net has a lot of amazing writers, and I’m thrilled and lucky to be a part of the site, but it’s because of my friendship with Glennis that I was tapped for this and I love that we can work on a personal and professional level on something we both love.

The work won’t come to you, you need to seek it out, but it doesn’t have to involve selling your soul.  To that end, the best advice I can give would be:

1.Write as much as you can.  Start a blog, contribute to a comedy website, comment on other people’s blogs (in a funny, constructive way, not just a “Firstie!” kind of way), and put your voice out there.

2. Make friends with people and use your friends.  But don’t be fake.  It’s one thing to have access to successful people that you want to use as a resource.  It’s another to take advantage of them.  To that end, I also think it’s worth adding that if you’re critical of people getting work this way, nepotism is only bad if the work is bad.  If the work is good, sometimes a foot in the door is all you need to get yourself out there.

3. Work for free with no expectations.  The financial reward may not come immediately, but think of it this way:  Maybe the reward is actually the free tickets to shows you’ll score, or the opportunity to meet someone awesome.

4. Don’t dismiss having a day job, but also know it’s okay to hate your day job.  Just as a tormented high school experience provides a base for our senses of humor, a day job working with crazy/odd/interesting people provides a basis for your character studies, full access to Microsoft Office, the occasional free lunch, and a paycheck to relieve your money woes.  I heard someone (Rosie O’Donnell, I think) say once that she put all her energy into comedy and had no fall-back plan because if she did, she knew she’d fall back on it.  That stuck with me for a long time, and I thought I was wasting my life in a cubicle until I realized that’s only one way to look at things.  On the other hand, Stephen Merchant worked as Ricky Gervais’ assistant at a radio station and The Office was born out of their relationship and experiences at work.  So I’d say that worked out for them.  

There’s no right way to navigate this business, there’s only your way. But you’ll get by with some help from your friends.  Who will hopefully tell you when you’re being cheesy.  Right, guys?

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