Still plodding along

I used the excuse that I had a lot of work last night to get out of my writer's group meeting, but then it turned out that I DID have stuff I needed to do for work, so I ended up staying in the office a bit later than usual, and read a script after I got home. So I guess I'm not really a liar.

I'm keenly aware right now that I'm biding my time, laying groundwork, and paying dues at the moment. Writress has been working long hours at her new Writer's PA job, which is great, but from what she says I know that I wouldn't necessarily want her job at the moment. I would have wanted it when I first arrived in LA, and I would love to have an actual writer's assistant job, but at this point I have no desire to be a nearly 26 year old Ivy League graduate and still be taking lunch orders.

What this means is that for the next step in my career I want at least a Writer's Assistant job, and would love to have a Staff Writer job. For the latter, I'm trying to get my writing samples written and read by the right people. For the former, I'm putting in my time at my current job. You almost never see postings for Writer's Assistant jobs. It's always through networking. If I put in my year at my current job, and let my bosses know what I'm looking to do next, they'll help me. They'll be good references, and may have connections I don't have. I'll be able to contact other writers I know and try to get help that way as well, knowing that I won't have to lie if I get an interview.

What this means is that while I'll certainly be keeping my eyes open for other jobs, I'm committed to my current one until the summer when the time comes for me to evaluate the next step in my career with my bosses. Sometimes it's hard to be patient when I've been working hard in this business for so long, but on the other hand there are constant reminders around me of people who didn't get started in their careers until they were much older than me. I may not be like Josh Schwartz and get a show picked up at 25, but if I play my cards right and catch a lucky break or two, I could still get there by 30, which is still younger than most people are when they make it in this town.