How To Get and Keep Writing Jobs
So, I’ve been fortunate enough over the past few years to have gotten a fair amount of comedy writing jobs. Some have been freelance, others have been more permanent, all have been awesome. Lately, friends and people I coach have been asking me for advice on how to get these jobs, and I figured, what better way to talk about writing jobs than by writing about it. So here goes, my top tips for getting and keeping writing jobs. Feel free to take it or leave it as you see fit. It’s not like I’m Diablo Cody or anything. Also, I wonder what Diablo Cody is up to these days.
1. Get Yourself In a Community
So I happen to be a member of a comedy community. I’ve taken classes at UCB Theater and iO West. I was on a Maude team (one of the house sketch writing teams) at UCB, am on a main stage iO sketch team, coach and direct a sketch team at iO, direct a monthly show at UCB, and am in a very long running indie improv group. Every single one of my writing jobs has come out of this community and my contacts within it. It’s also just a great place to try out ideas, fine tune scripts, and get instant feedback from peers attempting to do the same thing you are, which, as we all know, is writing jokes about poop and farts for a living.
2. Do Stuff In That Community, & Don’t Limit Yourself To One Theater
The easiest way to get writing jobs is to be referred for one by someone you know. The easiest way to get to know people is by doing things in the comedy community that you’re a part of. This means form teams, apply to get on teams, do bit shows and open submission shows like Not Too Shabby at UCB or Go Sketch Yourself at iO. The more things you do, the more people will think of you when it comes time to hook people up with gigs. Doing stuff at more than one theater exposes you to more people, and, perhaps more importantly, to different kinds of comedy. Not every job you take will be the same, and versatility is key to nailing that gig you snag, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you only need to do stuff at one place. Yes, sometimes this works, but more experience is never going to HURT you, so why not try getting in at multiple comedy theaters. UCB, Miles Stroth Workshop, The Clubhouse, iO, Groundlings, Nerdist, Second City, they’re all good for different reasons, and all offer opportunities to broaden your writing spectrum.
3. Be Nice From Day One. To Everyone.
This is, in my opinion, the most important item on this list. I’ve had the opportunity to refer a lot of people for a lot of jobs. You know who I’ll never refer? Dicks. I’ve worked with dicks. I’ve been on teams with dicks. I know dicks just from “around” and no one wants to work with those people. In a community with so many insanely talented people, why would you EVER think you would get the job over one of them if you have a rep as being unpleasant to work with? I’ve seen people not get on sketch teams because of their asshole attitudes, and that’s at a very low level of “things you want to achieve in comedy”. Don’t give anyone a reason not to want to work with you. Be nice, to everyone, and they will want to work with you. I don’t just mean be nice to their faces. Don’t talk behind people’s backs. Trust me, in a small community, everything you say will get back to that person you are crap talking. It doesn’t matter if you think the person you’re complaining to is vaulting it. I’ve had people’s roommates, teammates, significant others, etc. all tell me when someone has talked trash about me, and you know what? Now I will never refer those trash talkers for jobs. Also, don’t be nice just in hopes of getting gigs. Be nice because you should always be nice anyway. It’s way better than being an asshole. Be genuine. People know when you’re being fake. I realize this advice is hard if you are, in fact, an asshole, but, you know, maybe try really hard to not be an asshole. It only takes one person to prevent you from getting a job. That girl on your sketch team who you said was a loser may someday be given the opportunity to refer potential writers for a network show, and your ass will definitely not make that short list. Be nice. For real.
4. Ask For Help
If you see someone in the community doing what you want to do, ask them for advice. I’m not saying be that annoying person who bombards someone with questions, because no one wants that, but a simple “Hey how did you get your first writing gig,” can’t hurt. Keep in mind that people who are working steadily are probably very busy, so value their time, and say thank you if they give you advice. Also, put the word out that you’re looking for work. I’ve often times referred someone who I just saw on FB was in need of a gig. Again, don’t post about it incessantly, because, unless you are in a community comprised solely of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, chances are, most of the people you know are also looking for work. Just let it be known what you do, and that you’d like to do it more.
5. Take Classes
One of the biggest mistakes I see in comedy is people not honing their craft. Taking one sketch writing class does not qualify you to be a writer. Take multiple classes. Do multiple shows. Write as much stuff as you can. Ideally, you should be writing every week. If you wanted to be a surgeon, you wouldn’t do one operation a month, so what makes you think writing one sketch a month, or one pilot a year is going to train you to be a writer? Creative jobs are still jobs. Treat them as such, and prepare for them as you would any other job. The bonus to this is that classes will fill out your resume before you have many real credits on there. If you go in for a job and all you have to show is an intro level sketch class and that college short you wrote, you’re probably not gonna get it. Take classes at least until you really start to get those paying gigs. And furthermore…
6. Be Patient
I have had people who have been doing comedy for one year come up and ask me why they’re not getting work. I started UCB classes in 2007. That’s seven years ago at this point, and only recently have I started to get enough writing work to be able to scale back my normal day job stuff. Again, you wouldn’t expect to be a doctor, or a lawyer, after one year, so why in the hell would you expect to be a working, professional writer after one year? If you don’t have it in you to last several years before work becomes consistent, then you’re probably not in the right line of work.
7. Say Yes to Everything
Someone in your 101 class needs an extra for that sketch he’s filming and you’re available? Do it. A friend asks you to help out with a bit at one of the theaters and you don’t have plans? Do it. Someone asks you to hold a boom mic for his web series? Do it. One of the first writing jobs I got was through a guy I met while acting in an online comedy thing he was directing. I had no lines, and I didn’t get paid, but a friend of mine asked me to do it and I said yes. Since then, that director has hired me on three jobs. The most impressive items on my writing resume have mostly come from him. You never know what will lead to opportunities. I still say yes to everything I can, even if it doesn’t pay. The more people you work with, the more opportunities you have of getting hired by, or referred by, one of those people. Also, once you show you’ll work hard for no pay, these people know you’ll work that much harder for a paying gig. If you’re available, do it. The worst thing that happens is nothing comes of it and then you end up just having an experience, which is never a bad thing.
8. Work Harder Than Others
No one wants to hire a lazy person, no matter how talented they are. I’m not saying lazy people never get hired, but they are likely the most insanely naturally gifted ones out there. Again, there are a lot of people in this community, and you never want people to have a reason not to hire or refer you. I’m that person on my sketch and improv teams who gets ribbed for being so type A organized. I’m on top of everything and volunteer for all team jobs, and more than once, I’ve heard that I got referred for something because of how hard I work. Don’t just do the bare minimum. Write more sketches than anyone. Don’t worry if people think you’re trying too hard or are a nerd for doing so much work. You can be a nerd at your new job while they sit at home wondering why no one is hiring them. Once you get the job, work harder than the others there. Write more jokes, come in earlier, be more present. They’ll remember that and hire you the next time they need someone.
9. Scour The Community Boards For Job Posts
Every comedy theater has its own community group. There’s the UCB Underground Network, the iO West Skillbook, the Women of UCB group, and many others. I look through these groups every day, and often times there are postings for freelance writers. This is the easiest way to get informed about jobs. Submit to everything you see that is remotely in the field you’d like to be in. I recently created a Comedy Jobs Group on Facebook, and it is purely for posts about paying work, so feel free to request to join, and I’ll add you.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/730368893721504/
10. Always Have Stuff Ready To Go
Sometimes, I’ve gotten notified of a job the day before I have to go in and pitch. This is why I have a pitch notebook filled with over 150 sketch pitches, and about 200 already written sketches that I can sell at any point. You never want to make a bad impression by being unprepared. Always have scripts, pitches, outlines, ideas ready to go, and you’ll already be ahead of a lot of the other people vying for jobs.
11. Don’t Have an Inflexible Day Job
Odds are, you’re not going to get staffed on Key and Peele with zero experience or credits. You have to do a lot of freelance and part time writing gigs to fill out your writing resume, and that’s impossible to do if you have a job that you can’t take days off whenever you want. Get a lot of good, part time, any time jobs that can sustain you between freelance gigs until you get that permanent writing job you want. Freelance jobs can come up at a moment’s notice, and you need to be able to say yes without having to worry about how many vacation days or sick days you have left at your regular day job. Sometimes I get contacted by people who want me to write up a script and turn it around in a couple of hours. I couldn’t do that if I was sitting at a desk in an office all day with other responsibilities. Quitting a good paying, steady, regular job with health benefits is scary, but in LA, if you’re unavailable, that writing opportunity passes to the next person, and you may not get another chance at it. Again, there are a LOT of talented people who write, and the ones with flexible schedules are the ones who are going to get the gigs. LA, luckily, is rife with flexible, part time jobs. You could drive for Lyft, or cater, or deliver food, or nanny. If you have editing skills, you could do some freelance editing. If you have shooting skills, you could shoot stuff for people. There are literally dozens of ways to make money. Sure, you’ll likely be broke a lot of the time, but you’ll make enough to pay your rent and bills, and honestly, if you wanted to save up money before living your dream, you could have stayed in your home state for a couple of years before moving to one of the most expensive cities in the US and being chained to your desk at a job you don’t like.
12. In The Meantime, Keep a Blog, Tweet, and Shoot Your Sketches
Writing jobs will often ask you for samples of your work before they’ll hire you. This doesn’t just necessarily mean a writing packet or a spec. I know a guy who will Google people before hiring them and watch the stuff they have online. I interviewed for a job last week where they asked me to bring in online samples of stuff I’ve written. I had 10, very different things ready to show them when I walked in to that interview. Some were sketches I’d filmed with my sketch group, some were from past jobs I’d worked, but you have to have something out there for people to look at. I’ve sent this very tumblr to people when they ask for writing samples, and gotten jobs based off of it. More and more employers today are looking at your Twitter. My own is a very sad affair, with only a few hundred followers, but just tweeting regularly gets you in the mode of joke writing. The more stuff you do, the more stuff you can show people. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter if you mostly want to read anecdotes about my cat.
https://twitter.com/GinaIppy
13. Have the Strongest Writing Packet/Spec/Pilot Possible
Everyone trying to get jobs has a writing packet, a pilot, or a spec. Some have all three. Some have that stuff and a full length feature script, several episodes of a web series, and an hour long drama. Make sure you have had several pairs of eyes on whatever you will be offering up. If you have a writing manager, ask them to take a look. Send it to your brother. Ask that girl in your class to read it when she asks you to read hers. Make sure there are no typos in there. Make sure you have the strongest jokes possible. Make sure your structure makes sense and the scripts themselves are a good representation of what you can do. You don’t want to lose a job you know you’d nail because your packet was weaker than someone else’s.
14. Make a Website & Keep Your IMDB Page Current
Odds are, that potential employer is going to check out your IMDB page. Make sure everything you’ve done is on there, even if you have to add it yourself. Make sure every video you’ve done credits you as the writer, and then add that video to IMDB. If you have a website with samples of your work, your resume, and your contact info, that’s a bonus thing you can send people who want to refer you for things. Your best sketches can then be all in one place for someone to watch, instead of some of them being on Funny or Die, some being on College Humor, some being on Youtube, etc.
15. If a Friend Refers You For a Job, Thank Them
Again, there are a lot of people out there who do what you do. This means there are a lot of people your friends could be referring for work. It’s not a small deal that they chose to refer you. If you seem ungrateful, or have an attitude about it, they may not refer you again. Thank them profusely, even if you don’t end up getting the job. When someone refers you, they are telling that employer that they trust that you will do the job well. They are putting their own good reputation on the line, so acknowledge that. I have a few people I will refer for every job, every time, because I know they’ll deliver, they’ll be grateful, and they won’t make me regret it. If you get the job, do an amazing job and work hard so that your friend doesn’t end up looking like an asshole to the people who hired you.
16. When You Get The Gig, Know What You’re Doing
Don’t be afraid to ask your more experienced friends exactly what is expected of you in a pitch meeting. It doesn’t matter if you’re green. Just go in the room with as many tools as you can. Post on Facebook asking for advice, or email an old coach or teacher. Do a great job, be nice, be fun to work with, and you’ll get hired back.
17. Don’t Be Afraid To Self Promote Online… A Little
We all hate it, but it’s a necessary evil of what we do. Keeping people apprised of what you’re working on may feel self congratulatory and icky, but when it comes time to refer people or hire people, friends will remember that you were just working on a project for Comedy Central, or writing a one woman show, or a web series, and know you can handle what they have to throw at you.
18. Once You’re In a Good Place, Refer Friends
This is everyone’s dream, right? To hook up our friends and teammates and acquaintances with jobs so everyone can be getting paid for what they love doing. There is nothing I like more than referring people for jobs. It makes me super happy, because, let’s face it, this is hard. Living in LA and making money doing what you want to do instead of what you have to do is freaking hard, and odds are, at some point, someone helped you out by giving you advice, or referring you for something, or just being kind to and patient with you, so pay it forward by referring people every chance you get, This is probably the number one way people in this community get jobs. Refer people you trust and like and want to see succeed. And, you know, if you’re ever in the position, maybe write up a blog post or two about what you’ve learned. Then end it with a picture of a something funny, like a dog pooping.
