it’s 1:27pm, and I have frustrationality.
when I started writing for the Internet — back in 2003 (seriously, I can’t believe it’s been that long) — I guess I didn’t realize what a “niche” field I had fallen into.
y’see, I didn’t set out from college to write and copy-edit for websites. I had, in fact, graduated with a degree in Film and Digital Video (during my senior year, I was one of only 4 people [out of 18] who shot their Senior Film project on video … I have to imagine that’s totally changed by now). I wanted to write, yes — but for television. except I didn’t really know how I’d go about doing that.
sure, my parents knew a few people in the industry at the time — but those contacts didn’t pan out. in fact, one contact (who’s actually the Exec. Producer of a TV show on right now and no, I won’t tell you which one) was kind of a douche nozzle about it all. I don’t know if she was jealous or something — I mean, I was very very very far from being a threat to her career at that point, but god knows what she thought. if I’m remembering correctly, I did get to meet another currently-very-high-powered show runner through this woman — a guy who’s been in the news as of late because of a certain “winning” individual — so that’s a cool memory. but still, it all boils back down to an unhelpful douche nozzle.
ANYWAY.
I worked a couple retail jobs, spent a few years in production for reality TV (oh, that’s a whole other post y’all), and FINALLY got hired as a P.A. on a network sitcom. huzzah! I could spend a few years on this show, become a Writers’ Assistant, get an agent, and then write my first TV script, right?! wrong. the show got canceled, its executive producers were even more douchey than the aforementioned waffle — not to mention totally unhelpful — and I was out of work again. I then answered an ad on Craigslist (no joke) for a writer for a TV/movie news website … and the rest is herstory.
which brings us to now, and this is important since I know I’m already boring you. writing jobs for the Internet are EXTREMELY hard to come by. maybe even more so than P.A. jobs on TV shows (that one I had? through a friend of a friend of a friend et cetera. I totes lucked out). I can’t just go into a storefront, fill out an application, and hope my background check pans out. (it will, p.s.) I also don’t want to apply for jobs where I clearly don’t have the right background or skills. some people have suggested lately that I do this — but Applying for Jobs© is very different now than it was in 2003, when I sorta-kinda conned my way into that first writing position. high-powered computers scan your resume for the right words. I’m not going to say I can code JAVA when I can’t, or that I have a “Rolodex” (do people still have those?) of “industry PR contacts” when I really don’t, just to get a job. maybe that makes me a dumbass, I don’t know. but I don’t like lying if I can avoid it. nor do I want to learn to code JAVA. or use a Rolodex.
so here I am. sitting at my desk, applying for “right for Courtney” jobs — when they appear, waaaay less frequently than I’d appreciate — wondering if I should start temping just to bring in some dough. I’m reluctant, but I also don’t want to run out of blessed EDD Unemployment money.
my kingdom for a voiceover agent!
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