Just one week after leaving my paying job to be a full-time writer, I attended a beautiful wedding. At that beautiful wedding I met many lovely people. Most of those people asked me what it is that I do. Here’s how that typically went:

• Person: So what is it that you do?
• Me: I’m a writer.
• Person: Oh very cool. What do you write?
• Me: Mostly television so far, but I just finished a feature, so we’ll see.
• Person: Wow. That’s great. Anything I might know?
• Me: Um…no. 
• Person: Oh. 
• Me: I’m just at the beginning of my writing career, really. 
• Person: Good for you. 
• Me: So right now I’m going on a lot of general meetings, but I’m also working on a few pitches for my own concepts. 
• Person: So you’ll sell your own show?
• Me: Probably not, but if you have a pitch worth taking out it can be helpful to position you as an idea generator for staffing season. 
• Person: Uh-huh.
• Me: That’s the time of year when all the new television shows get picked up and they hire all new staff writers for the shows.  I mean technically with cable shows are getting picked up year-round, so I could really get a job any day now, but I stand the greatest chance during network TV staffing season.
• Person: And when it that?
• Me: Like June or July.
• Person: Oh not until next Summer?
• Me: Yeah, but you’ve really got to get ready very early because it’s an extremely small window and the odds are completely against you. 
• Person: Wow. 
• Me: Yeah. 
• Person: Well maybe you’ll sell something before then. 
• Me: Probably not, but we’re getting a good response off my pilot, so that’s really encouraging. 
• Person: Oh then maybe that will sell?
• Me: Oh, no. It’s not out for sale. We’re just positioning it as a sample.
• Person: Alright well…
• Me: It’s tricky, you know. You sort of have to suspend the idea of being paid to do what it is you’re spending 95% of your time doing for a few years until you lay all the groundwork to actually get a paying writing job. I like to think of it like attending college again, except this time it’s free and I’m sober!… Not that I was, like, an alcoholic the first time around. Also, my parents paid for my college, so… I’m sorry. How rude of me! What is it that you do?
• Person: I’m a lawyer. 
• Me: Nice.
• Person: Won’t you excuse me? I need to run to that…other area over there. Really nice chatting. 
• Me: Likewise. 

Several minute later.

• Person: So what is it that you do?
• Me: I’m signed up to substitute teach at a local school, and come January I’m going to try to pick up a few babysitting gigs. You?