Screenwriting : Day Jobs by Trey Wickwire

Good point. I left IBM as a Project Manager to pursue my passion for screenplay writing. But the $ was not exactly rolling in, after I switched to full time writing. I was under some illusion that I will hit it nice from the beginning. But that was not the case:-). Though I have now a job as a TV writer, the arrangement works on a small montlhy retainer plus royalty once the show is aired. So to support myself both financially and psychologically, I have taken to technical writing consulting. I am sure this is only a stop gap arrangement till another script comes along or I get the royalty. Good luck to anyone on the same boat as I am :-)

I work in Marketing for a bank and keep my creative juices flowing by writing every single day... hope to make more $s from writing eventually.

Application architect for a Web software company. I maintain my creative juices by desperately not wanting to work in technology anymore. It's a good motivator. Main drain on my time is family these days, since I have a young kid who isn't yet in school. If I write a solid hour every day I consider myself on track. I'll need that to ramp up in a year or two if I ever hope to make a career out of it.

Wrote a response, but it felt like a dick response so I deleted it. Makes sense, I've put a lot of time writing a dick character today. The Day Job: I also serve as an IT Support Person. Fortunately, my job is slow enough that I can literally write at the job. It helps, and the boss gets it. As long as work comes first, we have no problems. He also likes it that I'm at my desk any time he comes round to check on me. The creative juices come from anywhere and everywhere. News, FARK.com, The Men's Room (Radio show), audio books, paper books, conversations, and trying to keep up with a 16 year old. Oh, the insight to that world is a gleeful nightmare.

I'm in IT project management, I love my job but I prefer writing and directing. I keep the creative juices flowing by watching a ton of movies and TV shows...and from reading News sites. Learning what's happening in the world can be very useful for writing :-).

hospitality, but unemployed.

i worked as a Barista (did movies part time)for 12 years before I could support myself doing movies.

I am in HR/Payroll, have been for over 25 years now. Currently working for a sporting goods company. People are great...but like you all it's not my passion and I'm focusing on the passion.

Freelance journalist and medical school role-player

Trey, I am a full-time writer, have been for years. My last stage play ran for several months on West 46th St. in NYC -- our video is here http://youtu.be/rEJbRV-WeW8

Kerry, I can understand how taxing application architecture can be. Arch. designs, use cases, requirements analyses,HADR and so on:-). Good luck to you in your creative expressions.

I'm in IT as well; I'm an Information Systems Security Officer. Oddly enough, I think the structure of having to write/review security documentation have prepared me for the screenwriting structure. My Screenwriting U Alumni group keeps me motivated, as well as other screenwriting groups I participate in. What drives me the most is my fairly newfound passion for screenwriting.

Foreign Language Coordinator - I judge books by their covers.

Wow, lots of IT folks here. Wonder if that means anything? We should start a business for IT techs that allowed for some writing time each day. :D Thanks for sharing everybody!

I like that idea Trey!

working as a customer service agent atm

I'm a school teacher. I teach kids with special needs. It's a great school and the kids are fantastic. It's busy but not stressful. Holidays and late at night and early morning are good for writing. If dealing with kids' behaviour was stressful, then I'd be too emotionally drained to write daily, but my current job is not like that.

I agree, Dawn. In the IT business, and I'm sure elsewhere too, processes and documentation rule the roost. These and tight deadlines have made me a "timely deliverable exponent" and also disciplined. I realize it helps me to write screenplays more efficiently-assuming, of course, I have the other rudiments right! Like original ideas, for example. :-)

It's much more fun to be able to write creatively though ;)

Great question. I have been self employed for years now...so work from home most days. Management consultant..

I'm a Store Designer. I have worked with many Fashion/retail companies as their in-house designer. It's creative and I love it, but having done it so long I feel I'm using the same skill set for my designs. When I began writing I was using a new set of creative skills and am loving the change/challenge!

I am the Director of the Visual Resource Center for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and I teach Production Management there as well. I write a comic book, "Vamped" and do quite a bit of freelance copywriting. So, I don't pay the bills screenwriting, but I pay the bills being creative. I can't complain.

I'm Center Director at a Pregnancy Resource Center and a Member Service Representative at a Credit Union. As for keeping the creative juices flowing, it comes from observing life around me and from long chats with my co-writer.

I've been writing so long now, I couldn't return to a job that pays.

Another IT individual here. I'm a programmer.

Im a sales consultant at Nissan, even though I spend most of my time writing instead of actually trying too sell a car.

I type medical reports. Been doing it long enough I could probably tack an M.D. on my name.....

I Trey welcome to the show I am a former telecommunications analyst techy myself. Now my tech has moved in a different direction into more of a creative kind. It is good to hear a fellow techy with a creative side! Keep up the good work.

Like Hugh Jackman in Paperback Hero, I drive Roadtrains in the great state of Western Australia, to qualify that, I'm a Kiwi living in Oz

I'm in the lucky position to live from my writing. But what I've learned is not to stay in my old job while waiting until somebody buys my script. I had a whole drawer full of scripts, like most of you have, which nobody wanted to read. I started very small, step by step. I went to newspapers asked if I can help writing a blog, if I can draft text for commercials, I wrote movie production companies that I'm rewrite scenes over night and many other things. Go to your local newspaper and ask if you can write movie critics. So, put your creativity not only in your scripts but also in ways how to earn some money from writing. It took some time but one door opened after the other. And you know the good things is you start crating your writer cv, which helps you to generate the next job. I wish you all the luck!

@Andreas - well done! :-)

I work as a central supply director in healthcare

I'm a corporate communications designer, web support, training video creator, voice over artist, which has supported the dream for several years. I've written a couple of novels, have done a lot of stage acting and some films which feed my screenwriting creativity. I take classes, mostly through Screenwriting U (hi Dawn!). I work from home part time so I have the time and space to pursue my writing. What inspires me are my fellow writers in the Screenwriting U community and the classes which take me to places I haven't been before. I know I'll get there one day!

I'm a contract writer and editor, taking only enough work to contribute to our mortgage and to pay for courses/conferences, research and pitching -- oh, and a brand new kayak. To get in the mood, I participate in writers groups and a winter writers workshop. Love the idea of forming an IT group: instead of WikiWednesdays we could have WritingWednesdays!

Hi Trey, I'm like you. I'm an IT manager by day and I write only in the evenings after work. Not to sound cliche or cheesy but I keep my creative juices flowing simply because I love creating stories and I am internally motivated by my desire to create. Albeit, practicalities also matter. I have a 40+ hour per week day job now which makes it much easier for me to write than if my day job required 60+ hours per week. Also I think consistency matters. A little each day for a long time (years, perhaps 1-2 decades) will yield more results than bursts of energy followed by burnout. I thought about quitting a few years go but that same year I finally found enough commercial success to validate my past efforts and motivate me to continue writing. I've been at it for longer than I like to admit. Let's just say I started later than I wanted to and kept at it consistently until now I am a middle aged man. I will also say that the lessons I've learned from social media have helped me tremendously. Advice from podcasts and Stage32 taught me important things that I may never have learned before. Sometimes it's not a matter of talent. It is matter of knowing what a producer wants and then channeling my energies correctly. For instance: I learned from a podcast to spend more time picking the right idea to write about before committing to completing a story that may take 6-12 months and then get nowhere simply because it doesn't sell well enough in a 1 sentence logline. Hope this helps, John

I'm a paralegal. For the past 12 years I've worked at the same law firm which does corporate, copyright, trademark, and entertainment law. I maintain my creative juices via constant daydreaming and recording notes/story ideas into my ipod for future use. I love fantasy, sci-fi, and old samurai classics (mostly Kurosawa and others like him) so I'm always thinking of my next possible story, the next cool character, etc., etc. I've installed my scriptwriting software of choice (Celtx) on my computer at the office too so I can add to ongoing stories as the mood and time allows me. Like many others who have posted, I applaud everyone who is trying to leave their automaton existence for the more exciting and fulfilling.

I repair industrial coffee machines. Lots of time on the road though, so I've always got a notebook handy. I do almost all of my writing at work, when I get home it's just a matter of typing it all.

I will give you the best advice I got while in film school re: day jobs you need to pay the bills while you try to kickstart a burgeoning writing career: don't do anything CREATIVE that will sap your juices from the writing you do. Work in a bookstore. Pump gas. Wait tables. Don't do anything that will siphon away the creativity which you need to hoard and stockpile for when you write.

I'm a writer through and through. I'm an international bestselling author of six books who now works with other writers in supporting their dreams of becoming published authors. I love to teach and it's an AMAZING feeling to see a client hold their own book in their hands. This of course allows me the flexibility for my own writing. My office - Santa Monica Beach :)

I used to say I was moonlighting as a police officer so I could write during the day. I now write full-time with ten books out. (Most recent book, THE KILL ORDER, was named in Library Journal's Best Books of 2014 in the Thriller genre.) Interestingly, I probably wrote more back when I was a cop working the "day job" in comparison to now where writing is my day job.

Not sure I agree with the advice to "not do anything creative". I can see where too many creative projects can reduce the quality of all of them, but for me, not being creative takes more out of me than being creative. I like to think that no matter what I'm doing, I'm doing it creatively. If I have to design a cable route for a new piece of network infrastructure, I do so creatively. Even if its nothing more than a straight run, its still a product of my creative mind. Doesn't mean its artistic, though I have seen some truly artistic cable runs, but even utilitarian tasks can be done creatively. I say follow your natural flow rather than to force it one way or the other.

I agree with, Trey about the "not do anything creative" advice. My day job is as a creative and allows me to keep the mindset that I need to get my projects done. I'd much rather teach film classes and run graphics labs than work in a book store.

Cali - lived in LA a long time. I think I've been in your "office" a few times. Who knew?

To Trey and Donny - this may be a matter of semantics. Creative to me is - if you're in a band - and write music - and also write scripts - they're not mutually exclusive in terms of creativity - but you're drinking from a similar well. If you're a bottomless pit of inspiration and a font of ideas - so be it. Personally, I wouldn't classify designing a cable route as creative in the way that formulating plot and character and dialogue is - and Trey says he does that work "creatively" which is great - but not the same thing. Teaching can be creative as well in the way you present things to your classes - and certainly teaching a film class can be done creatively - but you are talking about the work of others in a creative way - not creating the films your teaching them about. It's two different things. the prof who gave me the above advice was taking the POV that one has only so much creative juice on a given day - and to divert it away from your main goal - say writing a screenplay in this case - was to do yourself a disservice. I'm sure lawyers who spend all day in court don't go home and watch SUITS.

Sorry but I believe you are placing your own personal perceptions on the word creative and attempting to convince everyone that your perception is correct and everyone else's is wrong. You are certainly welcome to your own perceptions but don't make the mistake of thinking they are definitive for a subjective term.

Trey, I am unemployed so I can be a full time writer (always been my wish but not this way), I supplement income as a copywriter for Zerys.com . I publish on scribe and my website that no one can see because I cannot get it searchable....These free websites you create are great but type in google search and you cannot find them unless you use the link, not good enough when you want strangers to find it....maybe all these IT guys can advise me. I used to be in the financial Industry, After 15 years I was retrenched. My final position was as an assistant Private Banker. I was not properly retrenched I was kind-of forced to resign, nothing I did wrong it was more politics. Out of my entire business unit only one person retained their job. The bank I was with wanted to get a strong foothold in South Africa and used retrenchment to ensure their employment equity levels were right as declared by the government. They are only allowed something like 10% white people in the organisation. But I don't dwell on what was...I picked myself up dusted myself off,took my meager pension payout and went in with my husband in a butchery...right during the height of a recession. Luckily we had an established biltong shop before adding the butchery...added to the recession is a defunct department of trade,our licence was held up for 2 yrs ,eventually we closed the butchery section down and have kept the Biltong (delicious dried meat-spiced and thicker than jerky) shop going. But being out of a second salary I have had to improvise...so I designed ,developed tertiary learning material for a organisation while copy writing online. It has been a stressful time but the toughest will endure and succeed. I never give up.

Actually, I create a film every semester with my students. We go out an make a film together. Granted, most of the work isn't great, but they are learning. So, I am drinking from the same well. I also write comic books and travel the convention circuit, and in some ways that's from the same well. I enjoy writing (scripts, prose, copy, etc.) and film-making (films, shorts, skits, documentary, commercial). As long as I am working and being creative, it doesn't matter if I'm talking to my students about another filmmaker's work, I'm taking something from that. I'm blessed in that I get to talk about or work in the industry to make my living and I am aware of how lucky I am. I say, do what makes you happy, but don't turn down a creative job in the hopes that your personal creative endeavors will someday trump those of your day job.

If I could be a playwrite and performance art poet full time I would and I'm trying to get there.

Trey - never said my opinion was "definitive", only what it is - my opinion. As a matter of fact, this all began because I recounted the "opinion" of one of my teachers in film school - his opinion and advice, not my own. I choose to see some value in that opinion/advice. If you don't, to each his own. I'm not dictating behavior for anyone. You're on this site solicitating the opinions of others - no rules say you need to listen to any or all or some of them. Some here have more experience than others and varying degrees of success. On this particular thread - you're talking to writers or would be writers about "screenwriting". It's not a debate. Take peoples responses at face value. I am a screenwriter. Member of the WGA. Made a living at it for a good long time. Sued a major studio over a purloined credit on a very successful film. Got myself blacklisted (or at least it seems that way according to people I've asked). So following the last strike a while back - when any and all offers/meetings I had dried up and blew away - I took early retirement. Still write, but going back to your original question about "day jobs" - I substitute teach in high school. English, math, chemistry, tech ed, Mandarin Chinese, film studies, special ed, p.e., social studies - whatever they call me to do. It's fun.

@Michael...blisted...dear you! Scheisse!

I'm a traffic reporter on the radio, so my workday is from 5AM to noon, leaving me a few hours in the afternoon to focus on writing.

@Edith. Scheisse is right! Fun business. Not for the feint of heart.

I think there's always room for discussion and opinions. I don't agree with Michael's opinion, but that doesn't make him wrong. I like that there's a forum like this one for people to get their opinions out there, and who knows, maybe one of us will change our own opinions because of something in the thread that got us thinking from a different angle. Life is great, being creative is great, and speaking about creativity from different points of view is also great.

The issue is never in having an opinion but whether or not you allow others to do so as well. I never take offense at someone who offers their opinion and why it works for them. However, I do have issues with those who offer their opinions as best practices. What is best is always what works for the individual. Of course what works is always open to change and discovery and that is why getting other peoples opinion is very important. But if someone says that the best way is the way that they do it I tend to get my feathers ruffled.

I've made my living writing copy by day, playing music a few nights a week. Am fortunate to have a lot of writing work, so the toughest thing is finding time to break away and work on my screenwriting.

Donny - I figure it was a typo - but I like the way your remark came out as thinking "...from a different angel". Would love to believe that we all have creative angels sitting on our shoulders as guides. And Steven - thanks for your $0.02 - adjusted for inflation or net or whatever. An actor turned scribe...nice. I dated one of those once. A model turned actress turned scribe turned house decorator - at which she is now wildly successful. So you never know. Your story was intriguing and it's apparently all turned out well for you which is great. When I started - things began quickly and than slowed to a crawl. The only time I ever self imposed a "success" deadline was when I felt young enough to switch things up and go another direction if the writing "wasn't meant to be". My fallback was to be a stock broker. Man am I glad I didn't have to go that route. Playing the market and losing my own money is one thing - gambling with someone else's...not really for me. I gave myself 18 months - the deadline to fall on my birthday. My present? A script I had written after taking a sabbatical from LA and acquiring a new agent by long distance (after mine had quit agenting to become a producer) - which I mailed to her before returning to the West Coast - was sold by her ON MY BIRTHDAY. Hey - I can take a sign/hint as well as the next guy. And so it goes...

Not a typo. I meant thinking from a different angle. I used angle instead of point of view because, well, this is a film forum. good luck with your projects, Michael.

It's great to have a working (still)husband and a decent retirement check but I understand that' s not a solution for young scriptwriters.Find any job you love that is also what you learned but which let you have few hours per week to write instead of watching TV or going to a stupid party. ALWAYS choose priorities giving you time to write.It's incredible how much time will suddenly appear !

Donny - in your reply to my post - you meant "angle" and used it instead of POV and spelled it correctly twice, but in your original post - you wrote "...thinking from a different angel". Take a look. Angel, not angle. I know what you meant and tried to put a different spin on it in my reply - but it IS a typo. And thanks for the wish of luck (even though it sounded a bit sarcastic to me...), but currently - I have no projects that would fit into this forum. I'll certainly save the luck for a future date.

Running a small social network you may have heard of... ;)

Keep at it RB. One day your network group might rival Stage 32. ;)

A man can dream, Diana. A man can dream. :)

Quality Control at a water manufacture. Before that, biological observation on fishing boats. Long hours at sea are what gave me the proper isolation and drive to start writing my first screenplay, so it certainly played a proper role in my life. QC on the other hand... well, it pays the bills and doesn't eat so much time I can't keep writing.