I may be one of the few people on this site that’s still working at their physical job and has been since the pandemic started. And yes I’m still writing screenplays.
You could assume I work in the medical field but nope that’s not it. I also don’t work in the fast food delivery business. I should start this with letting everyone know I am a born and bread New Yorker.
The job I have is a “very” New York job. Fire life safety director. In short due to the litany of office buildings here, the city back in the 70’s saw a need for all commercial property to have on a 24 hour 365 basis an individual who in an emergency can get you get out of the building blindfolded.
First responders won’t know the intimate and intricate set up every building has. That’s where I come in.
Even with an empty building you still need an Flsd. What happens if there’s a water main break or if the building catches on fire? FDNY can’t just show up and turn the hoses on. They have no info on anything. Kind of fire? Who is in the building? What is the status of the building-under any kind of renovation and construction? All components functioning? With this gig New York City doesn’t play around.
No flsd at your property that’s a $50,000 on the spot. Everyday until you get one. And no landlord in the history or New York has ever agreed to paying the city a dime.
If you saw pics of New York office buildings during the pandemic chances are you weren’t looking at guards (especially smaller buildings 30 stories and lower with one or two people at the desk) you were looking at flsds.
Guards deal with crowd control and access points, and the general checking in of guests. I can do that but a guard can’t be a flsd unless they have three years of experience in commercial property, take the 20 week class. Pass the two test there.
Then the two test at FDNY. Then get assigned a building and then pass the last two test both though are oral.
It’s your knowledge of your building and what to do in the event of a fire or non fire emergency. This is one of the rare well paying in New York that requires no degree nor do you take a civil service test.
Still with me?
Good.
Because that’s how I’ve been able to do a ton of writing during a pandemic in which I still go to work and I haven’t had a day off from all year.
The writing process is simple enough. I get in find out what’s going on-which always nothing because there’s no one here, lol. I use to do the wake and write thing but not anymore so when I get to work I can’t just sit down and write. It’s still work-so I go through a brief morning routine a little reading of the news and other interest then I gradually get to writing(under normal conditions there’s no time for any of this).
Thing is I have 8 hours to kill so I don’t try to solve anything I just come upon a scene ponder it for a while. Sometimes right through lunch.
Then I come back and write till I leave. Other days I will start after breakfast and then stop for the day at lunch. It’s crazy efficient. Back in April I was printing out drafts at fed ex because I was walking in the place like I owned the joint not a soul around. Midtown Manhattan-even now still doesn’t have that feel.
Anyway I know this is a lot to read but I really wanted to get it out what I have been up to as these are some Tales From the Darkside Times. I’ll jump in with updates on my progress. Right now I’m rewriting a short and writing a coming of age joint.
Seems like a very tough routine you got going there... It's great you keep writing. Wish you all the success :)
Actually under normal conditions it’s harder or at least demands more discipline. Right now if I want to dive in to act 2 I can go nuts.
Under normal conditions I’d have to wait till I get off. So that burning revelation of act 2 has to wait-sometimes the entire day or if I came up with the new info later on-several hours.
All I can do till then is add the notes and hope when I get off work it sticks.
That’s not always easy. It’s summer so I can plop down on a park bench after work and do my thing but when it gets cold, I’d go to Starbucks which is pretty painless. Yet being in Manhattan I can’t just go to any Starbucks.
I have to go to the ones I know no matter the time of year are not super busy with tourists and people who “summer” in the city.
Of course currently I can write all day at work but not at all in any coffee shops. So the problem as things move toward the colder weather will be to get in my goals before leaving work. But I have to say I have never had it like this in the morning shift. That I can spend all day poking around my script writing a scene here and there and then boom-rewrote is done is a terrific feeling.
I'm working at my job as well so you are very right
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Nice! The only time this can happen is weekends which I don’t work or nights which also don’t work. So this is very rare and we must take full advantage.