If I may be so bold, I’m gonna add a little something to @bergopolis’ thread about staffing season.
One of the things that rarely gets talked about is the sense of sheer terror that happens when it seems all your writer friends are getting meetings and you’re not.
What’s worse is when it seems like all your writer friends are getting actual JOBS are you’re not.
This time of year, you’re bound to see lots of social media posts like, “PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE I JUST GOT STAFFED ON [TV SHOW] CAN’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!” But your phone ain’t ringing. So you call your agent like:
You *want* to root for your friends. You’re genuinely happy for them. But then you open Facebook and see that they got a cool new job and you don’t so you just sit there like:
It can mess with your head and your self-confidence. Don’t let it throw you. What’s meant to be yours will be yours. You might just have to wait. In the meantime, grab a drink.
You might even want to take a social media break during staffing season, because if ONE MORE PERSON gets some good news before you do:
Instead of obsessing over things you can’t control, the best thing you can do during staffing season to preserve your sanity is...start writing a new pilot.
Writing a new piece of material will distract you. It will remind you why you started doing this in the first place. And as a bonus, you’ll get a brand-spankin'-new sample out of it.
And whatever you do, DON’T tweet snarky shit about a show, showrunner, or network you might get a meeting with a week later. It ain’t worth the RTs.
And when your friends *do* get jobs, congratulate them. Don’t be salty. It’s a real bad look.
Pretty soon one of your meetings will turn into a job offer. Be grateful when it happens, and don’t let anybody crush your spirit along the way.
Pretty soon *you’ll* be the one posting about your cool new job on social media. And you’ll barely remember the stressful times.
Anyway, good luck. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Anyway, good luck. May the odds be ever in your favor.
