You Gotta Eat! 7 Side Hustles that Can Make You a Better Screenwriter

My daughter was a Writers PA on a network sitcom this last season. She’s an aspiring comedy writer and it was her first job, yay! But now she’s looking for her next gig. She was talking to one of the writers from the show, over coffee, and confided in him that she wakes up feeling a sense of dread because she doesn’t have a job, but she talks herself down and feels better by the middle of the day. The writer told her that’s how ALL writers without a job feel. 

Welcome to Hollywood. The quintessential gig economy. Even if you’re a working screenwriter you can be employed one minute and then find your show cancelled the next, you might have a contract for a film but the negotiations take forever, even if you’re staffed on a successful show it might go on hiatus for longer than you expected. I’m not trying to scare you, if you’re in one of these scenarios, great - it means you are a working writer. But even working writers face cash flow problems. 

If you’re feeling tight in the wallet (working writer or not) there’s no shame in having a side hustle. But not all side hustles are created equal. Some “side jobs” take so much time and energy, you risk losing the flexibility to pursue what you came here to pursue: being a Hollywood writer.

Here are 7 side hustles that can work with the flexible schedule you need, and actually make you a better writer:

1. House-sit or Dog-sit

If you love animals and find writing at home or at a coffee shop to be distracting, consider house-sitting or animal-sitting. It can be a great way to earn extra money and can serve as a mini writing retreat. Usually these gigs mean staying a few nights at someone’s house (and usually in Los Angeles, it’s someone’s really nice house). The change of surroundings can give you a chance to refresh and refocus on your writing in a way you might not be able to do in your usual environment.

2. Teach an exercise class

Of course teaching classes will bring in some money, but another huge benefit of choosing this side hustle is that you are forced to workout regularly (and let’s face it, it’s not always easy to get a good workout in as a writer). Plus, if you’re teaching something like group fitness or personal training it can be a useful study in human behavior (exercise can bring out the best and the worst in people).

3. Bartend

We’ve all seen hundreds of ‘movie moments’ where the lead character confides in their bartender. This is a movie trope for a reason. If you want to gain some insight into how people respond to major events in their lives (weddings, a big raise, getting fired, or even a divorce) it’s worth considering bartending. You most likely will be able to hear a few stories you never would otherwise. Gaining empathy and perspective while you get paid? That’s a great side gig for any writer.  

4. Background Extra/Seat Filler 

In Los Angeles there are plenty of these jobs to go around, and they give you a front row seat to the industry. If you’re a background extra you get to spend a day observing how things work on set, and most likely will have plenty of time between takes to whip out your laptop and get a bit of writing in. If you are a seat filler, say for an awards show, you get to be around some of the top people in Hollywood. The chance to observe people who have the kind of success you want to achieve can be inspiring and informative (just make sure you observe them in a respectful way, no actor or famous writer wants to be asked for a selfie the night they’re nominated for a major award).

5.Freelance Writing

Just because you’re a screenwriter doesn’t mean you can’t write in other formats. Consider writing for a website, or a blog that’s looking for contract writers. It’s a flexible way to make some extra cash, can be great practice for writing in someone else’s voice (like writing copy for a brand, or ghost writing for a blog), and will give you experience writing to a deadline: valuable skills for any screenwriter. If you’re wondering where to start, here are some examples of freelance, remote writing jobs: content editor, content writer, copywriter, speech/script writer, transcriptionist, academic writer, grant writer, translator, social media manager, ghost writer.

6. Wait Tables or Be a Barista

Okay, hear me out - I know no screenwriter dreams of waiting tables. It can take away your weekends, be exhausting and unfortunately at a lot of places, can be underpaid. You’ve got to find the right restaurant/cafe to work at to make this one worthwhile. But if you do, this is one of the best ways to observe human interaction. You’ll see families, people on first dates, retired couples celebrating their anniversary, friends who haven’t seen each other in years - the list is endless. If you write shows about ‘young 20-somethings’ maybe seek out part-time work at a college dive, if you write romantic movies maybe look for a more upscale restaurant where people are known to get engaged. Being around people in a restaurant environment can seriously inform your stories and characters. Plus, if you barista and get a gig in the right neighborhood, where there are lots of writers at their laptops, it's a good way to meet fellow writers.  

7. Event Employee

Writers events and film festivals are a great way to meet all kinds of people in the industry and see what kind of content Hollywood is into right now, but usually they’re not cheap to attend; which is why being an event staffer can be a great opportunity for any writer. A lot of times these positions are volunteer opportunities, but the ‘pay back’ is access to the event itself. This can be very worthwhile, especially when you consider film festival passes can be thousands of dollars (for example a pass to half of the Sundance Film Festival is $3,500).

What side hustle has helped you in your screenwriting career? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!