At what point would you quit your day job? Page 2

Quote: Griff @ February 19, 2008, 10:12 PM

Would one nice earning sitcom series of six, say, every two years keep you in a nice house?

All I know about this is hearsay. But I think that if you were commissioned by a prodco (whose rates are higher than the BBC) then 6 TV episodes every two years might *just* keep you going if you were frugal. Six TV episodes a year would be more comfortable.

I think even commissioned TV writers often supplement their income with bits of teaching, journalism etc, script reading, anything they can dredge up really.

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I'd supplement it definitely, though being a lazy sod I'd struggle. Script reading seems an easy way to make money, even though I don't agree with it.

MLewis need a butler?

I've heard, being related to an MP can pay well enough to enable you to give up the day job!

I got a years salary as redundancy and became a full time writer for a year. The year expired and I hadn't sold a single piece so went back freelance having spent the equivalent of a porche boxter trying to become a writer.

And, 12 months on, that was still the right decision. Sucess or not, I had the self belief to give it a go and I'll never have to think, if only I'd had the time....

Of course, I now have to work to work......

That's a damn good opportunity you had, Steve. Obviously though, it's not as simple or easy as it sounds. I would really salivate at all the things I could with my comedy if I had a years salary. Mostly costs of equipment. It's no guarantee of success though!

I gave up my day job last year to concentrate on writing full time. Luckily I make a living doing stand-up at the weekends.

Get away your a good enough stand up to live off it?

You must be very good, a dead mouse couldn't get by on my stand up earnings.

Quote: Seefacts @ February 19, 2008, 10:14 PM

What?!!

Who are you? What do you do?!

That's serious cash!

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I own a financial advice company. Right time right place, etc, etc.

Have to admit i had these dreams of being Larry David and faffing about for lots more money but it seems you have to be broke for years first! I should have done this 10 years ago, at 33 with 4 kids I cant afford to be broke for a week let alone years!

Quote: sootyj @ February 19, 2008, 10:48 PM

Get away your a good enough stand up to live off it?

You must be very good, a dead mouse couldn't get by on my stand up earnings.

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It's taken me five years to get to there.

wish I owned a financial advice company. Hold on... you're not THAT M Lewis are you? from MSE?

Nope, although if he's handsome and dashing i can pretend.

He's my hero.

I have the option of taking a year off in October. I'm probably going to take it, do some travelling and writing. Although seeing as I'm currently in the best job I've ever had, it's very hard to convince myself I'm not being a fool!

Hopefully I'll get sacked and the decision will be made for me. Naked Wednesday should do it!

When my boss realises I am shit at it.

Quote: M Lewis @ February 19, 2008, 10:59 PM

I own a financial advice company. Right time right place, etc, etc.

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So you don't have a job then.

Ten past five for me.

I've been a freelance greetings card copywriter for like 12 years now so I suppose I "gave up the day job" back when I started writing gags / captions etc for WHSmith, Birthdays etc. But now that's become a day job, I'm looking to giving that up too.

Trouble is it seems to be only VERY successful tv comedy writers that make a great living out of it, and it still seems to be true that the elusive sitcom deal is the golden goose egg. I'll probably be corrected here but I believe for a six episode deal you'll be paid (as a beginner writer) about 20 grand, plus repeat fees and such, (which are negotiable). More "senior" writers can get much more. So if you sell a sitcom and it's a hit and gets repeated often then you can consider yourself wadded.

Unless you're M Lewis.

But quite apart from the cash I suspect we're all here because we like to make people laugh. Which is also important. Isn't it?