The company I'm newly working at is going through some changes right now, and as a result pay has been sporadic and frankly too low. Of course, that was starter pay but still. I've talked to the owner, he said they're working out a handling for that.
Well, cool. I believe him, and all of the other people, they've been making good money working there, so it can be done. But I'm feeling this is the wrong economic climate and definitely the wrong time of my life to depend solely on them for my survival. I'll definitely keep that as my day job -- it's not that it's a bad company or even that the pay is horrible (a lot of people get by on less). The problem is I have, at the moment, sufficient creditor demand that the current paycheck pretty much vanishes with barely enough left over for groceries, much less good times. And damn it, I want good times. That was the whole damned point of moving and all.
(The weirdest thing about all this, to me, is that in a year or two, almost all of my major bills will be paid off, and I won't need to worry about them anymore. But I do need to have "made it"anyway, by then. The timing of all of this is really kind of messing with my head.)
So. This is actually kind of a blessing in disguise. Because every writer mentions how real it gets when their writing is needed to put food on the table. And I mean, right now I'm just talking about MY food. I also need to think with putting food on the table for someone else. Whoever that will eventually be, ha ha. It's gonna happen. But it's less likely if I'm staying home every night because I can't afford to go out, neh?
But seriously. It's time to put my money (so to speak) where my mouth is, to really put my talents to work not merely for fun, but for profit as well. I have a few ideas about how to accomplish that with relative speed and minimal capital. I've enough avenues to pursue:
I've a friend who runs a scriptwriting contest. He's got reams of scripts that need reading. I read with awe-inspiring speed (honest, I have inspired awe!). That's a no-brainer. He can pay me. It probably won't be great sums, but it'll make a difference, and I can start immediately.
Those same reading skills could come in handy elsewhere, too. Particularly my proofreading skills. Maybe it's time to look for people in the LA area who need their shit proofread. Hmmm.
I've got a webcomic already sort of established. A little research, maybe a little help from some friends, I could have my own website up. I've already got lines established for merchandise (especially t-shirts). It might even be in my interest to get a small business loan (just a couple, three grand) so I can get the needed hardware and software to actually continue. A few hours a day could turn into some good bucks.
And of course, there's the writing. My stepdad outlined a net-based business model for getting my work out there; it'd more or less be self-publishing but word of mouth and online buzz could bring me the attention of a major publisher in a matter of months. For which, incidentally, I will need the help of my online friends.
So what am I going to do?
ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Because I can, because multiple income sources are better than one or two, and because shit, I'd need to do some of that stuff to achieve my ultimate goals anyway.
The irony is, I might get too busy providing for my life to actually live it. Heh. Nah. I've been down that road before. I'd recognize the landmarks in time to turn around.
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