When there’s a show on, being a writer can be very full on. I love it, but my goodness it’s a lot. There’s no such thing as weekends, Bank Holidays or even social time. If you’re needed for rehearsals or shows – you gotta show up! Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I remember, there were pockets of time where I hardly saw my family and friends. But what happens when the final bow is taken, the curtain comes down and the lights go off?

Next project? Too soon. Holiday? Sure. Can you pay for it though?

This is where the ‘resting job’ comes in.

Bills Don’t Pay Themselves

You’ve probably heard people talk about ‘second jobs’ ‘side hustles’ or ‘paying the bills’ job. A resting job, is exactly that – but it just sounds better! It means that it’s not your main career – but it funds your lifestyle.

My resting job is working for an independent company, as a freelancer, which has me squinting at Excel spreadsheets, sending a carousel of emails and working the marketing department by myself. While it sounds boring and exhausting, I do remind myself – it takes the weight off my shoulders.

And once the shows are done? I know it’ll be there, ready to support my future.

Since finding a steady rhythm between work and writing, I’ve suddenly become much more creative. Perhaps the pressure of writing to make money has disappeared and I can just create, like I was always meant to.

I won’t sugarcoat it for you lovelies, but the writing industry is hard. Whilst in my 20’s, I went all in. I’d just graduated from my Masters and had the taste of playwriting success with Darkridge. I made the decision to become a freelancer and go at it alone. While doing so, that meant I had to forgo the ‘steady income’ stream.

I snatched the odd writing jobs here and there, editing, script reading, tutoring – for a top London lawfirm which actually helped a lot – but suddenly my 30’s hit me like a bus and I realised I needed to make a quick change in how I approached freelance work. Yes, I still have my dreams, but I also want to be secure.

However, I didn’t want to be trapped in a system where I burned the midnight oil for things other than my projects. I’d already set myself up as a freelancer so I grabbed some pretty well paid contractual jobs, until I found the one that suited me.

How Do I Find It?

Online sites that Fiverr are brilliant, because you can set yourself up on a profile, with your skillset and then you’ll get matched with jobs. People are always looking for others to hire, like beta readers, book designers, editors, ghost writers, website designers, marketing assistants or even admin assistance.

Some people are lovely to work for – others not so much, but professionalism means keeping it cool. Also, they’re your clients, so you can build up a network of contacts, should you ever want to start your own business! A director I worked with, painted figurines as a hobby and then shipped them to people who were willing to pay big money for them. Now, they’ve setup their own business, alongside the directing.

A lot of people who work in the theatre, tend to get resting jobs within the industry. Whether it’s working as an usher or front of house in the big West End theatres, or in the Expresso Bar at the National Theatre or Royal Court, they’re integrating themselves within the industry they want to work in.

Personally, I couldn’t do that, as I’d find it exhausting to work in a theatre and then come home to write a play. I’d want to get as far away from that as possible. It’s the same reason I can’t go back to any of my Uni writing projects. I just associate that with stress. But that’s just me! It might be different for you.

At the end of the day, we might battle with ourselves over what our end goal in life is, but that will never stop us being writers. A “resting job” supports the career you love. It’s strategic, not a failure. In fact, it shows maturity, self-reliance, and dedication to your craft — all of which, make you even more formidable.