A New Writer's Guide to Moving to Los Angeles & Surviving Hollywood
Hello! Welcome to Los Angeles. I am writing this from Pandemic Times, but one day soon it will not be The End of the World (I so dearly hope) and in that time the migration of new writers coming to this city to make it in Hollywood will resume.
To prepare for our newcomers once more, I'd like to share with you my 8 years' worth of experience of living here and workin' in the ol' Hollywood machine.
If you're a writer looking to move to LA to make movies or TV, look no further. Start here.
Do I Have to Move to LA to Be a Writer?
Yes.
This question gets beaten to death, but yes. If you want to work in TV or movies -- yes. Want to write a novel? You can do that from anywhere. But TV and movies are inherently collaborative mediums. So if you want to collaborate... you have to find collaborators who trust you and who have the same taste as you do.
It's not just that the work is out here (and yes, all the work is out here, even if productions do get outsourced all the writers' rooms generally stay in LA.)
But it's also that your peer group is out here. Or, if you're restarting your career a bit later in life, your spiritual peer group. Regardless, your trenchmates await your arrival.
You need connections to get jobs, yes. But you also need the support and trauma bonding with your fellow creatives. You need them to uplift you, inspire you, challenge your ego, and walk this path with you.
I've had friends be like -- "I'm going to work on XYZ from {ANOTHER CITY} and move when I'm ready/I've sold XYZ/etc." And that's valid. But my friends who do the best out here are the ones who move as soon as they're able and figure things out when they get here. I'm able to introduce newcomers to other people in the industry and help them put down roots in a way that just sets them up for success right off the bat.
If you're waiting to draw a magic number before you even get here, you're missing out on building relationships and finding the collaborators you truly believe in-- and who will believe in you and share new projects and opportunities with you.
No risk, no reward: you have to move here in order to get off the bench.
Also, if you prefer to write in solitude in some cabin in the woods for a period of time and then emerge with a finished project -- by all means, do so. But don't come to our city looking for isolated enlightenment.
Here, creating is a team sport. If you're not a team player, pick a different game.
Before You Move to LA: Some Soul Searching & Saving Plans
Now that you know you want to move to LA to start your writing career --
-- stop for a minute. Ask yourself, "why do I want to be a writer?"
If the answer is for "fame/money/success/hang out on set with celebrities/to legitimize my drug habit" -- no. Don't come here and waste your time and money.
The outcomes of your writing can be glamorous, but your day-to-day largely isn't.
Do you really want to be a writer, even if you never sell a script, get staffed, or see your work on-screen?
This is a big one.
What I'm asking is, do you want to become a writer for the outcome or for the process?
If you want to become a writer for the outcome ("I want to get paid to play make believe"/"It's the only career that sounds fun"/"I wanna win awards and hang with celebrities and have a house in the hills") then you're likely never going to have the right intentions and motivation to get through the process.
You should want to become a writer because you're intrinsically motivated. Because picking up the pen for you is like a lover's kiss. The affair you have with your words might be tumultuous and at times frustrating, but you're in it for the passion. You're in this because youwould write even if your ink turned invisible and no one could ever read a word.
You write because you have to.
Sound like you?
Great. Then Los Angeles would love to have you.
If it doesn't -- there's no harm there, either. There are plenty of other jobs: as producers, managers, costumers, make-up artists -- that require make believe but not a commitment to the written word.
Those other career paths often require a bit of a different approach, though, so if you can try and do some soul searching before you commit your resources to the path of writing.
A lot of people get disillusioned because they've been sold this ~dream~ of selling the first script they ever write for a zillion dollars. There's a whole cottage industry of contests, festivals, and screenwriting books trying to sell you that illusion of winning the lottery. If only you wrote down your great idea!
In reality, Hollywood is a lot like every other industry. You have to devote a lot of time and energy to honing your craft, building your contacts, making a name for yourself, and learning how to sell your "products" -- aka your scripts. You have to learn how to create at a high level of excellence -- and you also need to learn how to sell at a high level of excellence. And that might not even be enough, because you'll need to hold out for some luck, too. But that stroke of luck still can require years (maybe a decade or more) of preparation and hard work.
And, when you start out, you definitely can't expect for your storytelling to pay your bills.
You need a day job. You need to save. You need to expect long bouts of unemployment. You can't put a timeline or put pressure on yourself to "make it" because that's not how this works. You have to be in it for the long haul. That's why I asked before why you really want to write. If it's not in your bones, this journey is going to be far too hard and be taxing on your soul.
SO. So. Let's say you're still gung-ho about this writing thing.
There's a few things I want you to prepare before you move to LA. The first thing is your portfolio.
Before I moved to Los Angeles -- and I had the luck and privilege of being able to move to attend USC for the screenwriting program -- I had written 3 feature screenplays, a pilot, four novels, and dozens of short stories and short scripts over the span of four years in high school.
And I would still have a lot to learn. I'm still learning, a gajillion more pages later.
Obviously -- this is extreme. I write... a lot. And I had a fixed timeline: I was moving to LA for my undergrad, right after high school.
How much should you write before you move to Los Angeles?
Honestly, it depends. I would give it 2-3 scripts (pilots or features or both -- depends on what you want to specialize in) just to make sure this is indeed what you want to do with your life, and that you'll have the discipline and actually enjoy the process enough to keep doing this before you pull the trigger. The more you write before moving, the better prepared you'll be.
But... you shouldn't wait forever. You should move and start developing connections and friendships and very passionate opinions about the Valley and the amount of time it takes to battle traffic to visit anybody on the Westside.
How much money should I have saved before I move to Los Angeles?
Finances are tricky. If you can stay with family or friends out here and couchsurf for a bit so you can get your sea legs and transition to a good housing setup -- that's ideal. I was privileged in the fact that I went to school out here, and could stay with my brother right after graduation while I started apartment hunting, which was helpful as I started working a week or so after I graduated at my agency assistant job.
But if you're coming out here and starting from scratch -- and kudos to you, because that's scary! -- you need to line up a few things ahead of time.
Do some informational interviews. Reach out to some writers or assistants you find on Twitter or LinkedIn or whatever! Cold email! Ask us some questions over the phone before you even leave your hometown. I've had a bunch of informational interviews with people making the leap. It's tough. But do it anyways! They might have leads on housing/jobs/etc. and can help connect you to other people. They also might be good people to lean on when you finally get out here.
Save money. As much as you can. You'll need every dollar out here. Save for emergencies, rainy days, car accidents, overpriced rent... all of it. I can't really give you a number, other than to price out different living setups, what your expenses are now/how they'll increase when you move to LA/etc.
Do your homework about the industry. If you want to be a writer, do all the basic homework. Listen to the Scriptnotes podcast, follow TV writers on Twitter to get a sense of their day-to-day (or how they procrastinate on their day-to-day!), read books from writers like Pamela Douglas on the theory behind TV writing -- and just immerse yourself the best you can. You don't have to go to film school, but you DO have to put in the work to learn what it takes to be a writer in Los Angeles. Start before you move out here so you've got a foundation built.
Consider your transportation options. I have friends who live here who don't have cars -- but it's tough. Motorcycles are dangerous, but a cheaper option to getting a car. If you can, buying or renting a car is ideal because of the sprawl, and the fact that most starter jobs in the industry require a car. Public transportation is getting better, especially if you live along one of the train lines like the expo line, but Los Angeles is notorious for having unreliable/unsafe public transportation. Speaking as a woman who relied on public transportation for my first 3 years here, there were a number of incidents that made me feel unsafe traveling alone on the metro (and I happily take public transit in NYC and when I travel abroad, so LA is a particularly bad setup.) I wouldn't recommend it.
If you can, set up passive income streams before you move. By typing this, I'm acknowledging the privilege I have of having spent the past decade or so learning about passive income from the Smart Passive Income podcast (go listen!). Passive income is money you don't have to actively work for. For example, on this blog I have affiliate links. So, if you click on a link to a book or product I recommend and buy it, I get a percentage of the sale. That's passive income: I'm making a small amount of money (passively) from blog posts I've written years ago. Same thing goes for the ads I put on my website. I know this isn't accessible to everyone, but if you have a blog or a podcast and can get a little money coming in (even pocket change!) it'll help you when you move to LA.
Okay, now that you've done your homework, reached out to people, saved money and all that jazz -- it's time to move!
Finding an Apartment in Los Angeles
Dear god, the apartment market in Los Angeles is its own special brand of hell.
I have been very lucky to find nice places to stay -- but all of my apartments have cost me an arm and a leg and still have pretty basic drawbacks. I really found myself at a disadvantage because I spent so much money on rent, and had to take on extra freelance work to pay bills. Don't be like me! Find cheaper places if you can.
My first apartment was a tiny lil studio near Sawtelle before all the restaurants over there blew up in popularity -- but I got no sunlight, my window faced another window that was about a foot away, and the sole washer and dryer in our building constantly broke down. I paid a ridiculous $1500/month for that place. (But it was walking distance to dozens of amazing food and boba places and had a brand new kitchen -- so, tradeoffs.) I'll never live in the westside again, though: I was trapped after 3pm in gridlock bumper-to-bumper traffic on a daily basis. To get to my eastside writers' group, I had to sit in 1 hour and 45 minutes of traffic on the way there -- and then could get back in less than 25. Don't even get me started to my eventual Burbank commute time.
Don't live on the westside if you can help it.
For my next two apartments, I moved to the mid-wilshire/mid-city-ish neighborhoods, which I really loved because they're so central and K-Town has some great spots.
For my second apartment, I moved in with a friend and we split the rent. I got a bigger bedroom and parking spot, and I paid $1350 which wasn't bad but still expensive. Our apartment was huge though, and we had a patio, amazing living room and dining room area, and were in a great neighborhood. Downsides? Our kitchen was small and outdated and the appliances frequently broke/worked poorly (same with our building's washer/dryer), and we lived on the first floor, so a lot of foot traffic was out our windows and once again -- no sunlight.
Most recently, I lived in a $1600/month one-bedroom -- an absolute steal of a place comparatively because it came with an in-unit washer/dryer, balcony, parking spot, cat-friendly, gorgeous view, and a pretty decently sized space. I think this place could easily rent for $1900+ in the current market because LA is ~ridiculous~ and so expensive, especially in a neighborhood as central as mid-city. Downside? I had an itsy bitsy kitchen with no counter space (so... no real cooking could be done) really loud neighboring buildings that were constantly throwing block parties all hours of the night, construction zones that would interrupt my daily work-from-home calls, and a higher neighborhood crime rate than my previous places.
Now? I'm moving to the valley as I write this, which I feel like is a natural progression for most of us. You start out on the westside (I want to go to the beach all the time!!! ...and never do) and then realize traffic sucks and pretty much all of the studios are in the Valley/Hollywood.
You slowly make your way east, until you end up in Echo Park or over the hill in Studio City or the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Valley, with all of the flak people give it, is actually pretty lovely if you're like me and hate the congestion of the heart of the city, and like to be in a neighborhood that's easier to park in/not in the middle of the hustle-and-bustle -- while still having access to awesome restaurants and bars in walking distance. It definitely feels a little more like suburbia -- and you don't want to move too far like Tarzana or the like -- but can be a welcome change.
More importantly, you get waaaaay more bang for your buck. As someone who works from home, I need a work setup that works for me, and I was overpaying for that added space before in mid-city.
(Also, PSA: home offices are tax deductible!)
Each neighborhood has its own personality, its own upsides. Do you value space and covered parking, or a place walking distance from the WeHo strip? Do you value the solitude of living alone, or can you live with roommates if that means being able to live somewhere more central?
Generally, you want to live close to your work, but as writers, our work location changes constantly. Most of the writers I know live on the eastside or in the valley because all of the studios are in that vicinity and it's generally more cost-effective than, say, Hancock Park.
If you're new to the city, I would say this: avoid the Westside (too much traffic), avoid DTLA (if you're a woman you might feel unsafe walking around by yourself here), avoid Pasadena (too far), and avoid Glendale (too far). Anything else is fair game.
(Also, yes, I acknowledge that if you find the ~perfect~ loft in DTLA that's cheap as hell and close to some rad spots, great! You do you. I'm just sharing my suggestions.)
Tips for Apartment Hunting in Los Angeles
If you can, start by renting a room and keeping your cost of living as low as possible. Or, find a cheap studio. Do what you can to stay frugal! It's critical to protect your time so that you can cover your expenses and have time to write.
You'll pretty much always need a deposit + first month's rent, so be sure to keep this in mind in the planning stages.
If you have a pet, things get more complicated, so try and avoid getting a furry friend until you've gotten settled out here.
When it comes to finding a good place... just do your best but you have to move quickly. Be prepared to fill out an application on-the-spot or same day!
Keep your head up: even though this process can be annoying/emotional/exhausting, a year will fly by and you can always make a move to a new place later.
Everything is temporary. Focus on your writing. That's what you're moving out here for, anyways!
Day Jobs for Writers in Los Angeles
Ah, yes. Day jobs. They are critical, because, as stated, you cannot expect to live off of your writing for a long time, if ever.
You can't will yourself to write something that will generate a paycheck. You just can't do it. Even worse, your efforts might come off as desperation, which instantly repels all potential buyers of your script or show.
So. Get your ducks in a row. Figure out a sustainable day job situation FIRST, and then dig into your writing schedule. Build the foundation for longevity.
I have friends who have become building managers, bartenders, Uber drivers, you name it. They're able to figure out how to string together flexible day jobs so they can jump in and out of writers' rooms, have time off to pitch and write, and not burden themselves with too much debt.
I give this advice to you as much as to myself. Financial strain will kill your creativity and prevent you from having the freedom to pursue your dreams.
I also write this from a place of privilege, and I recognize that. Since college, I've become adept at juggling multiple jobs (at USC I held down three jobs simultaneously during my last two years on top of a full courseload and additional projects) and have continued to work multiple jobs since graduation, but I've also had family support. I didn't do this alone, and I do not want you to think I have. If you look around, a lot of creatives out here have the privilege of financial help: some of my friends live with parents, either in guest houses or in childhood bedrooms. Others have trust funds or rich spouses. Everyone starts at a different launching point.
Often, this support is invisible. This can make it seem like all the comics and writers and actors who are doing so well out here are somehow doing it on their own, but most aren't. That's not to diminish anyone's talent or effort, but rather to provide newcomers with a realistic view: a lot of us are lucky to have been dealt cards that give us a leg up, from money to university degrees, to families that live in town. Class plays a role in this industry (unfortunately) and the more conscious we can be of that, the more we can lay bare the flaws and realities of Hollywood today and work toward a more equitable future so we can get a better media landscape that's representative of our world as it is.
It's hard out here, and I wish it wasn't -- but that's for a separate blog post about how I'd like to re-envision support for artists (and all workers, really) in our society.
What I'm trying to say is that resources are precious, and you'll need to take a long-term view of how to survive in Los Angeles as a writer.
Don't expect to sell a script tomorrow or the next day or maybe not even for five years. So how are you going to make a living? Let's get realistic so that your dreams aren't crushed by the expensive city we live in.
In my case, I turned to freelancing. I freelanced on the side back when I was an assistant, and now I freelance full-time in-between writers' rooms and assignments. You can see all my freelance posts in my most popular posts page, or check out the book I wrote about freelancing for creatives.
Being a creative -- or even a freelancer for that matter! -- is very unstable, so you've got to enjoy going with the flow and embrace the uncertainty even as you figure out how to be strategic in your approach. The more income streams you can set up, the better.
Finding Your Tribe in Los Angeles: Building a Meaningful Social Life
When you move to LA to pursue writing, it can be pretty lonely -- especially if you didn't go to school here. Even with my brother living out here and a whole host of college friends, I still felt a little lost as we scattered around the city post-grad.
The best way to beat new city blues? Get involved.
This is one of the reasons people do the assistant track, especially at an agency: you get immediate buddies in the trenches! Trauma bonding is extraordinarily potent, friends.
Your workplace or day job can be a great way to meet people. But there are other spaces and activities that can help with that, too:
Volunteer at an animal shelter like NKLA or for a community-facing charity like Midnight Mission
Take a class in something new like acroyoga, pole dancing, or figure drawing
Join a bouldering gym or a yoga studio
Join a group like the LA Leggers and get in shape or a marathon!
Go to live music and dance nights like Dance Yourself Clean at The Satellite (I've met SO many great people at The Satellite!)
Join a book club like the ones held at The Last Bookstore
The list goes on and on -- basically, pick an interest, find a group, and take a leap of faith! If you're a writer, then you need people and new things to write about. Challenge yourself.
Unlike places like New York, LA is a sprawling city that worships at the feet of car culture. You're not going to meet new friends unless you put yourself out there. But if you do -- you'll be rewarded.
I've somehow been able to surround myself with people who are incredible, lovely humans who can be ambitious yet playful; kind yet driven. It's taken me eight years of living here to find these people, though -- so this isn't easy. You're not going to find your best friends or favorite creative confidantes overnight, so take it slow.
Last Words in this Guide for Writers Moving to Los Angeles
Moving to Los Angeles was the best decision I've ever made: I love this city dearly, in all of its sprawling imperfections and frustrating flaws. I've made memories in every corner, from freeway to freeway. I've run from campus security at USC after breaking the rules with friends; I've driven Mulholland at sunset, experiencing the breathtaking views and winding roads; I've kissed strangers on dancefloors all across the city; I've shot movies and taught yoga classes and hosted open mic nights and murder mystery parties and felt myself fill to the brim with inspiration by the awe-inspiring people, experiences, and talent I've witnessed. Every square foot of this kingdom of pavement has shaped who I am. This city is a part of me.
But this city also made sense for me and what I want, and I was able to both access and grow the resources I needed to be where I'm at today.
I've seen a lot of people who come here to be writers get jaded and cynical because they are fixated on outcomes, never truly enjoying the journey.
If you're going to move here, try and have your eyes as wide open as possible. Don't get seduced by illusions of fame or grandeur. Get ready to hustle hard, be kind even if others aren't kind to you. Always learn, and be honest with yourself if writing ends up not being the thing for you. There's no shame in pivoting and redefining yourself, or only pursuing writing as a hobby.
If you move here, I have one request for you:
Leave the city better than you found it.
Read more of my most popular posts here.
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