Task Rabbit

If you know me, you know I've been working several jobs for the past four years. I write, I teach online, I teach in the classroom, I assist a writer, et cetera et cetera. So, when I read about this new website called Task Rabbit in Time magazine, I surfed on over and immediately signed up. I went through a background check, several virtual interviews with my handy dandy webcam and Voila! I'm a Task Rabbit.

So what's a Task Rabbit do? Anything someone needs doing. This is how it works: You, the customer or person in need, posts a task online. You can post what you'll pay or you can let us Rabbits bid. Then we bid or accept the job, show up (or do it online), and bam! You get your task done and I get paid.

So last week I went on my first job, downtown L.A., to help set up for the Small Business Expo. I was one of about 10 Task Rabbits there, and about 50 others working, and it was really great. Everyone was very hospitable, I was assigned multiple jobs throughout the day and when my shift ended (I worked 9 to 5), I shook their hands and came home. (The guys in charge were super - they even ordered pizza for us for lunch!)

So what did I do? I put together easels and hung signs. I unpacked crates organized furniture. And then I spent about 4 hours stuffing gift bags with promotional materials (see some of that above) which was a long, tedious activity but...I was being paid and the other Task Rabbits were very friendly. We chatted about other jobs, gluten, the election, favorite TV shows, et cetera. So all in all? A great first Task Rabbiting experience.

If you ever find yourself in need of someone to do a task, I'd recommend the site (tasks can be done in any number of cities listed on the site) or virtually. And surf on over and find my page if you're interested! I have a Task Rabbit number and I can be requested specifically for jobs.

The Pitch

As my Facebook status read last night: I survived my pitch to the 'Modern Family' writer with only minor pit stains. Yay!

True story.

So the conference call was very cool. We used this software that allows you to log in online and then talk on your phone and chat at the same time. It seemed to work very well and I liked interacting with people that way (especially the chat function, several others on the call sent me direct messages and we had nice little conversations).  

But what about my pitch you ask? Well, I think it went well. I'd worked on it for almost a week, first adding about 2 minutes and then cutting almost 3 minutes out as new suggestions arose and as new instructions came regarding the call. What I had at the end was pretty tight and I think, funny. (My parents, Angela, and 2 awesome friends told me it was so I'm going to choose to believe them.)

Here's the gist of my pitch:

Together Forever is a multi-cam sitcom (filmed in front of a live studio audience, instead of a dead one) about Will Strong, a burly guy's guy former construction worker who fears commitment, hates all things wedding-related, and has recently inherited the struggling family business because everyone's sure he can turn it around. The catch? It's the family wedding planning business. 

I went on to describe some of my inspiration for writing the show (bring up my family's business, a funeral home, and how for grooms, they can often be one in the same), told the cold open (the first scene of the show which involves Will singing along with Alanis Morissette and eating a lot of chocolate, and giving an overview of the pilot episode, the other characters and the tone of the show (Everybody Loves Raymond meets Bridezilla). 

After I pitched, Mr. O'Shannon (the Modern Family writer on the call) gave me a few notes. His first? He hates weddings. Had two of his own and thus, the minute I started, he was predisposed not to like the subject matter. But...he did say that that's going to be true of a lot of topics for a lot of people and he wouldn't let it cloud his judgement. Okay....

He went on to tell me that I gave a little too much exposition in the cold open (which is a great note as likely, there's too much exposition in the actual script at that point too) and that the idea could be risky because it may get repetitive (every week another goofy wedding). So those are notes I could address in the next pitch and in my writing. Other than that? He said I seemed personable (as far as a conference call allows him to judge that) and that my pitch was conversational (something I was very worried about as I was basically reading from my notes). And yes, I did mess up the work inspector. Somehow I managed to pronounce it as instructor each and every time I practiced and then again last night, ah, great fun.

Overall? A really positive, enjoyable experience. Whenever someone wants to read my writing or hear about my writing, I'm all in. And I'm grateful for the chance to pitch to someone who's won Emmys (Cheers and Modern Family) and written on amazing shows (Fraiser and Newhart just to name a couple). And when I slid my business card in the thank you note I mailed to Mr. O'Shannon this morning, I said a little prayer that the next time I pitch, it'll go as smoothly. And that I find a better deodorant.

Networking the town

As a writer, I'm happy sitting behind my computer at my desk for hours, days, weeks on end. As a person, I'm happy when I get to have long, rich conversations, laugh with friends, and meet new people who might be interesting and have the potential to become friends. Luckily for me, I get to combine the two sides...right? Right.

Well, sorta of right. I've been realizing this year (with the help of a screenwriting consultant and my writers' group) that I have a pretty great portfolio of scripts. I have pilots and specs and a novel and a screenplay or two. I have a lot of stuff and a lot of stuff that I want others to read (which wasn't always the case). But I've also been realizing that the next step in the career I want is networking. And so I've been working on getting out there more, trying to figure where "out there" is and talking to people who might have connections or know of people who might have connections. Because as in most industries, it's mostly about who you know.

So last week I went to an event called Friday Night Drinks. I got all dolled up in my writerly clothes (jacket, new green scarf I got for my birthday, new black glasses) and I headed off to the bar at The Grove. My writer friend and I were early so we browsed the candy shop below (yeah, interesting combination for the building) and then headed upstairs for two hours of talking loudly (the music was deafening) and exchanging business cards and paying too much for a so-so glass of wine. But here's the exciting thing...

Networking helped! I'm finally seeing some of the fruits of the labor I've been putting in over the past four years! Within twenty minutes of being there I was offered the chance to pitch a sitcom spec to a comedy writer. And not just any comedy writer. A comedy writer on a hit TV show: Modern Family. Yep, on Monday I'll be on a conference call where I'll pitch an original 5-minute idea to Dan O'Shannon. I'm freaking excited. (And maybe just freaking out too because I don't feel ready...yet...but I will be!)

How'd it happen? Well the woman arranging the call (the consultant I've been working with, Jen Grisanti, who is awesome - love her!) was looking for comedy writers and a friend mentioned me and since she knows my work and I was literally in her line of site, 5 feet away from her, she pulled me over and immediately asked me if I'd do it. And I truly believe that had I not been standing there in front of her, it wouldn't have happened. So, networking might not be so horrible after all!

What does this pitch mean? Who knows. Maybe Dan will like what I say and ask to read something. Maybe it'll just be a chance to practice my pitch with a real audience of people who really matter in this business. Maybe something I can't even dream up. But mostly? I'm glad I went out last Friday night and I'm glad I said yes the second she asked even though my instinct was to back away out of fear.

So, will my pitch be funny? We'll find out Monday night at 7!