A mark, a yen, a buck, or a pound

Yep, it's January 1st, the day when, traditionally, people the world over start hyperventilating when they think of their bank account. Me too. I'm gasping for breath.

Money is something that never gets discussed in all those "How to become the world's best TV writer" books. They tell you to spend all of your time writing, thinking about writing, or watching other people's writing - I realize that doesn't sound right, but a lot of times for me that's what watching TV is, watching how other people write.

Anyway, they never say how to get by while you're waiting for your big break. And since that wait could be years, struggling TV writers (and struggling writers in every genre) need an alternative means of making a buck.

Many of my writing friends have standard 9 to 5ers (or 7 to 9ers for my friends who have industry jobs). This leaves them approximately 3.25 hours a week in which to write. Not ideal. A few people I know, including me, have decided to scrape by on savings while dedicating themselves to learning their craft. For a lot of people, this still somehow results in about 3.25 hours of writing per week. They do have a lot of time for mountain biking, surfing, eating, sleeping, grocery shopping and all that other stuff, though.

On the whole, I'm pretty disciplined about my writing. I've been a freelance writer for years, so I know how to get down to work with a minimum of internet surfing beforehand. And I have a ticking clock.

My year of living freely is over now and I need to stop sucking the life out of my savings and start earning.

This year, I need to seriously start making money again. Sigh.

I wish that meant jumping into a job as a staff writer. But it probably means taking on some temp gig where people half my age disrespect me while I do ten times the work they do. Sorry, just flashed back to my first-ever temp receptionist job in London. Yikes. I don't wanna go back there.

Erm, so my point is, uh... money, it's a pain in the butt.

Happy New Year!

Artery Cloggers
I can't believe I haven't yet raved about Beard Papa's Fresh 'n Natural Cream Puffs. If you believe the tale on their website, Beard Papa's originated in a tiny bakery in Osaka, but it really doesn't matter where they come from, because they are – and this is fact, not opinion – the best dessert ever. If there was an official dessert of heaven, this would be it. If you could eat a cloud, this is how it would taste.

First-timer's tip - get the plain Papa with the plain filling. After you've had it a few times, and only then, you have my permission to go wild with eclairs, chocolate filling, fondant, and more. Nice!