Remember, like, a year and a half ago? When I came to L.A. and started writing about it? Giving updates on things I was working on? And then I stopped? Well, let’s get caught up …
After our 2 months in L.A. were up, my family returned to Knoxville where life went back to whatever version of normal exists in the age of Covid. I took a job as the Drama Director at the Knoxville Jewish Day School while continuing to teach and direct at Knoxville Children’s Theatre. (Pro tip: you shouldn’t try to direct two shows simultaneously, especially when kids are involved … and one of those shows has a cast of 50. It won’t go well.) The missus continued with her work, the child went back to school. But the seed of L.A. had been planted and the questions lingered. Could we live there? Could we give up our quiet Knoxville life? Could we be “L.A. People?”
I won’t bother going into all of the nitty let alone the gritty regarding our decision making. Suffice it to say that chance and choice conspired to where a move became more necessity than luxury. And so …
We’re in L.A.! For good! Probably!
And how is it going? It’s … interesting. We’ve been here seven months, and there is much that is good (we have friends here!) and much that is strange (it’s a drought no now it’s flooding!) and much that is Idunnoyourguessisasgoodasmine. We’re renting an apartment for this first year while crossing our fingers that the housing market will regain a modicum of sanity when our lease is up. I know things will work out in that department, but it’s hard to feel settled when half your stuff is still in boxes and Zillow is stubbornly refusing to be anything more than a stress-inducing doomscroll.
But Geoff! You wanted to write for television, and now you’re in the place where they make television! Surely you’ve been aggressively pursuing opportunities!
Oh, of course! Of course I have. Yeah, yeah I … no. No I have not. Not really. At least not yet.
Step one was to find employment. With some teaching experience under my belt, I thought that might be a lock, but I wasn’t able to land a position anywhere. I’ve been steadily booking work as an audiobook narrator, which has been great and feels like it could be lucrative in the long term. As a newbie, though, I’m currently at the bottom of that particular pay scale. I continue to audition for books and record on the regular, but I’m getting the sinking feeling that employment involving a name tag and/or apron is in my near future.
So, yes, I still want to write and pursue those opportunities and I will. I have gone back and touched up some old pilots and I’m putting them out into the world, but a hard push may still be a ways away. I’ll keep you posted.
At any rate … I’m in L.A.! I live here! It feels like there’s opportunity! We shall see where it goes …
Geoffrey Scheer 