Working 40 hours a week is no guaranteed protection against being broke, I have learned. Though I live in Manhattan, which is where money goes to die, so I suppose it's all relative.

Goodness, I am very sardonic today. Don't mind me.

"Though I live in Manhattan, which is where money goes to die."

Great line.

Thanks! I'm hoping my money will be somewhat more lively when I move to LA, but I have a feeling... So yeah, I could sure use those tips you speak of.

Trust me, do not go into advertising. 40 hours is a light week. Although it does train you to write directly, with bare-bones simplicity, and use different voices.

Also, always be working on a spec. Especially when you're getting paid on another project. There's time and it's good to have something to sneak away to. My partner and I sold a pitch to Sony with a huge producer so the pressure our agents/mgr put on us to deliver was heavy. It was the only thing we worked on for 8 months-- with all the under the table producer passes, then off to the studio with the "first draft", then all the producer passes to get to the "second draft". Then it goes into the black hole of development. We got our last paycheck and had nothing else ready to sell. STUPID.