Gremlin Lifestyle – Page 2 – Betsy the Gremlin

The Best Financial Resources for Poor Writers!

July 27, 2020October 4, 2021Gremlin Lifestyle1 Comment

God’s honest truth? Writing is hard work. Harder still is writing to make money. Establishing yourself in your niche is no cakewalk. Promoting yourself, especially as an introvert, is nightmarish. Having every family member ask, “Remind me why you decided not to go to law school again?” is a root canal with no novocaine. I’m struggling with all these things. Some days feel like just putting one foot in front of the other. Something more lucrative would mean I wouldn’t have to write a whole article about the financial resources I use!

If you’re like me, however, writing is it. It’s what I do and I truly love it.

But loving it doesn’t necessarily make it any more lucrative. Here are a few solutions and financial resources I’ve come across that help me manage and make money, both as a writer and as a plain old Jane. Plus a few additional self-care resources at the end that might make you days a little easier.

{This article contains affiliate and referral links; I make a little money if you use the links to sign up or purchase at no cost to you}

Financial Resources for Poor Writers!

Upwork

A real boon for the freelancer. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. I’ve had some great experiences with this site. I don’t use it often (though I’m looking into doing it more in these pandemic times). Chances are you have a sellable skill that will translate into something someone on Upwork is looking for. Can you speak two languages? Boom, translator! Do you know how to do some basic coding? Boom, coder! Can you write blog posts on a variety of subjects? Boom, freelance blogger!

Sometimes a few bucks can go a long way and Upwork is a great way to earn a few bucks for sure. Some people even do it as a full-time job and make full-time money. As far as financial resources go, this is a great place to start! Be smart about it and you’ll have some supplemental income in no time.

Digit (referral link)

Well gosh, now what are you going to do with all that money you made on Upwork? As a multi-dollar-aire you have to put it somewhere, right?

This little app really saves the bacon. You connect your bank account info and they put aside a few cents to a few dollars each day depending on your preferences. (Or not, it’s up to you. For example, I manually save to Digit once a month when I have a bit of extra cash. I’m currently foregoing the auto-save because I’m dead broke!) After a time, those little bits of change add up and before you know it, you’ve got a tiny bit of savings for a rainy day. Digit also offers services like overdraft protection and savings bonuses! It’s delightful! Plus, once a week they send me a cute little text showing me how my financials are doing which helps make sure there’s nothing squirrelly going on.

Continue reading ➞ The Best Financial Resources for Poor Writers!

Gremlin’s Five Year Plan

July 10, 2020Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

I was recently inspired by The Huntswoman (amazing blog! can’t recommend enough!) who posted on their instagram story about how to really dig deep and come up with a five year plan. There’s nitty-gritty detail work and going through everything step by step to try and reasonably come up with a plan to get from where you are now to where you want to be in five years.

I know where I want to be in five years. The dream is to write for a Pixar project.

That’s a big ask. I’d probably be happy with a real writing job, but Brianne (the Huntswoman) said to imagine your ideal life.

So far here is what I’ve come up with;

I live on my own, either in New York (a pipe dream) or LA (a more reasonable place for my general career choice). A two bedroom apartment with exposed brick and interesting built ins.
I have a dog. Probably a poodle or poodle-mix because I’ve grown up with them and they’re so fluffy and sweet.
I’ve sold screenplays, I have an agent who gets me, I’m working in the industry and am making a name for myself enough so that Pixar might notice.
I may be blogging professionally; at least making some supplemental income from blogging and selling an eBook or something.
I’m in a relationship that is fulfilling. This is not as important to me, but it’d be nice. Frankly I’m more invested in having my own dog and place first.
My family is taken care of; my brothers are able to support themselves, my parents are retired/semi-retired and living comfortably. I don’t know what steps I have to take personally for this to happen, but is the ideal.
Maybe I’m a little thinner, but mostly I’m wearing better clothes.

How I get there is the hard work; I’m slowly chipping away at planning and implementing. It’s hard to break down five years into month by month steps. But for the first time in a while, I’m feeling hopeful.

Wish me luck!

‘Matter’ is the minimum

June 8, 2020May 14, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

I’ve been painfully silent during the recent events and riots. Not intentionally, just circumstantially. I live with some hyper-conservatives so conversation about the riots and police brutality is out. Do I come up with more excuses? My anxiety and depression left me bed-bound? I had a cold and thought it might be Covid-19? I barely have enough money to donate to all the places that need support?

I don’t have any thing to really say; I’m trying to learn, trying to give a space for Black educators and activists to speak and trying to just put one foot in front of the other.

What’s worse is that I considered trying to gather up film-related resources but it all felt so fake. How could anyone write a “8 movies to watch to learn about the black struggle to live in a country that hates them” listicles? God and and some people write this and have affiliate links to the books and films they list out. As if they’ve some right to make money at a time like this.

Nothing makes sense in times like these; I’m painfully silent, and angry, and tired; and scared for my friends who are protesting and exposing themselves and being brave and good.

I donated a paltry amount of money to the Loveland Foundation and I’d love it if you would too. They focus on therapy for Black women and girls. I wish I could give more.

Black Lives Matter. That’s the baseline.

In the dark times will there also be singing?

April 24, 2020May 14, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

So, needless to say, the quarantine has really affected my life. Not as much as some, and financially I’m okay (sort of), but boy howdy this is not where I thought I’d be a few months ago.

I’m back in Sonora, which is a little rough. I was getting really comfortable in SF and now I’m back in this awful podunk town. I keep trying to tell myself that the few interactions I have here are good research for future stories, but it’s hard to get over the mental hump of being here in the first place.

I started the year thinking I was going to be moving to LA and also submitting to a bunch of different competitions.

Instead I’m in Sonora, and I’ve got less than a week for my two top competitions final deadlines, and haven’t written anything. (or rather, I’ve written pages and pages, and then trashed them because they weren’t working).

It’s tough. But here I am still.

Writing through the plague.

March 20, 2020May 14, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

I’m so tired of the inane “this is the time to finish that big project” messages that are getting churned out at a time like this. Sure, some of us have more time, but it’s not like a vacation, it’s not the same as spending a day home from work. Even if we’re all just overreacting and this all blows over, you cannot deny that this is a hard place to be mentally. How do you finish anything when the world is falling apart? Why should you finish anything when the world is falling apart.

I’m not getting as much work done, but I’m not going to make myself feel guilty about it (more than usual at least; do not underestimate my catholic upbringing and anxiety to key up any feelings of guilt, warranted or not).

I’m not getting work done because I’m worried. I’m not getting work done because I’m trying to plan ahead in a world of innumerable uncertainties. I’m not getting work done because I’m with my family and they’re a simultaneously source of comfort and extreme tension.

Wash your hands. Stop panicking every time you feel a tickle in your throat (that’s mainly for me). Good luck everyone.

Spark Social SF!

March 5, 2020May 14, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

Last weekend I went out to the far side of town for a friend’s birthday, and it was delightful. I was so worried about posting some of these pictures, but I had such a good time it seemed silly not to share.

I’m looking pretty big in these pics. But I’m also looking pretty happy? Sometimes it’s still shocking to me that the two can happen at the same time.

(My favorite shot! Influencer life here I come!)

Continue reading ➞ Spark Social SF!

Fat Girl in Film Land

February 26, 2020October 4, 2021Filmland, Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

I’m going to be brutally honest; there’s something utterly devastating and soul-crushing about being plus size in a world that idolizes thinness. That’s just a fact. Right now I’m sitting pretty at a size 20-22 jean and a 3X shirt and sometimes don’t want to leave the house because of the potential to be seen by some jerk who thinks they know what’s best for me. Los Angeles, California (and really the whole world?), just doesn’t have the infrastructure and chutzpah to love someone like me. Further still, I grew up in San Francisco which, while a notoriously liberal and accepting culture, definitely has no problem shaming fat people for being ‘unhealthy’. (The whole city is proof positive that hating fat people is the last remaining ‘acceptable’ prejudice. Yikes, right?)

And I’m one of the lucky ones; the vitriol infini-fats, and plus size POC and GNC people suffer is beyond cruel. If you squint I’m an ‘hourglass’ shape, (and I’m not going to lie, my face is super cute which doesn’t hurt). I can fake being thinner than I am in pictures. If I stick with above the waist selfies or angle things just right I look more conventionally attractive.

But I wish I didn’t have to.

Continue reading ➞ Fat Girl in Film Land

The Nicholl Fellowship looms.

February 3, 2020May 14, 2021Gremlin Lifestyle, ScreenwritingLeave a Comment

I’m struggling a lot with what I want to write for my Nicholl Fellowship screenplay. I don’t feel confident enough in my old stuff to work from those, but I literally am having no ideas as to what to write for something new.

The early submission date is in 32 days. (I can wait longer and do regular or late submission, but it costs more).

As of right now, my brain is bouncing three subpar ideas around in my head;

A gay bull rider on the rodeo circuit trapped in the closet.
A young woman with control issues has to go to europe to collect her dead twin’s body after he commits suicide.
A school shooting.

That’s it. I don’t hate any of them, but they’re not giving me the passion I once had with writing, ya know? But maybe I just don’t have that passion anymore because I’m older and wiser and jaded. And I’m feeling a little gun-shy because the response I got back from my AFF coverage, while good, said it wasn’t the most original story. So now I’m wracking my brains trying to come up with something original.

Either way, writing is still hard. To win the Nicholl Fellowship would be a huge deal, and the fact is the story idea itself needs to be original, plus the dialogue and writing needs to be perfect. Even then it’s a long shot. I don’t anticipate this is going to be my year, but I want to submit nonetheless — this is my career, this is what I’d have to do to get noticed in my field.

Back to the drawing board.