Should you move to LA?

Is it just me, or is everyone in this city sick right now?  Seriously.  Myself, my significant other, and just about everyone I know is suffering from some sort of cold/allergy/flu/seasonal Ebola.  I’m sure this has something to do with the very un-Los Angeles weather we’ve been having (i.e. the nonstop rain).  I know some people love when this happens, but I’m sick of it.  This isn’t what I signed up for when I moved to you, LA!!!  Which brings me to a question I see all the time…Should YOU move to LA? 

More specifically, what I usually see is a baby writer (who doesn’t live in LA) asks if it is necessary that they move here (or NYC) to pursue their writing dreams.  I’ve seen people waffle on this, but the answer is simple: YES.

You're a baby writer who wants to write studio movies, TV shows, or maybe just get your foot in the door by working on a show or at a reputable production company?  Well then, you better come to LA (or Shreveport, or Detroit or…).  Ah, that’s the tricky part, there actually ARE lots of film/TV employment opportunities for people starting out in places all over the country and if you live in one of those places (mostly states that have big rebates for filming like Louisiana and Michigan) you can probably get a job on the next show that comes to town (if you know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody). 

Doing that might help you make a few connections, but don’t misunderstand me, eventually, if you want to move upwards and onwards in this business, you’ll have to move to one of the big cities.  How else are you going to have drinks with that manager or take that sweet writer’s assistant job that just opened up if you don’t? 

Now, maybe I'm just a little biased.  I currently live in LA, AND, I was lucky enough to go to college in LA, so I basically got a 4 year transition period where I got to learn the city, make friends, and figure a bunch of things out without the instant pressure of gotta-get-an-apartment-gotta-get-a-job-gotta-not-starve.  But, I stand by my opinion.  LA or bust.  I know it’s scary to move to any new place and LA is as big and scary as it gets, not to mention kind of lonely (and now, with more rain!).  So maybe, if you know this is what you want but you’re on the fence, consider moving out with some friends.  OR, before you move, try to reconnect with any friends/acquaintances from high school, college, or anywhere, who work and live out here.  Actually, yeah, definitely do that last thing.  This city runs on connections and the more you have, the better off you’ll be when you get here.