While things on the novel front got off to a cruddy start for 2013, the freelance gods smiled upon me the other week when someone stumbled across me via Facebook and asked about writing a script for a renaissance faire variety act.

The last time I wrote a full script of this nature was at least six or seven years ago, when I wrote Sex & Violence, a two-person show for my wife Veronica (of Storied Threads fame) and her friend/assistant Kate (of Time Traveler’s Wardrobe), so it was nice to flex the ol’ writing muscles in an unfamiliar direction.

It’s also gratifying to work with a complete stranger rather than a friend, because it means I have to do a lot of things I normally don’t have to do, like write up a contract for services rendered and try to create a concept when the client only has general ideas as to what she wants. Today we pinned down a promising concept, and once I write up a first draft we’ll move into the nitpicking phase when the client goes through the script, tells me what she likes and what she doesn’t so I can tinker and tune the draft into a final form.

Bonus: it is a paying gig. I’ve done a lot of work on spec in the past, either as a favor to a friend or because I was desperate for experience and exposure, but the days of free labor are over. As the saying goes, artwork is still work.