Q&A with Monique Madrid

Q&A with Monique Madrid

By Tess Lennon­Dorn

Monique Madrid is a comedy writer and actor, as well as a host of her own live comedy show. In our conversation, we discussed her transition from Chicago to L.A. as a writer and performer, as well as her various experiences with creative and corporate writing jobs.

Monique Madrid is a current contributor to Someecards, an interviewer for Splitsider Magazine, and a writer, host, and producer of a live comedy show, “2 Girls 1 Pup”.

She is the former editor of Serial Optimist Magazine and has worked as a copywriter, sketch writer, and creative consultant. She has experience with script punch-ups and social media content.

Monique has explored her skills as a comedic writer across many different platforms including both the live theatre community, and corporate work. Her ability to recognize her skills and apply them to different professional settings makes her resourceful and has made her a more well-rounded writer. She has found a way to pursue her tv writing goals while also taking the work that’s available and using it to her advantage.

She has put herself in a position where she’s waiting for opportunity to strike and stacking the odds in her favor by living in L.A., while also actively creating her own work. She is writing for and hosting her own comedy show, and building her portfolio with the content she writes for Splitsider and Someecards. Monique conveyed the importance of both seeking opportunities, while also creating them for yourself.

You currently write for Splitsider Magazine and Someecards. What are those jobs like?

Yeah! So I do Someecards which is fun. It’s sort of a situation where you pitch every morning so it really gets your joke writing skills going. And there are days that I have more time to write than others so I don’t pitch as often as I would like. But yeah you pitch. They send you kind of a general assignment or ideas that they’re looking for, subjects that they’re looking for and you pitch your jokes and if they like them they take them.

And then Splitsider, at this point I mostly just do interviews with them. I’m sure I could do more if I wanted to but I’m really enjoying doing the interviews cuz I think I’m good at them and I really get inspired talking to people as cheesy as that sounds. And then on top of that I’m working on my own spec scripts and pilots and things. I would love to write for television and, you know it’s that thing you just have to have the talent and be prepared so that the day that someone goes, “Oh,

well, let me see what you have.” You’re ready to show your work. So you’re kind of blindly working to some extent with the trust that opportunity is gonna show itself but if you’re working hard it will, it’s just a matter time, ya know?

So, your feeling on getting into TV writing is that it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and then having a really good sample to give someone?

That’s what I’ve been told. Every time I try to ask someone, “Well, what did you do?” You try to figure out what the formula is you try to figure out what the path is. Every single person I talk to says something different and they all say it’s different for everyone. There are definitely things you can do to put yourself out there a little more, there’s competitions and there’s fellowships where you could be one of a dozen people chosen to work at a different network and sort of be trained under different writers. And those are cool but you may or may not get that.

Other things may happen, you might get a manager and then the manager submits you for things. Or you may have a friend who gets hired on a show and they may say, “Oh my gosh, Monique would be great at this.” It is a business. So, surrounding yourself with people who inspire you, who are doing what you love, who you show them that you’re good at what you do and that you just continue to do consistent good work and I really believe that when that happens, that things will fall into place like they’re supposed to.

You mentioned that with your job at Someecards you pitch ideas every morning. Can you talk a little about your experience with pitching?

I haven’t been in a writer’s room in that way that you would call for television. But I think I’m really good at pitching over the phone or in person, bouncing ideas back and forth, saying, “Ooh! What if we did this?” Because I’m an improviser and so naturally having that improv background I really know how to “Yes, And” their ideas.

Sometimes I get hired to write short scripts for, award ceremonies or fun things like those.

I will say that anyone who knows me knows that my brain doesn’t stop. For better or worse. So you ask me to come with ten ideas about a subject I’ll give you twenty. That’s really just how my brain works.

I think overall when it comes to pitching is just trusting that you will have more ideas. Like people sometimes save their ideas and think, “Oh, I don’t want to share it.” Or, “What if I don’t come up with another good one?” But your brain is a muscle, so the more you use it the stronger it gets and the better it gets. So I’d rather give away all my ideas, because another one is going to come up. I know that. I’m not gonna blink and stop being creative. It just doesn’t work that way.

Do you have a writing schedule?

No. I need to. It’s been kind of an interesting few months of trying to get back on track with that. It’s tough. The “2 Girls, 1 Pup” show is such an amazing thing and I’m really grateful that I did it and it’s starting to really take off. But it’s happening just as much on the production side, as it is as a performer and writer. And so I’m trying to organize it in a way that maybe I can delegate better.

And that will free up my time to write more.

Because you can’t do it all. You can’t produce a show, and produce a weekly podcast, and go out for auditions, and take casting workshops, and constantly write and pay your bills, and that’s the side of L.A. that is really tough. But when I am on it, I set a timer and I make myself write for that much every single day, no matter what. That’s, I think, the biggest key. Even if it’s just, like, in the morning you write three pages. Just so that your brain is constantly in the habit and you don’t wait for the muse to show up. You’re like, “Nope, I’m here at work. This is my job, I’m gonna write.” So, that’s really what I try to do.

You also have experience with copywriting. When did you do that?

I was really involved with the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Theatre and we used to get hired to do corporate comedy. So a company would call the theatre and say, ya know “We’ve got this big awards ceremony, we want to have sketches written for us.” Or they might say, “We want to do a short video and we need your help coming up with a script for it.” And so I was often on the team who would get hired to write that.

We’d get information from the company and we would pitch ideas, we would come up with outlines, we’d send it to them and then we would create this corporate copy. I wouldn’t say it was

the most ingenious comedy ever, but I really liked working within the guidelines that they gave us and using what they’ve got going on and elevating it and making it funny.

So I really enjoyed doing that, and I think that sort of led to, “Hey, I’m good at that. I could do other copywriting.” And I did. I wrote for a site that was kinda similar to Groupon and we’d write funny little copy saying, “Hey, buy this vacuum cleaner!” And so I would do stuff like that. I would literally troll craigslist, I would look anywhere online that I could, I would see that there was an opportunity for very little pay most of the time, but I would email and say, “Here’s everything I’ve done, here’s samples of my work.” And sort of over time, next thing you know I look back and go, “Oh, I’ve actually done a lot.” And it just sort of built naturally.

So, you would go on Craigslist for freelance writing work?

Yeah. Surprisingly, on Craigslist you can definitely find work. You gotta go through a lot of crap first, but eventually you will find stuff. I mean I feel like I would look for anything that says writer. Anything that says funny writer. Just because you haven’t done the job itself, as long as you’ve done a job that can translate, you can sort of, and maybe this is me as a writer saying this, but you can tweak your resume to prove, “Hey, I can do this.”

Maybe I haven’t done copywriting specifically, but I’ve taken an idea that a client had and put it into words that they wanted. And sold what they needed me to sell. It’s the same thing. It’s just how they’re saying it. And so then you can use that for other things. You start using it for writing for other sites. I did a lot of work writing for free for those funny websites. Just to get my work out there, just to see if it was any good and then you get to a point. There was a really great writer that said first you pay to write, you’re taking classes and you’re learning, then you have a period where you write for free, and then eventually you get paid to write. And you get to a point where you stop doing it for free and that just is the natural evolution of it.

In terms of tv scripts, have you gotten feedback on yours? What do you feel people generally judge as a good tv script versus a bad one?

Well, I mean there’s all of these rules to it. I think your number one thing is you want to get your audience involved and on the edge of their seats, interested in those first ten pages. Because

most of the time that’s all that somebody is going to read. It’s really capture the audience in those first ten pages and write what you know. You can tell when a writer’s stories are personal and when it comes from their real life because it just jumps off the page in a different way. So obviously you heighten, because that’s what comedy is, but I really try to draw from, ya know, things that I’ve experienced myself or at least, if nothing else, convictions and feelings that I have.

I’ve definitely heard that saying before of, “Write what you know.” But I think that can get weird when you base a character on a real person, and then the lines get blurred between the character and the person.

That’s where you can expand it and change it. You can always start from there and then branch off. So yeah, maybe there’s a character who is similar to my dad, but I don’t want to hurt my dad’s feelings. Well, this character has a slightly different job and you’re gonna write funny things based on a situation that maybe your dad wasn’t actually involved with. Because really when you’re writing, I mean at least the way I work is everything kind of pops in my head like a flash. And then I have to find a way to articulate it into words. So if it’s something I don’t know and never experienced, it’s much harder for me to write cuz I can’t even picture what that’s like.

You mentioned you lived in Chicago for ten years and then moved to L.A. two years ago.

What was the transition like for you?

It’s interesting. On one hand it’s been really great, because I remember I moved here to L.A. and you’re nervous, it’s a big city, it’s Hollywood, there seems to be a lot of pressure on it. And I went out early on doing some shows, some open mics, and very quickly realizing, “Oh. Chicago trained me really really well.” And I felt really good about that. I knew what I was doing.

Even things like-the L.A. scene has a much more laid back vibe, and yet the shows I’m used to being a part of in Chicago were much more polished and put together, and so that made it feel a little less intimidating. It’s definitely a learning curve. I’m having to learn to be more relaxed in my performance, and for somebody who’s type A like me it’s not quite the easiest transition. I mean Chicago is such an amazing breeding ground for not just improvisers but comedy in general-stand up, and all of that so it’s still a tough transition, but I always remind myself that the first three to five

years in Chicago I wasn’t quote, “making it.” It was still a struggle and so this is all very natural and part of the normal process I think.

It’s interesting you would say you feel like the live comedy scene in L.A. is more laid back.

It seems like the typical stigma of L.A. is that it can be kind of hostile. Can you talk a little more about that?

Yeah, I was actually really nervous about that and I was worried that I’d be concerned about my looks and and my weight and I’m short and oh my god, is there gonna be this pressure to look a certain way. And there is a certain amount of that, you know, don’t get me wrong it’s tough when you go to an audition for a commercial and you got all these teeny tiny ladies around you, but the thing that’s cool out here is there’s so much opportunity.

This is no offense to Chicago but Chicago had three main casting offices for commercials and TV. There’s like a thousand of em here. I can’t even tell you the difference. It’s not like everybody’s aiming for one area so yeah, maybe I don’t fit into this realm where all the models and like these amazing gorgeous women fit but I have my own lane that I can fit in. And there is room for me because there’s work to be had.

I probably hustle and work harder now than I ever have in my entire life, which again is saying a lot for someone who is so type A. But, there’s just a little more, at least when it comes to the stand up scene for example, just the audiences have a little more chill laid back vibe. And that’s I think the West Coast thing a little bit, too. I surround myself with comedians and the improvisers I surround myself with, our whole thing is “Yes, And”. Supporting each other and lifting each other up and the stand up side of things which I’ve been doing more of, there’s a really great group of women and women in comedy are really sort of bonding together and being like, ‘we’re sick of the bullshit and we don’t have to be hostile but instead let’s all support and raise each other up” so I’m not finding it to be crazy competitive and cutthroat. I think people are lovely and supportive and the biggest competitiveness that I have found is me stupidly comparing myself to others, cuz that’s never a good idea.

It’s encouraging to hear that you’re having a good time in L.A.

When I got here I knew that this was the right place for me. I knew. I kept saying, “I like it now, I will love it in a couple years.” And that’s still the case, like, it’s very hard to get your feet on the ground, figure out the game, figure out the rules of how things work and which avenue you want to pursue and how to make money at the same time and, ya know we’re all stretched thin and very tired and it’s hard to be social with people but you figure out your own way and when you realize that there are opportunities out here and it’s not just one major comedy theatre or three casting houses but that you can create your own thing and this is where really cool things can happen, then I think it’s really worth it and mostly the weather is amazing.

Do you think the work you did as a writer in Chicago put you at a certain advantage moving to L.A. compared to others who were beginners there?

Maybe. And I’m also in my thirties. I’m not coming out here at nineteen. Which has its pros and cons. You know, I think to some extent you have to come here and you have to start over and that’s a little frustrating because nobody knows who you are. You know you spend ten years in Chicago establishing yourself and performing and really building your resume, and then you come here and it’s a very different vibe.

But I think I was more prepared as far as knowing how to be funny? Just being comfortable in my own skin. What I’m not prepared for is knowing the rules of the game out here and how the system works and that’s just something you can’t know until you’ve experienced it.

That being said, when I was getting ready to move to L.A. I worked on making sure my reel was put together and I had a good website. You really have to look at it as a business, and I think sometimes in Chicago you don’t have to do that. And so if you’re gonna move here to a bigger game you have to treat it like a business and you have to find ways to create your own work so that you can show who you are because it’s your own brand of marketing. Otherwise there’s so many people out here how are they gonna figure out who you are? So instead it’s like, “Okay, fine. I’ll come up with something cool and then you won’t be able to ignore me because I’m everywhere.” You know, you’re just making it happen. You have to sort of force your way in, I guess.

Obviously TV writing involves a ton of stamina as a writer in terms of just being able to actually generate that volume of work at the pace demanded for TV. How do you feel like you know that you could do that job?

I think, how do you know if you could run a marathon? You just have to do it. You just have to train and do it. You know, nobody gets up for the first time ever and writes an entire twenty-two-minute sitcom. You start with baby steps. Whether it’s taking classes or simply waking up every morning and carving out twenty minutes a day to write. Whatever that may be, again it’s a muscle and you just have to do it.

I think the bigger question is, “Do you really love it? Do you really want to do it?” If that’s there you can push through anything. Cuz I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to quit and been like, “I’m a hair stylist. I can make great money doing that. Why don’t I just go do that?” Cuz I’ll be miserable. I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life. I have bigger goals and dreams and so if I want to accomplish those, the odds of becoming that are small because it’s not just a regular job that people have.

I think one of the biggest ways people would describe me is determined. And I hope that the day comes when I do get staffed on a show, or I do get my own television show or something cool like that happens. I don’t think anyone would be like, “Really? Monique?” I think people would be like, “Yeah, she’s fucking worked her ass off for years, and no wonder. She’s very determined. She wasn’t going to quit until it happened.” So you pretty much have to just set your mind and decide, “Yep, this is what I’m gonna do.” And then you learn the craft. And you immerse yourself in it and it becomes your life despite what your family and friends say. It becomes your life because you love it.

Have you always been interested in TV writing and comedy and performing?

My fourth grade teacher told my mom that I was going to be a writer. I think that’s really cool, I think I was always writing. I don’t think I knew that’s what I wanted to do, because I went through a stage where I wanted to be an Oceanographer and all sorts of weird things. Which I think is just because I like to swim. I don’t even know if I knew what that meant. But yeah I think I was always writing plays, I forced my friends and my little sisters to rehearse in the plays that I wrote and I was in all sorts of community theatre. I just was always performing. My mom brought me an

old video camera I could barely hold up it was so heavy and I would spend hours making little commercials and claymation videos and replaying, mimicking Gilda Radner on SNL and, like, I watched every single “I Love Lucy” episode ever. So even though I didn’t name it it was always very clear that’s what I wanted.

Do you have any general advice for a comedy writing student looking to connect with the Chicago writing community or just the writing community in general? What would you suggest in terms of trying to figure out what might be the best job to start with?

I mean, I can only say what I’ve done. I love social media. It has really made a big difference.

I’ve heard stories about certain Late Night talk shows that if you’re in the running to be a writer for a late night talk show they’ll print out three pages of your Tweets. Just to see that you’re constantly writing, you’re writing topical humor, you know. If you’re wanting to get a job writing for television some day, they don’t want to see that you spent two years working on this amazing script.

They want to see that you’re constantly writing.

So, constantly write. If that means, ya know, there are a lot of websites, Rebellious Magazine I know is one of them, there are a lot of online sites that do take writing submissions.

And I think that’s a really great place to start cuz it is getting you published. Not worrying about if you’re getting paid or not, just being like, “I want to learn what my voice is and I want to learn what I like to write.” And the only way you can really figure that out is just by doing it. So whether you’re tweeting funny stuff, and you’re connecting with other funny people, whether you’re finding, like, writers’ groups on Facebook. Surround yourself with people who are better than you because you’ll find yourself elevating up to them and being inspired by them. I really do think that. The people who are on my show are so great and I always find myself wanting to be even better just so I can get to their level and I think that’s really important.