Are you a Hollywood writer? I'm a Hollywood writer! Hey, I'm also a Hollywood writer!

It seems everyone I've met in the past few weeks has been a writer. I write for a living but my writing is not related to the entertainment industry. I write about plastic surgery so I work on news stories and medical articles with board-certified doctors all over the United States.

I also work with different clients across the country on blogs and social media.

In this town, writers can be found everywhere. They are working on screenplays, network pitches, reboots of their favorite TV shows from the past, grim and gritty/adult versions of childhood favorites and video game scripts. It seems the only writers I don't meet are the ones working on their version of the Great American Novel.

To give you an idea about the amount of people in this town that want to be a writer in the entertainment industry, check out this list of discussions I've had with multiple writers over the course of the past few weeks:

1. "A Hulk reboot that ignores all of the Marvel movies in favor of a Hulk that is gray, lives in Compton and drives a taxi."
2. "A game show where all of the contestants can only answer in 150 characters or less even if the actual answer is more than 150 characters. It's a game show where people that text will rule the game!"
3. "Boy meets girl. Girl meets another boy. First boy meets second boy. It's a love triangle mixed with a touch of The Amazing Race."
4. "What if Luigi tried to buy out Mario's share of the plumbing business? What is Mario's second act? The game is Mario trying new professions. The unofficial name of the game is Mario's Mid-Life Mania"
5. 'What if we did an SNL-type show on the web but it was on 3 nights a week for 5-7 minutes each night? It's SNL without the filler!"
6. "I'm writing a screenplay about a guy that writes scripts that are never produced for a living. That way, if it doesn't sell, I look like a man that really knows his subject."
7. "It's like the Real Housewives franchise except all of the women are mistresses instead of wives."
8.  "It's a show kind of like Dallas but, instead of oil, the family is fighting over 1000 acres of avocado farmland."
9. "I'm rebooting the X-Men franchise. No one asked me to do it but, if I believe enough, I will manifest that job opening through the power of positive thinking."
10. "It's the story of an all girl band if they were actually house painters instead of musicians."

Once again, I write about plastic surgery for a living so I might not be the best judge of those wanting to write screenplays for a living. I will say that all of the above ideas seem like they need a bit of massaging before they are ready to be seen on the big screen, the small screen, an iPhone screen or an Xbox near you.

This actor is studying screenwriting in college.

"He's So Funny!!!"

From the time Zach was a little boy, people would tell us that he was a funny kid. They were correct because Zach has always been a very verbal child. I always figured his chatty nature came from having two parents who both spent 20+ years on the radio.  He has always been quick with a joke and skilled at holding the attention of a crowd. In fact, he always enjoys entertaining the crews on the sets of the various movies and television shows he works on in Hollywood.

About two years ago, he decided to give stand-up comedy a try. This decision was easier said than done because he was only 15 at the time. There are not too many comedy clubs that allow anyone under 18 (or 21 depending on the venue) to get on stage. Zach had to get his start playing restaurants, coffee shops and other places that would allow performers of all ages to work on their act.

After a few months of performing at random venues, Zach was on the same bill with some other comedians in their 20s. They were all very encouraging after the show and spoke to him as a fellow performer and not like a kid. He started running into them on a regular basis on the open mic circuit and this led to a few comedians inviting Zach to be part of their shows around town.

It was always amusing to watch Zach on the same bill with these guys because they were a talented crew of hip hop comedians. Their sets would consist of a multitude of curse words and sexual jokes that were always funny. However, you could feel the surprise in the room when the nerdy 16-year-old would launch into routines about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and high school. Zach would win over the crowd a good 90% of the time but it took them a bit to realize the young kid was a comedian on the same level as the others on the bill. In fact, he was better than half of the comedians since his act wasn't solely based on curse words.

From Sal's Comedy Hole to Busby's East to the Blu Elefant Cafe and beyond, Zach worked on his set in any venue that would allow him to perform. Venues such as The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory were beyond his age limit and it seemed like his comedy career was mostly limited to open mics.

All of that changed in the last few months.

Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank has an open mic and Zach discovered that he was allowed to try his material in the club.  The first night he went to Flappers, he was armed with some of his best material as well as a few new bits. Once he got home that night, I asked him if he received any feedback from the folks running the open mic. He proceeded to show me a coupon for a free pizza that is awarded to the best comic of the night.  While this might not seem like a big deal to you, it was his first time at the venue and a free pizza is always a big deal to a teenage kid!

Zach attended more open mics at the club and was eventually invited to perform on the Saturday night before Easter in The YooHoo Room at Flappers. He was booked with a group of comedians opening for the headliner that night. I had no idea where he was scheduled on the bill that night so it was a matter of waiting for him to get called to the stage. He was the last act before the headliner took the stage!  Pretty good for his first booked gig at the club. Plus, he was the youngest comic on stage that night. He killed that night doing new material as well as a few bits that have always done well with crowds of all ages. He has been invited back to open for another nationally touring comic as well as be a guest on their podcast.

He is still too young to play many of the comedy clubs around town but he is making a name for himself in the Los Angeles comedy scene. Zach's goal is to be a cast member on "Saturday Night Live". Between his stand-up comedy, writing his own material and improv training, he might be on the show sooner rather than later.

Actor. Stand-Up Comic. Second City Cast Member. He's a busy teen performer.