Getting Work As A Writer

Cary Tennis is often wise and amusing, and is seldom better than in this Salon piece that answers a plea, "Why can't I get a writing job?”

If the person who hires writers comes out of his cave and says, Who has 500 words on my mother's new play? do not pause to think, What is his mother's name, and what is her play, and is it that play that is not very good? Raise your hand and say, I, sir, have 750 words on your mother's new play, and might I add, sir: Brava!

Then they let you in the gate and the rest of the writers have to stand outside pretending to buy one another drinks. Once inside, you say, I completely lied, and then they beat you, but they are not very strong. They are editors.

Also of interest (and neatly designed): Manual, an anthology of how-to writing from writers with Web sites (as a downloadable pdf). How to show your work, How to get your man to propose, How to build a fence.