So, this is how you become a freelance writer--

(This is the point where you take out a pen and pad of paper and take careful notes)

1. Take a bunch of political science and Journalism classes.

2. Kiss your Journalism professors asses for a good grade (and some extra advice they don't give to the other students)

3. Learn how to survive on cup of noodles and tuna (You're basically agreeing to live a peniless existence).

4. (and perhaps the most obvious) You must have some basic knowledge of sentence structure. You know-- [the use of] correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling is usually a good place to start. Once you have that down, then you'll need to make your sentences interesting-- that way people won't be tempted to ball up your paper and use it as combustable material for a fire (or to wipe their ass with when the toilet paper gets low-- hey, desperate times call for desperate measures). 

 

Once you've got these key elements down, the next step is knowing where to send your work.  This is a task in and of itself, as actually getting your stories read by editors and the chances of them actually liking it and buying it, is very slim.  Thus, it is very easy to get discouraged and jaded by the constant flow of rejection letters and the invisible letters that contain nothing at all (meaning, your story wasn't even worthy of a rejection letter). But don't let one man's opinion slow you down.  Keep moving forward, improving your craft, and sending your work out, and someday, oh yes, someday...you're stories will be printed in "Los Angeles Magazine," "People," "Newsweek," "Time..." You name it, you're story will be there. Shining like a quarter among pennies.  Lingering in the hearts and minds of your readers as they go about their daily duties.  And you, oh mighty freelance writer, will be pleased and rewarded by the success of your ingenuity and tenacity. 

 

"Right now they may not know it

But someday they will see

That pen and paper go together

And so do you and me"