Meghan O'Keefe

I’ve had a handful of acquaintances ask me how I got my new gig at VH1.com (that I start tomorrow!!!! ACK!!!!). It’s asked in a tone that suggests there is some secret handshake or 8 week course at NYU that will get you to a place where you write for a living. 

I just keep having to tell people the truth. It’s actually the same answer I got about 2 and a half years ago from Chiara Atik when I asked her the same question. It’s a similar answer that you hear from successful stand ups and comedy writers. 

The secret is this: WORK REALLY HARD FOR FREE FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND BE REALLY NICE, AND THEN WHEN YOU’RE REALLY GOOD, SOMEONE WILL GIVE YOU A BREAK—AND THEN YOU HAVE TO RUN WITH IT.

If you want to be a writer, you have to write.

If you want to be a blogger for big websites, you’ve got to submit pieces that you’ve written to those big websites. 

If you want to do it for a living, you have to live your life doing it.

That’s it.