Full disclosure: I am friends with Whitney Pastorek, but if I weren't, I'd be trying to be right away, as she has lots of advice for new writers breaking into journalism and literature. Currently a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly, she has freelanced all over the place and is the Executive Editor of the literary journal and website Pindeldyboz.

A few years ago you were working at a school for children with special needs and doing some freelance writing, and now you're on staff at Entertainment Weekly. What was the progression to the job?
Um, wow, now that you mention it, the universe really sort of took care of me there, huh? I don't think a lot about the weird period between my first career (teaching theater at NYU) and my second (this EW thing), and so the days of working with autistic kids and freelancing seem really far away. I know I did a lot of pitching editors/building up clips, and a lot of drinking, and I spent a lot of time playing guitar at this reading series here in New York. And one night, after one of those readings, a friend introduced me to Jennifer Armstrong, who works at EW; even though I was really trying to play it cool, I eventually drooled something to Jennifer about how she had my dream job. And for whatever reason-- I think she liked my cover of "Pour Some Sugar On Me"-- she told me there were some openings and gave me her card, and I sent her a resume and she passed it along, and the rest is history.

I guess this proves the old aphorism about luck being what happens when preparation means opportunity. Or that life is what happens when you're making other plans. Or that whoever told me not to have drunken conversations with strangers was just flat wrong.

How much freedom do you have working for an entertainment magazine? How much of it is being nice to important people?
Oh! God! No lip service! I mean, look, criticizing the creative work of others is always going to lead to some uncomfortable situations, but my job is to say what I think. If something sucks, I say so. If someone's a dick-- well, I can't just come right out and say they're a dick, but I'll slip something in, if I can. And if something is good, I'll say that, too--even if it's not cool to do so (please see my forthcoming review of the new Nickelback album). The only time I have to keep my opinion in check is if it differs dramatically with that of the department's critic. Gillian Flynn hated "The Comeback." I loved it. She's the TV critic and, at the time, I was a f*cking editorial assistant. Obviously I lose, which is as it should be. Whatever. Gillian's way cooler than me, anyway.

How and why did you become involved with Pindeldyboz? Do you still have time for it?
I met Pboz founding editor Jeff Boison while I was drunk in a hallway at a McSweeney's party at Galapagos in 2000. I told him I'd help with some graphic design and maybe do some writing for him-- fiction writing, of course, because at this point I did not yet see my second career on the horizon-- and we started up the website. Next thing I knew, I was reading 50 stories a week and learning how to lay out and publish a print volume.

Again, much of this is a blur. And again, I notice, the whole thing started while I was drunk and talking to strangers. Hmm.

Right now, I don't have as much time as I like to deal with it, but it's starting to balance out as I learn how to do my EW job without overworking myself; also, my new print editors and my outstandingly brilliant web editor are a big, big, big help.

What advice would you give to writers hoping to land a staff job like yours (who might not have much editorial experience?)
Write write write. Build up your clips. Be patient. And get drunk and talk to strangers.*

*NOTE: Whitney Pastorek is not responsible if you put yourself into rehab, or puke on someone important. Handle your alcohol responsibly, please.

Where are you freelancing these days and how do you find the time to do it?
Actually, I've only done one freelance assignment since starting at EW: I got tossed a story for Budget Travel this month, and headed off to St. Lucia to find out if vacationing on a tropical island does, in fact, kick ass. (Answer: oh hell yes.) Travel writing, for those who do not know, is the
greatest gig of all time, and I was just lucky this fell in my lap while I already had some time off scheduled. As for the actual writing of the thing, well... I didn't sleep so much last weekend, let's put it that way.