If you want to be a writer, start writing. You don't have to have an assignment. You can do it on spec, and then submit it. Oh, yeah, you might look in Writers' Guide for potential markets. But you need to read the magazines, so you gain a sense of their style and their interests.

Also, I would recommend a good writers' read-and-critique group. You can get feedback on your own writing, and you can learn a lot from the other writers.

Another thing you might consider is technical writing. For that, you need to produce good expository writing. Even if you have no training or experience technical writing, look into the Society for Technical Communication. It's an excellent resource for information about training and job openings, plus for networking.

Good luck and good writing.

Some people call them an endangered species, but book reviews still seem to be in demand. They are harder to write than you think, as they require good analytical skills and an ability to notice fine detail (along with a fully functional shit detector: current fiction is full of it).

It can be tough to break in to a newspaper or a magazine without a portfolio of published work. Unfortunately, most writers start out doing it for nothing. The 'net is full of book web sites looking for reviewers. Get some reviews done, print them out in the most atttractive way possible for presentation, and when you wangle that first interview, usually by word of mouth, flip open the attractive naugehyde cover. The editor will leaf through them absently, but will suddenly spy a gorgeous sentence, standing there all on its own.

Meanwhile you're telling the guy, these are my career plans, and I'd like to make the Daily Whatsis part of those plans. This is what I can offer you (and you'd better have that all worked out: most people who "want to be writers" have no idea what exactly they want to/can write).

It's a first step, but better than sitting home at your computer cursing fate.

Here's a good place to start building that portfolio:

www.januarymagazine.com

Good luck.

Don't know if this has been mentioned by other posters, but...

It may be a good idea to create your position with a publication or an editor through creating a dialogue.

Pitch ideas, send samples. It's not so much that they will hire you on the spot, but it gives them an idea of your capabilities. They see your style, they see your interests. And if you contact them over a period of time they see the growth of your work. They can see you developing ideas and, most importantly, they know that you are dedicated.

This is true whether you are contacting someone for writing jobs, a gallery to show your artwork, or as a musician looking for gigs. It's all about creating a dialogue to show off your talents. Very rarely is it a lucky, one shot deal.

Start a dialogue? Go to J-school? Are you people insane or living in some kind of bubble? Writers are being laid off EVERYWHERE. If you don't have an insane fire in your belly to do journalism for free, just get a teaching credential or learn how to raise organic goats. Heck, mortgage broker is a more secure career right now. You armchair journalists out there, keep your traps shut or you're going to doom this person to a life of disappointment and pain!

Get a copy of Writer's Marketplace (or look up the online version). Look for publications that accept freelance articles. Read those publications and, once you have a grip on what they want, write those articles and send them in.

Contact the publisher of that small, local monthly or weekly newspaper you read. Based on what you know about the paper's coverage, propose to write something they will be interested in. You'll do this on spec just to get clips.

Volunteer anywhere that you find interesting and see if they have any kind of publication. Offer to contribute articles to their publication or to write press releases that they can send out.

Any of these things can be done in your off-time; none require that you give up your full-time job. All require that you put a lot of "spare" time into finding work as a writer and then doing it. However, this is how you generate clips and experience. And it's how you find out if you would really be happy earning a living as a writer—rather than simply being a writer for your own enjoyment (there is a big difference).

Greetings

Lots of good advice but still the best - "writers write"

You want clips? Get a BLOG and write about your passion

Like to cook? BLOG about cooking. Like music? BLOG about music. Like porn? You get the idea...

Suddenly the twelve people on the net who share your passion NOTICE!! This shameless self promotion is good!

Plus writing is how writers get better. Improving is GOOD! People notice.

BLOG your passion and have fun, people notice that too

Enjoy the journey

WarLord

I'm probably a lot older than you. I, too, always wanted to be a writer but found myself stuck in a series of boring jobs. Despite the fact that I had managed to publish one children's book (and that after the manuscript was rejected oh, a zillion times), editors were not flooding my inbox with offers. When it finally dawned on me that I was not J.K. Rowling, I began to troll all the job boards on the internet where openings for freelance writers are posted. Craig's List is one. It's easy to find others, just do a Google search. For about a year I applied for every writing job I thought I was even remotely qualified for. Sometimes I sent out three or four queries a day. Yes, the first jobs I got were mostly low-paying gigs producing web content for a couple of bucks an article. But after a while I started to move up the food chain. Now I freelance for an educational publisher and have a couple of nice copywriting gigs on the side. No doubt I will never be rich or famous, write a best seller or win a major award, but I am a working writer. My advice to you is this:

1. Get used to rejection. It is a fact of life for most writers.

2. Find some writing buddies, either off or on-line. They will keep you sane.

3. Understand that most writers never get that "big break" we just keep plugging.

4. No writing is ever really wasted. Published or unpublished, everything you write

moves you closer to your goal.

Good luck!