Writerly Joke!

This was shared to me through my state SCBWI listserv by the charming Teresa Fannin, and I couldn't help but shamelessly steal it.

A writer died and was given the choice of going to heaven or hell.

The writer thought she'd check out each place before making her
decision. So with an angelic escort she descended the brimstone steps
to the fiery pits and here she entered a grimy sweatshop and saw rows
and rows of writers chained to their desks. As the writers worked on
their manuscripts they were repeatedly whipped with cats-o-nine tails.

"Oh gosh golly," the writer told the angel, "I'd better go check out
heaven now!"

So they walked back up the brimstone steps and now proceeded up the
golden steps that led to Heaven. Here the writer entered another
sweatshop, and here again were rows of writers chained to their
desks. Just like in Hell, the writers were whipped with cats-o-nine
tails as they struggled over every precious word and vital scene in
their stories.

The writer was confused. "But this is just as awful as hell!"

"Certainly not!" protested the angel. "Here, your work actually gets
published!"