Becoming A Craigslist Junkie

It started so innocently.

I was looking for an apartment, my roommate was looking for an apartment. She announced she'd found one on Craigslist. I'd heard of this wonderous list, mostly from screenwrites enthusing over 'gigs', so it seemed a good place to try.

The rentals section wasn't bad and I even created my own "Housing Wanted" ad to give posting a try. But I eventually found a place to live on another site.

Instead, the problem began with the Community section. One quick click away is a cross-section of people's travel plans, political stances and opinions on the proper treatment and adoption of pets. It's a strange and wonderful way to get briefly inside the private lives of unseen strangers.

Far more private though, and far, far stranger, is that reknowned 'gigs' list. I haven't found much in the 'talent' or 'creative' gigs that would be useful in my writing career, but oh the material I can mine from there to use in the writing.

So many strange things that people want done, or other people expect to be paid to do. Best but also most dangerous is the 'adult' section - if only I wrote scripts for movies with a bluer hue.

If you've never been, take a swing through. Check out your own hometown, if you're not from the same part of the world as me.

And be sure to check out the "best of" section, available here.

This is simply a great place to procrastinate. And the best part is, if you're a writer you can just call it "research".

Sweet, sweet, research.