Forget walking the walk, can you even talk the talk? Do you know what a 'clam' is? How about 'a barrel' or the dreaded 'nakamura'?

These are terms compiled from the writers rooms of Family Guy, The Simpsons, SNL, 30 Rock, Will & Grace and other top TV shows. They're also really useful concepts and principles you can apply to your writing - whether it's a spec or original TV script, screenplay, personal essay, blog or comedy writing in any format.

Click here to get the free Glossary of Writers Terms.

The TV biz is quickly dissolving into media stew, but shows are still getting made (see list below). But what makes a potential employer put your script down - or keep reading? And what other ways can you get your foot in the door?

1) Get read. Submit your writing to the Other Network Comedy Contest - deadline Dec. 15, 2008. We'll read it and if it rocks our world we'll pass it on to at least one working TV showrunner. In addition to getting read by top comedy writers, past winners have met with reps, signed with agents and been read by development execs. Several winning scripts from previous years are currently being read by Starz/Film Roman.