Making Light of the Dark Ages: A Writer's Afterlife

Thanks to author Helen Hollick for this joke!

A writer died and found himself face to face with Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. Peter consulted his big book and found himself somewhat perplexed as to the final destination of the writer. He therefore proposed to show the writer both Hell and Heaven before deciding the case. They went first down to Hell to the part specially reserved for writers. Here there were rows and rows of writers, chained to desks scribbling away. If any one of them stopped, even for an instant, he or she was immediately flogged until they started writing again.

Next Saint Peter took the writer to the part of Paradise reserved for writers. Here there were rows and rows of writers chained to desks scribbling away. If any one of them stopped, even for an instant, he or she was immediately flogged until they started writing again.

The newcomer was perplexed. "I can't see that there's any difference between here and Hell," he said to Saint Peter.

"Ah," said Saint Peter. "The difference is, here you get published."