Susan Dansby took advantage of the writers' strike the only way he knows how: by writing. But not for As the World Turns, as usual.

The soap opera scribe says she though the strike would end fairly quickly - "I was pretty naïve," she admits - but when the studios stopped talks with the writers in early December, she "had to do something to make money."

The resolution? A book titled "How Did You Get That Job? My Dream Jobs and How They Came True." The tome explains how to enjoy a successful career in the world of sex, intrigue and murder; i.e. soap operas

Dansby (a former director for Guiding Light, Generations, Port Charles, and As the World Turns) has the experience to back up her advice. In addition to her soap opera work, she has held jobs at hospitals, Yellowstone Park, Carnegie Mellon University, and Sesame Street.

Her book details goal-setting strategies, while helping others turn their dream job into a reality.

"People always ask how I got started in television," Dansby says. "The truth is I followed a plan that's fairly simple."

Her strategy worked, as Soap Central details: Dansby has worked for 20 years in television, as a writer, associate producer, and director. When not on strike, she works from her home in Atlanta as a breakdown writer for As the World Turns.

The book also reveals behind the scenes antics and anecdotes.

"Working with ambitious and creative people can get intense sometimes. I write about one actor who tried to get me fired, and one who delivered a letter to Oprah for me. In soaps, you run the gamut."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.