All I do (I trade part-time) is sell naked puts and then write covered calls if assigned. I always try to get the time value to make it more profitable, but selling ITM with no time value can have a benefit. Going this route gives you a better % return if the trade works and it takes no money from your account to write it. (Of course you have to have $ available if assigned.) Don't go into it easily if you don't know what you are doing. I've been doing it for years and just this year got smacked on a stupid move on CSCO with no time value. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't - like all trades.
You newbies do not need to trade options without being able to take a 100% hit on capital in a month.
I don't bother writing options if there's an immediate assignment risk. I just got assigned today on short 6 may puts on SUNW (bad play). And SUNW isn't THAT deep ITM, only around 18% for a stock that may be fairly volatile. I also got assigned on my yhoo 30 puts immediately after they tanked after earnings, even though there was only 1 day to expiration. More then 15% ITM with less then a month to go? Don't bother.