Why do people who hardly read books think they can be authors?

[nilesobek]

21. I was injured in 1991,

pretty severely and had quite a bit of down time. So I discovered the library. Eureka! I could be educated and entertained and leave my miserable world behind and absorb myself in non-fiction, fiction and poetry.

Being a grade school dropout, the idea that I might be able to write a book seemed impossible, "can't," being the dirty four letter word.

My friends and family, hearing me talk and reading excerpts of my writing attempts, greatly encouraged me. Yet I still consider myself unfit for publication. I've written over 100 short stories and numerous pages of poetry. I feel I have stories to tell and a unique perspective and writing style.

Sometimes I can become withdrawn and tell myself, "Its just a hobby." Recently, I was offered $9,000 for one of my earlier stories, a suspense thriller about a schizophrenic housewife. But I can't bring myself to push "send."

Writing for me has been greatly therapeutic. The truth is, I'd rather wallow in obscurity than face the pressure and tension of real success. It seems that the opposite is true of the people you speak of.

Letting people come to me for my stories is far less humiliating than rejection, which I've had a whole life full of. Some people just want to say, "Hey, I'm a writer." Like a resume enhancement.