I've been a professional writer for over a decade and it still amazes me how many folks are CONVINCED they can just do this shit. Nobody walks up to a surgeon and says "I reckon I could have a crack at that." But writing? Everyone's got a world-changing essay in them apparently. It's in there. Somewhere. Behind the spleen.
@Daojoan I worked as a magazine and newspaper feature writer. Most of my work was as a freelancer writer/photographer, not easy. Selling ideas to editors was the hardest part of my job.