I learned to write...

I learned to write by reading, by listening, by listening to radio programs like Lux Radio Theater when I was a kid, by becoming absorbed in other people's stories, and by following my instincts. That is how most people learn to write, I think --- pretty much the way we learned to talk when we were toddlers.

And yes, I do believe that there is much about writing that can be taught. You can't teach talent, no. But you can teach and learn craft to some extent, as long as you remember that no set of rules applies equally to all writers.

Writing is the most individual of the arts. Anybody can become a writer. There is no communal apprenticeship; there is no official training; there is no set piece of indispensable equipment. It's the most democratic of artistic endeavors. And for that reason the competition will always be stiff and the odds of achieving success daunting; but anyone can make it to the top at any time. And often unknowns come out of nowhere with fresh and innovative books achieving instant success.

I love being a writer. And it is the only thing I've ever done with any measure of success.

-- Anne Rice