In college, I was one of those "strange people" who deliberately sought out courses that had a "heavy writing component." Truth be know, I'd much rather write a long essay, than have to get up in front of the class to present something, or be part of group work.
I was never an English major, however, as I was talked out of following any kind of writing track. Even my sophomore English professor-- who was an accomplished and published writer-- suggested that it was a bad idea to pursue writing for a living, and that fewer than 5% of writers actually made a living from the craft. Although the idea of being "a writer" really appealed to me, I had already been somewhat "conditioned" against the idea by family, so I didn't take a lot of persuading.
I did, however, take a number of creative writing courses, while in college. One of the primary lessons I got I learned in a short story writing class, where one entire 3-hour session turned into a Q&A with the professor, about becoming an author.
Naturally, one of the questions asked was "What exactly does it take to become a published author?" The professor responded that all it took was the ability to string together 75,000 words of prose, in some reasonably coherent fashion. This didn't sit well with the aspiring Hemingway's who were looking for an answer that involved words like "talent," "mastery of English" or "an original idea." Ultimately, the point was that less than 1% of what is published is "literature" quality-- the majority of books come from very mediocre writers who she the one commonality that they have the determination and discipline to sit down and write. And then to market the hell out of themselves, not giving up because they have received 85 rejection slips in a row.
I got a nice degree in Finance, and went into the business world, feeling largely like I didn't belong... but having the hope that I was doing "the right thing."
