> And that's what writing novels is—it's work for money, like programming or plumbing, not some mystical calling or vocation. I agree with your overall comment

> And that's what writing novels is—it's work for money, like programming or plumbing, not some mystical calling or vocation. I agree with your overall comment, but this is not entirely true. For many writers, writing is a vocation. They would do it even if they couldn't make a living out of it, just like a painter would paint even if nobody commissioned any of their work. It just happens that for a relatively small percentage of writers, writing is a viable way to make enough money to make a living.