Many believe that they can become a writer if they were given the chance. However, it is not as easy as some people would like to believe to be a writer. For the most part the life of a writer is difficult and stressful. Getting noticed by the publishing community is nearly impossible and your book must be prolific and unique to even shake a possible publishing deal from an agent.
The main problem that people have when they begin writing is the fact that they do not know where to start. This is very common among new writers as the process of writing can be confusing to those that have never attempted it before. This is why there are now so many places that offer writers resources in an attempt to garner the hope for the next generation of authors to hit the worlds bookshelves. These places hope they can foster the dream of writing for many people and bring about the best in the new literature that will be available to the next generation.
If you are considering a career change to author then it is best to start out small. Before tackling a novel, which can take years to complete, try the short story market. For all intents and purposes a short story is nothing...