Ah. I think "desensitizing" ourselves is what allows so much crap to get onto the shelves. I''m not advocating censorship, just proper standards of quality. You can go ahead and write a crappy book, but if nobody will be tricked into reading it, then nobody will be tempted to publish it, and you''ll have to work harder. Honest reviews, good QA, and some semblance of technical skill would improve every facet of writing.

Problem is, nowadays people think anybody can write. Like it''s a talent or something. Sure, it''s a talent, but in the past, great talents have always been enhanced by a great deal of formal training. If you don''t know basic grammar or story organization, then all the vivid landscapes in your head are trapped there forever.

I have a vivid imagination. I cannot draw. Therefore, all I can do is look at images and say, "That''s good, but it''s not as good as it COULD be," and hope that somebody eventually makes what I would make if I could. I''m not a lousy writer, and have received some accolades from peers and professors, but I''m not arrogant or motivated enough to term myself a writer.

And writing "short stories" in your angsty high school diary doesn''t make you a writer either. I''m getting upset now, so I''ll stop ranting, but man, I hate it when people are all excited about the huge quality of their writing when they''re just stealing a handful of concepts and mashing their originators'' sentences together.

I''m done. For now.