One learns the basics of basic literacy by the second year of schooling. It’s not rocket science. By year 6 or 7, it’s pretty obvious who has a gift for writing. In the arts, one can tell the moment a child steps onto the dance floor whether they have it or not.

Unlike dancing, there really is nothing more to learn in writing, once one has the grammar, the structure, etc. Everybody can learn basic literacy.

Telling people that they can learn creative writing, and scamming them out of a fee is just plain dishonest. Everybody has a chance to learn to write — right from the first day of school.

Unlike dancing, or music, or even fine art, there is nothing else to learn. Nobody can teach someone the cadence of good writing, just as nobody can teach someone who is tone deaf to sing to the same standard as an opera star. Would you think it honest if someone promised tone deaf kids the ability to sing like an opera star for a fee?

It’s politically incorrect to point out there is an exceptional level of intelligence involved in good writing, but that is one of the biggest factors. Writers are thinkers, and I don’t mean the ability to chose between a hot cross bun and a chocolate cake.

I have no problem with people writing. As you mentioned, they will sink or swim, and we can all choose to read what we like. What we are talking about is the plethora of people ‘teaching’ people to write (for a fee, of course).

Until recently, nobody went to university to learn creative writing. From Ernest Hemmingway through Isaac Aimov to Michael Crighton, these people wrote because it was an innate talent.