In Outliers: The Story of Success, writer Malcolm Gladwell talks about the “10,000-Hour Rule.” Basically, to reach a level of success in any endeavor, you have to put in 10,000 hours of practice.

The difference between an Olympic gold medalist and any talented runner is 10,000 hours of putting one foot ahead of the other. What separates a home cook with a celebrity chef is 10,000 hours in the kitchen.

And this applies to writers as well.

Note that experts dispute the actual amount of time you have to put in, but the message is clear.

It isn’t talent you are lacking — it’s a work ethic.

Its not natural skill that makes one great, but the “passion” that drives them to relentlessly pursue the dream. Very few people are willing to pour their heart into something when they don’t have natural gifts for it. If they do, they soon give up. This applies to writing as well. Many people want to BE a writer, but they don’t want to do what it takes to get there — which is a shitload of work.

Passion and drive is far more important than skill.

If you didn’t have innate talent for it, you probably won’t enjoy it enough to die on that hill. The converse is true. You are not going to succeed without some sweat even if you are a superstar. Your talents dictate how high you can go. Your work ethic dictates if you make it at all. No one wakes up one day and runs a four-minute mile. The odds of being that good are extremely slim.

The hours you put in are a requirement, your talent is only a variable.

Most people want to be world-class athletes, best selling authors or famous musicians but most people are also unwilling to do the work necessary to get there.