Michael Crichton was a doctor. But he also had other talents and the itch to write. So he determined to let go of his ambition of a life of medicine and pursue a career as a writer. He says in his 1988 autobiography, Travels, he relates that he was following his passion. That's admirable. There are enough people trapped in jobs and occupations they don't like. Find what you like, what you want to do, and find some way to make that your life's work.

Crichton says at that time society gave doctors a lot of respect, and writers didn't get much respect at all. It is a hard-scrabble way to make a living, for the beginner. Most writers get more rejections than they get sales. While he was in medical school, the doctors and students pretty much left Crichton alone. "They admired my determination…