rule of ten

As one gets older One often looks back At all the things you did In your life. The good, the bad, and the ugly And we all have those moments Because we are human. And some things you desired But never pursued. For me, it was a dream Of becoming a famous writer While I can write poems And short stories, My greatest desire Was to write The Great American Novel. And sadly it will remain An unfulfilled desire As I don’t have the patience or energy . To edit my six rough draft novels Turning them into something publishable And they may die when I die. And I am in good company. The rule of ten rule applies Of one hundred people Who want to write a novel Less than ten percent finish it Of those less than ten percent publish it Of those less than ten percent make any money Of those less than ten percent make a living At writing their novels.