About ten years ago, I retired from a career as a technical writer, a job that suited me very well. I liked doing the research, organizing the material, and explaining technical subjects in understandable language. The work was always challenging and took a certain amount of courage. For example, one of my first assignments was to write a training manual for the US Marines called "How to Maintain and Repair the Standayne DB2 Fuel Injection Pump." Not only did I have to learn how to calibrate the pump, I had to teach it to the Marines!

Now I write as a hobby, picking my own subjects and working without deadlines (I complete a book before pitching it to publishers). While the subject matter can certainly be daunting, as it was with Fat, my experience as a technical writer taught me that I can learn what I need to know. It simply takes perseverance and, as I said, a certain amount of courage.