see, but the central part of the 'amateur' writing is that is is quite often a collective thing!

i remember the first time after many years oif reading fanfic when i felt the urge to write it was after i joined LJ, met folks, became part of a community but not really...b/c i didn't write. fandom often discriminates against non writers and that, coupled with the writing-as-communicating-about-your-favorite-characters, i think, brings many people to share things that a lot of us would rather not have seen...

in other words, fic at that level becomes an almost one-on-one (or one-on-however many) intimate conversation, a joke, a game, an enjoyable exercise. with LJs bizarre half public/half private role, however, we suddenly are exposed to what previously remained private, remained in chat rooms or emails or private conversations.

personally, i think the question is not about writing but about publishing. i write...badly. that doesn't mean i need to share it with the world. i don't think that makes me a professional :-) just a person with a high propensity for shame, maybe :D