h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Now, I have been addicted to writing poetry and prose for years and years and years. I love it. I have a powerful need to do it as regularly as I can. I would dearly love to make it my full time job, but as that does not pay the bills very easily i will have to leave it until I can afford to be a lady of leisure.

However, I was wondering if there is anything I could do to learn about the skills required of a creative writer? I know there are courses on-line that you can do, and reading a whole variety of genres and authors is a good idea as well. But to be a successful author do you need to be trained to do it? Or is it something you can just do without any courses and assignments?

My personal view at present is that if I want to make it good enough to publish, then it is up to me to make it that way. No number of courses, exams or assignments will effect the success of anything I write. However, I am open to other opinions.....

What do you guys out there think?