Art or Science?

I once got into a discussion -- OK, an argument -- with a graphic artist over the art of writing. His view was that essentially anyone can write. "Any schmoe can put a sentence together," was his gist. I countered with, "Yes, but few can do it well." Writing (like drawing or any other skill) takes practice (see "The 12 Commandments"). And writing is not just an art. It is also a science. It takes precision, determination to meet a goal and a near-perfectionist attitude. Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway rewrote the ending to The Sun Also Rises no fewer than 15 times. When someone asked why, he replied in true Hemingway fashion: "To get the words right."