Fred Vinturini explains over at Medium how he happenstanced into becoming an author:
She finally turns to me and asks me what’s the secret to getting published. How did I get my seat at the front of the Powell’s event next to Chuck. I’m almost surprised that she finally realizes I exist up there, and I sheepishly give her the first answer that comes to mind.
“Luck,” I say. “You don’t want to hear my story. It sounds lucky, and it sort of is.”
It sounds like a bullshit answer, and it is, but eventually I figure out how to get across to her and the audience that it’s the right answer. Like any good essay question, you stumble around a little bit until you nail the point you were going for. Starting off with the luck thing is just me showing my work as I wrestle with the equation.
“Luck?” she repeats, pissed off. “That’s it? That’s your answer?”
So I tell her my story.