 That same year the enormous success of "Star Wars" had a huge impact on the publishing industry and science fiction, and he sold the novel for the same amount he would make in three years of teaching.The short stories he was able to sell in his early 20s gave him some profit, but not enough to pay his bills, which prevented him from becoming the full-time writer he wanted to be.The need for a day job occurred simultaneously with the American chess craze which followed Bobby Fischer's victory in the 1972 world chess championship.