How Much Money Do Writers Earn or Make?

Before we get into money and numbers here, here’s one writer’s response to the earning-a-living-from-writing thing:

“A couple of years ago I went to a writer’s conference, and speaker after speaker basically said, ‘I always wanted to write, but I had to work, but then I married a rich guy and quit my job and now I can write.’

Several of us wondered how to sign up for the ‘find a rich guy’ break-out session.”