Inflation is the increase in the prices of goods and services across an economy. When prices inflate, you need more money to buy the same things. The opposite of inflation is deflation, when prices are lower across a range of goods and services.
James Howell, a 17th century historian cum writer was the first writer to earn his living from writing alone in the English language; other writers of those times pursued writing as a hobby, not a profession as writing alone never paid enough.
Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) became one of the most famous American writers with the publication of her novel,  Gone With the Wind  in 1936. She drew from her own background as a woman growing up in the South, but she also based her story on the controversial history of the South.