J.K. Rowling has some heartfelt, uplifting advice for budding writers
It seems almost incredible now, but few people remember that J.K. Rowling received loads of rejection before she finally got published.
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The manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was famously rejected 12 times before ending up with Bloomsbury.
So when she spotted on Twitter a comment giving precious advice to budding writers, Rowling gave a heartfelt explanation to her followers:
There were so many times in the early 90s when I needed somebody to say this to me. It's great advice for many reasons. https://t.co/tiGpAOb4Fh
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
The comment said: "HEY! YOU! You're working on something and you're thinking 'Nobody's gonna watch, read, listen'. Finish it anyway."
Rowling continued her thread by encouraging aspiring writers/artists to finish their work and never quit for fear of rejection:
Even if it isn't the piece of work that finds an audience, it will teach you things you could have learned no other way.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
(And by the way, just because it didn't find an audience, that doesn't mean it's bad work.)
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
The discipline involved in finishing a piece of creative work is something on which you can truly pride yourself.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
You'll have turned yourself from somebody who's 'thinking of', who 'might', who's 'trying', to someone who DID. And once you've done it...
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
... you'll know you can do it again. That is an extraordinarily empowering piece of knowledge. So do not ever quit out of fear of rejection.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
Maybe your third, fourth, fiftieth song/novel/painting will be the one that 'makes it', that wins the plaudits...
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
... but you'd never have got there without finishing the others (all of which will now be of more interest to your audience.)
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
Here endeth today's sermon and thanks to @beauty_jackson for her original words of wisdom.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2017
👏👏👏